Internet Control

[andyb]

Has anyone wired a central heating system that can be controlled over the Net?

If so what was the manufacturer and how easy/hard was it?

Thanks

 

[bugsy]

Passivenergy have an iphone app for their central heating systems

 

[andyb]

Thanks Bugsy but I need to be able to control the boiler from a remote computer,
I know there are systems out there, Heatmiser do one.
I'm just wondering if anyone has any experiance in this field.

 

[IQ Electrical]

Thanks Bugsy but I need to be able to control the boiler from a remote computer,
I know there are systems out there, Heatmiser do one.
I'm just wondering if anyone has any experiance in this field.

When you look at how many years that option has been available to commercial/industrial applications through BMS/EMS systems, I can only imagine there has been little demand for a domestic system or cost has been a limiting factor!

Heatmiser system looks impressive though! Control your Digital Thermostat over the internet with Heatmiser Netmonitor

 

[bugsy]

The only system I have used doing this is C-Bus but this is an intergrated home automated system which required remote system pc and system pc intergated via logmein.
Having said that any software based programming could be controlled with this software

 

[thepurple1]

Any controls system that can go on an ethernetwork will do e.g Trend, Cylon,Siemens,Carlo Gavazzi but this stuff is not cheap

 

[thepurple1]

if you want any more info just send me a private message I am a controls Engineer that specialises in Trend Controls

 

[andyb]

Thanks thepurple, I've had a quick look at Trend's website & it look a bit over the top for a domestic job.

Is it expensive?

 

[thepurple1]

A Trend controller that sits on the ether network would be about £900 thats without the programming costs or a control panel.
I would have thought anything that you are looking for is going to be expensive

 

[Zimmer]

What do you need to control on the boiler, if just on/off with status feedback would a simple gsm switch with a PAYG simcard do the job.

 

[thepurple1]

Zimmer, Not all boilers are a straight forward on off you can get modulating boilers with a 0-10 volt signal, you can compensate a boiler on outside air temperature, you can optimise the heating so it's nice and warm by a certain time, you can have a temperature sensor on the return pipework and control it by this and ajust the boiler temperature to suit

 

[mydigitalhome]

Really easy use RAKO wireless lighting controls with a NO/NC contacts or using their lighting controler (provides sufficient load dependent on heating system) and connect to a gsm modem. Can be controlled by PC or via Iphone app. Home Automation

 

[Zimmer]

Zimmer, Not all boilers are a straight forward on off you can get modulating boilers with a 0-10 volt signal, you can compensate a boiler on outside air temperature, you can optimise the heating so it's nice and warm by a certain time, you can have a temperature sensor on the return pipework and control it by this and ajust the boiler temperature to suit

I am well aware of that,, but the OP is talking about a domestic boiler, and he doesn't want to spend a fortune, so if he can switch it on, switch it off check whether it's on or off, or even check the room temperature, that should suffice.

 

[andyb]

Zimmer is quite right, I only need to switch it on/off & check its status.
However, the client does not really want to use a payg sim card.

I had a quick at the RAKO web site but could only see the I phone system.

 

[ToolGuy]

Look up X10 home automation of the web. Particularly in the USA its cheap, much more here but all sorts of approaches and products and prices.