Heatmiser network Thermostat issues (EMI??)

[virgilns]

I have installed a networked heat miser fully zoned systems and getting a lot of EMI on the network which HM advise is causing me the issues I have (zones not wanting change tomp and the central controller not being able to adjust some zones at all, and the IPad app seeing 0 temp or the zones go off line at random)

i've screened the STP Cable at the wiring centre end but some of the runs had to run near 12" or less to power cables and the wiring centres are next to but 24" lower than the Consumer Unit. The wires from the CU run down within 12" of one of the wiring centres and wonder if that might be generating a lot of EMI...

All network cables seem to show around a 55-65% success of signal (and Heatmiser said I should worry about anything less that 95% !!) so I'm way off for a them to consider anything other than dodgy network cabling.

Any ideas if there's a knack to earthing the shielding or a way of further shielding network cables form EMI from 240v power cables ???

Thanks...need as much help as poss as it's driving me mad!!!

Virgil.

 

[dansk]

I've had this, but can't remember 100% the fix, I'm sure it was a conflict on the network, battle between the touchpad and heatmiser plus.
im racking my brains trying to recall the events.

 

[dansk]

When you commosioned the touch pad did it locate all thermostats? Meaning have you assigned a unique I'd to each?

 

[dansk]

Try to give us some more info, what's installed and what have you done so far regards programming.

 

[virgilns]

Thanks for the quick response!!

I've got a mixture of two zone PRT2-NTS (4x) touch screen stats in rooms servicing that room (and the adjoining room with a remote sensor) and (3x - will be 5 soon) PRT-EN stats with remote sensors for the kids bedrooms and the stats tucked away in the airing cupboard. A PRT-HW does the DHW

I've got two wiring centres with the majority of the stats on the first and two PRT-NTS on the second.

The central control panel connects to the second wiring centre (UH-1) as does the network box.

Each stat has it's own ID and the PRT2-NTSs have two Ids one for each zone. These all get picked up OK when I do a scan and then i program a name against them. The stats generally work ok. heating comes on and off when id expect, but i've always had issues with the odd stat not accepting a change of temp on the first go (from the control panel) but generally changes OK from the stat itself.

The iPad / phone app has always had an issue where it shows (randomly) some stats offline (they are on and working OK) and others shows correct temp. The landing stat shows 28' all the time regardless of the temp shown on the actual stat and then if you go into a room on the iPhone to change a temp it will at random sometimes let you and other times show zero temp (even though it showed correct temp on the main screen) and then show offline when you come out....

spoke to heat miser thursday who advised checking the network stats for quality of connection and this has highlighted the poor data comms.

I'm using foil shield STP cable with the drain wire earthed at the UH boxes...they pretty much all show 55-65% network success (35-45% data loss) which is HUGE!! I actually wonder if UTP cable might have been better!!!

 

[virgilns]

Next thing for me to try is a spare stat on a short length of STP cable directly into the UH1 and see if it shows a better data signal than the 'wired in' stats...

 

[virgilns]

BTW, the cable I've used is cat 5E FTP Philex

 

[dansk]

Next thing to try: remove the touch pad from the network and configure it through the app, I'm guessing your accessing the network via its own fixed ip off a laptop/pc

see if the app works ok without the touch pad, if it does you have a wiring issue with the way the touchpad is installed to the network.

 

[dansk]

Also I've installed a number of these without a hitch, Emi isn't normally an issue.

i had exactly the same problem as you when I added a heatmiser plus to an existing network with a touchpad, it turned out the touchpad was wired in wrong

 

[virgilns]

OK. Rejigged some of the internal power wiring for boiler and DHW valves etc as they were crossing some of the signal cables where I had to link the two UH1 boiler outputs together etc....then checked the stats on the touchpad and got better readings but not better than say 70% I added a spare stat in with minimal short wiring and it started at 100% then dropped down to 70ish % success! still not good.

Now (as per your suggestion) have removed the touchpad and reset up the net monitor and it's showing stats up in the 70%s and 80% s and the test stat on short cable showing a rick solid 100%.

I pad / phone interaction seems to be better...but with one strange thing. The landing stat PRT2-NTS shows 18' on the stat yet 25' on the iPad and iPhone apps...always done this and still doing it.

So whats the scoup with the touchpad?? wired it in with the right colours etc...are they known to be flakey or conflict with the netmon??

 

[virgilns]

to add...I've wired +ve / -ve, blue & blue white to networks blue & yellow on UH1 plus orrange....same way round (will check again though)

 

[dansk]

ok then have you wired it like this: UH1 > Touchpad > Netmonitor - the netmonitor needs connection to touchpad and not uh1

With that dodgy stat - move it to another location and see if the problem follows it - if so swap it out for a new one.

 

[virgilns]

I have Netmonitor wired to UH1 and touchpad (was) wired to UH1...

So are you saying they shouldn't BOTH run off the UH1 or specifically the Netmonitor needs to hang off the touchpad and the touchpad wires direct to the UH1??

Or can the Netmonitor wire directly to the UH1 and the touchpad hand off the Netmonitor??

Will have to check what cables I have free to do UH1 > touchpad > Netmon.....

 

[virgilns]

BTW, thank you SO much for this help!!!!!!!

 

[dansk]

thats your problem mate.

wire the touchpad to uh1 as per touchpad connection, take YB to next UH1 - then wire netmonitor terminals YB to CD on touchpad - Y to C and B to D