RE: Heating control

[Paul Gordon <paul_gordon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Personally, I'd be "wary" of entrusting something as
critical as heating
control to less "robust" technologies such as X10, and PC-based
automation
software such as Homeseer.... - I speak as someone who has, and still does
use both, *and* have just automated my central heating which is based on
pretty much exactly the same system as yours...

Homeseer is good enough for the extra convenience layers on top of the core
functionality;- providing touchscreens, web access, email control etc. but
I
wouldn't use it for the core functionality of directly controlling the
boiler... as good as Homeseer is, it still runs on a Windows PC, and
therefore cannot ever be regarded as 100% reliable - something which I (and
more importantly SWMBO!) regard as fairly important...

Likewise for X10, - I've used it for years, and indeed still have a few
units in places where getting CBUS to is either too difficult (garden for
instance), or not economically justified, but I've experienced  just too
many occasions over the years when X10 just decides not to work any more
for
no discernable reason - and it really can be something as daft as your next
door neighbour getting a new TV!
I don't know about Z-wave reliability since I've never used it, although I
understand it is better than X10, but still subject to its own
"foibles"...

I've just done mine using CBUS; a CBUS single zone thermostat unit, and a
CBUS relay switching the boiler demand. This is technology that I'm
absolutely happy to entrust my central heating to...

Just my 2p worth!

HTH

Paul G.


-----Original Message-----
From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
colinglover@xxxxxxx
Sent: 01 January 2011 20:55
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: [ukha_d] Heating control

Hi folks and happy new year.

I'm thinking of letting homeseer manage my heating and have a solution I'd
like to run past you all.
We have a combi boiler with no time clock, that heats just a single zone
within the house.
my proposed solution is to break into the cable to the thermostat and
insert
a relay that would open and close the circuit. I thought of leaving the
thermostat in place and leaving it set to a fairly high temp (25c) as a
safe
guard in case homeseer fails to turn off the boiler for whatever reason.

Do you think this approach is workable? If so, what kind of relay would be
suitable?

I'm using x10 today amd plan to introduce z-wave over the next couple of
weeks. I already have an rfxcom temp sensor that is reporting into homeseer
ok, so I really just need the relay I think.

Any suggestions greatly received
Colin




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