Heating in a smart home: device and principle of operation + tips for organizing a smart system

My house can do everything by itself: we understand the concepts

The modern rhythm of life requires a lot more effort and expenditure of internal reserves from a person than before. Therefore, an easy-to-handle, comfortable corner in this raging world is not a luxury, but simply a necessity. This explains the rapidly growing number of fans of smart homes.The peculiarity of such a dwelling is that some of the functions in it are automated. For example, the same doors on closers can be considered one of the smart home devices.

But the system performs much more complex operations. You can control the equipment located in the apartment, even without being at home, using your smartphone. Let's say you're driving after work and you want your dinner to be hot when you arrive, you run the appropriate program, which gives a microwave signal. When you get there, you can just take out the already warm steak.

Automation of some processes, for example, turning on the light when you walk along the corridor, is carried out due to the presence of built-in motion sensors, heat, lighting changes and other things. There are also details that are controlled by software.

Highly intelligent systems are offered by several companies. But a more simplified version can be created by everyone on their own, of course, you will have to work hard, but it's worth it.

List of devices and their functions

In order for a house or apartment to function in full mode, you need to figure out what devices will be needed for this.

Main appliances:

• controller;
• communication expansion systems;
• electrical circuit switching elements;
• sensors, gauges, measuring devices;
• control devices;
• executive mechanisms.

The controller is the main element of the system. The main function is to control all devices, and alert about the state of the house and appliances. The device can be programmed for autonomous operation or controlled via a smartphone or computer.The controller collects information from sensors about temperature, light level, humidity and regulates the operation of the heating system, lighting, air conditioning, ventilation.

Communication extension systems relay messages to the owner. Data can be transferred by wired (Internet, USB) or wireless (Wi-Fi) method. GSM / GPRS modules notify about the state of the house via SMS.

The switching elements of the electrical circuit are responsible for closing / opening, voltage regulation. This includes the power supply, transformers, relays, converters. Elements prevent network overload and short circuit.

Sensors and sensors send a signal to the controller about the temperature in the house and on the street, humidity, light level, atmospheric pressure. Measurement devices take into account more parameters. These include water and gas meters, barometers.

Control devices are supplied as a set. These are touch panels or radio remote controls. By installing a special program on a smartphone or tablet, you can control it from anywhere.

Actuators are motors, valves, locks. They are set in motion by a command from the controller. These mechanisms open or close doors, windows, gates, curtains, ventilation valves.

Separately, weather-dependent automatic heating is installed. The main function of the kit is to ensure the operation of the heating boiler according to a certain algorithm: the temperature outside decreases - it rises inside the house. In an apartment building, the operation of automation differs in the principle of heating - if necessary, change the temperature, the controller mixes the heat carriers.

Connecting the smart home system requires special wiring, which creates a single network and starts the operation of all devices and sensors.

Heating without gas. Alternatives

With the permanent or temporary absence of the types of fuel to which a person is accustomed, it is possible to arrange home heating without gas and even without electricity. According to practice, if these technologies are replaced, it will be possible to save significantly.

Considering different ways of solving the issue, you may prefer fireplaces and stoves that run on coal or wood. When choosing this option, it will be necessary to build the appropriate brick structures or purchase a ready-made unit. This will help organize an environmentally friendly way of heating, and some models of stoves allow you to cook food thanks to the presence of an oven and a hob.

If you are faced with an urgent question, how can you heat a house without gas, then we recommend that you follow the experience of some owners of private dwellings who resort to original technologies. They are heated by their own source of electricity. In this case, you can use one of two ways to generate electricity autonomously.

System description

The smart home system is designed for personal comfort and safety.

Represents a single control of the following systems in the house:

• water supply;
• air conditioning system;
• security and fire alarms;
• electrical engineering;
• heating;
• video surveillance.

The invention has the following features:

• a wide range of options;
• saving energy, water, gas;
• the ability to control remotely via a tablet or smartphone;

Artificial intelligence controls any technique and mechanical devices (doors, windows, gates, blinds), controls temperature, humidity, regulates water or electricity consumption.Remote control allows you to turn on / off water, electrical appliances. For example, the system will be able to take a bath or boil a kettle on its own for your return.

