Making central heating controls simpler to programme and operate is a situation that many in the controls business have faced (or rather the design guru’s have) but the reality is, such controls can be highly complicated. More importantly, they are often beyond the capability of many. Add in the need for accommodating the needs of those less able, with learning difficulties or impaired sight (often living independently but in sheltered accommodation), and the opportunities for confusion, incorrect settings and wasted energy are clearly there.
Horstmann Sales Director and Voltimum smart homes expert Paul Lovegrove explains how the latest central heating controls can combine state-of-the-art technology while being very user friendly:
Those of us of an age to remember battling with the VHS video recorder settings in order not to miss recording Match of the Day will sympathise. The installer has just fitted a new central heating programmer, left with a cheery wave and you are faced with the prospect of trying to understand how the darn thing works! This has been a common problem faced by homeowners and others.
So, like others, at Horstmann we have addressed perceived shortcomings of older controls by introducing larger, more easily read screen displays, presenting data digitally so alterations can be easily identified and using menu driven and logical programming sequences.
We’re not alone in that, but when - in 2009 - we tendered for and won a significant government WarmFront contract to supply controls for a major central heating contract that included sheltered accommodation, we decided this was an opportunity to be radical and create a whole new generation of controls that address some traditional shortcomings.
The result was the innovative ThermoPlus programmable room thermostat. We claimed at the time that ’it was probably the biggest advance in the presentation of central heating controls since the first electronic programmer’ and we believe that still stands true today.
The design process had the threefold objective of combining high performance with advanced technology and ease of use. Additionally, aware that ever sophisticated central heating controls were also becoming more and more complex for thouse holders to operate, the design team adopted a ‘clean sheet of paper’ approach when developing the concepts.
The team was looking to develop a product that would revolutionise the way central heating controls look and operate, a process that involved a complete re-evaluation of the traditional approach and in this case, looking at it totally from the user viewpoint.
We drew upon research carried out by the National Energy Action charity (NEA), which identified problems with time and temperature controls fitted to earlier Warm Front heating systems. NEA had discovered that users found controls difficult or complicated to use, and as such, they were not achieving optimum efficiency from their heating systems. They also took into account industry views and those of installers and such respected bodies as ‘Ricability’.
We felt that if we met the ease of use criteria while maintaining the operational parameters, the programmable ‘stat would not only be suited to WarmFront use, but also would find very high acceptability in the broader market.
Just three buttons:
Eliminated was a daunting appearance with buttons and dials, programming complexity, unnecessary user options, poor display visibility and over-complicated instructions.
In came features such as a colour coded, bright LED warm/cool display, automatic winter and summer time change, optional frost protection, Braille markings and audible feedback for selecting warm/cool settings. All are designed to enable the user to easily understand and alter the settings.
In effect, there are three buttons for everyday use; a large plus (+) and minus (-) rocker button to increase or decrease temperatures, plus a central ‘change’ button for warm/cool. As alterations are made, the lit LED display increases the number of red blocks displayed (for heat); when moving to cool, it changes to blue.
There is also a hypothermia protection feature which prevents the room temperature from dropping below 15ºC, as well as a button operated stand-by mode to activate frost protection (5º to 10º).
An evolution to new technologies:
Following the success of the ThermoPlus – both in the WarmFront and similar arenas but also increasingly in the traditional domestic controls market - many of the design innovations have been adapted to new generation controls. Moreover, as design considerations have been added, so the technology within the controls has developed. Three leading examples are wireless technology, TPI thermostat software and optimum start technology.
Wireless systems – These are increasingly popular as simple to install upgrades to existing central heating control systems – a topic currently very much in the spotlight.
The controls trade body TACMA believes that there is a real need for a UK target to ensure that all homes having boilers also have a controls package that contains at least a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs). TACMA’s target is endorsed by the latest research which shows the installation of effective temperature controls on home heating systems has a far more significant effect on minimising energy use than previously thought. For example, tests in a ‘typical’ UK house reveal that energy consumption by the heating systems can be reduced by up to 40% through the installation of a room thermostat and TRVs - with installation costs recovered in a year or less.
Understandably, many householders operating with what we in the industry regard as an ‘inadequate’ controls package might be surprised. They might also balk at the installation cost and the disruption to the house and décor if the installer starts talking about channelling, hard wiring etc. The chances are the combination of cost and disruption would result in ‘let’s leave it as it is’.
The reality is quite different and the installers counter argument is first backed by statistics and figures that TACMA endorses, and also by the installer recommending a wireless controls upgrade.
But, by introducing a wireless package - a time switch working in combination with a room thermostat (or a programmable thermostat) and with TRVs fitted – TACMA’s 40% energy cost reduction becomes achievable and importantly, the upgrade is easy to install and programme without needing any hard wiring.
An ideal upgrade would feature a wireless time switch such as the Horstmann CentaurPlus ZW time switch working in combination with a wireless room thermostat – say an HRT4-ZW. Both units use wireless Z-Wave technology, ensuring that pairing is simple and reliable. Also, in upgrade or retro-fit situations, the wireless version has the advantage of eliminating any channelling or damage to decor, making it a quick and easy changeover.
TPI thermostat software - The thermostat element of the upgrade operates with the latest sophisticated TPI energy saving software. TPI (Time Proportional Integral) produces enhanced control of temperature settings and a boiler cycling regime that is both energy saving and efficient. The software makes a series of calculations that will precisely dictate the amount of heat needed every 10 minutes for gas boilers (20 minutes for oil burners) and switch the boiler on for a proportion of that time to maintain the set room temperature. This stops the wide fluctuations that can occur with conventional thermostats and also helps the performance of the boiler, creating the opportunity to save on fuel.
Optimum start function – Finally, some of the newer programmable ‘stats offer another feature – the optimum start function. This setting will allow the control to anticipate the next set temperature and switch on the central heating up to two hours in advance to ensure that the set room temperature has been reached by the time it is due to take effect. As a consequence, the ‘switch on’ time could take place anywhere between two hours and zero minutes before the set time.
For units without an optimum start or delayed start feature, normal practice is to set the heating to come on approximately an hour before it is expected to be up to the set room temperature. The benefit of the optimum start feature is that the heating switch on time is calculated based on the temperature sensed two hours before the set time. The actual switch ‘on’ time is then delayed as long as possible whilst still achieving the correct required temperature at the set time.
In mild weather conditions, the start time will be delayed until the last possible moment, achieving considerable (energy) savings over a fixed one hour warm up period.
The added benefit of optimum start is that comfort conditions will be improved as the heating will be better controlled and less likely to overheat the house on mild mornings.
Accessible, easy to use and smart:
So much for the technology. The important feature from the householder viewpoint is that it is accessible, easy to programme and adjust – these are all features that have been addressed in modern controls.
Finally, let’s mention the current buzz words – ‘smart metering’. This expression is open to wide interpretation, as MPs, for example, talk of every home in the UK having a smart meter by 2020. Horstmann, however, believes that many householders are unaware of the difference between a smart meter and an energy monitor, and others who think they have a smart meter actually have an energy monitor. Importantly, smart meters will replace current meters, whereas energy monitors simply clip on to power cables.
Smart meters are high-tech electricity and gas meters that will replace an existing meter. They will measure the exact gas and electricity use and, most importantly, send all the information back to the utility – meaning no more estimated bills.
These devices offer additional possibilities for the future – such as improved ‘time-of-day tariffs’ offering cheaper rates at off-peak times to smooth out national energy usage through the day.
The government plans to roll out smart meters to homes across the country at a cost of at least £11 billion, starting in autumn 2015 and finishing in 2020.
Energy monitors, which simply give a good estimate of the amount of electricity or gas currently being used, also automatically transmit regular meter readings to your supplier automatically, again removing the need for the meter to be read and ensuring accurate bills based on actual usage.
All the major players in the controls market are increasingly offering ‘smart’ systems that perform as meters or monitors and many also offer a range of additional features ranging from room monitors to alarm systems alerting the householder to incidents ranging from windows left open to water leaks.
These are undoubtedly the future, but ease of programming and use must be high on the list on considerations when the basics of design are being considered.
As I have illustrated here, the marriage of technology that keeps the fuel bills in check coupled with ease of use is all-important – it is a kind of living in harmony.