Special sensors on windows and doors, when you try to open them, will instantly give an alarm, as well as send an SMS alert. In addition, in the settings you can add the function of calling the police or security services. Additional emergency sensors will notify you of a fire, gas leak or flooding. Also in the settings you can specify the number of special services that will be called automatically.

Setting up digital devices can solve the problem of power control or entertainment. When moving around the rooms, intelligent control will turn off or turn on the light, switch the TV to the specified channel. All audio and video devices are integrated into a single node that distributes information. For example, if you started watching a program in a room, then when you enter the kitchen, you will continue watching from the same place.

"Smart Home" is able to automatically adjust the light in the room, taking into account not only the time of day, but also individual parameters. With this system, you can forget about switches and enjoy comfortable lighting in the house and save energy. Statistics show that with a smart home system, electricity costs are reduced by an average of 4%.

Adjusting air conditioning systems in an apartment is a little more complicated than in a house. Individual heating is rare in apartments, but special valves on radiators and a controller will allow you to maintain the temperature that is optimal for you.

Underfloor heating in the apartment gives the system more options.To ensure the desired temperature, it switches between batteries and underfloor heating.

The air conditioner will help control the temperature during the hot season or, if necessary, heat the room before the start of the heating season. Intelligent control will independently adjust the operation of the equipment, excluding the simultaneous operation of air conditioning and heating.

Equipment for an apartment is different from the device of a private house. The main goal is comfort and safety. But the apartment does not need automation of the adjoining area (yard lighting, video surveillance, watering the lawn, opening the gate for the car). There are also nuances with heating - in apartments it is centralized, and if problems arise, it will not work to block the riser in a multi-storey building. But this is solved with the help of sensors on the outlet from the radiator, by installing an air conditioner or underfloor heating.

The security system in apartment buildings is simpler. Sensors are installed on entrance doors and windows. In a private house, the territory and buildings are also controlled.

The main functions and properties of a smart thermostat

The main functions of thermostats are:

• Room temperature control;
• Saving energy resources.

Modern smart thermostats are able to regulate the temperature in the house based on a number of parameters that they learn on their own. They monitor the temperature inside and outside the house, control air humidity and other weather conditions. As a result, based on the received data, the device selects the optimal temperature regime.

In addition, the system monitors the number of people present in the room and takes this into account when adjusting the temperature regime.

Another important feature of the new smart thermostats is their ability to self-learn. They study the daily routine of the owners of the house, their preferences, calculate the time required to reach the desired temperature when using heaters or air conditioners, and then use this to work more efficiently.

Key components of a substation

ITP Device Components

The thermal complex includes several main elements:

• The heat exchanger is an analogue of the heat boiler of the boiler room. Here, the heat from the liquid in the main heating system is transferred to the TP coolant. This is an element of a modern complex.
• Pumps - circulation, make-up, mixing, booster.
• Mud filters - mounted at the inlet and outlet of the pipeline.
• Pressure and temperature regulators.
• Shut-off valves - operates in case of leaks, emergency changes in parameters.
• Heat metering unit.
• Distribution comb - dilutes the coolant to consumers.

Larger TPs include other equipment.

Heating system in a smart home smart boiler and not only

The air temperature in the house depends on the efficient operation of heating devices, the heat transfer of which must compensate for the heat losses of the building, the level may vary depending on weather conditions: wind speed, humidity, time of day.

A simple relationship arises: the higher the heat loss (or the worse the weather), the greater the heat transfer should be provided by heating devices and the more heat the heating boiler should produce.

The operation of the boiler can be controlled manually by increasing or decreasing the fuel supply to the combustion chamber. But, you see, it is better if the heating boiler can determine for itself how much heat it needs to generate and how much fuel it needs to burn.

Automatic control system - the first step towards a smart boiler

Modern heating boilers in smart homes are equipped with automatic control systems that can adjust the intensity of fuel combustion depending on the actual need for thermal energy.

However, the response to changing weather conditions of a conventional boiler may be delayed by several hours, depending on the degree of inertia of the heating system. The fact is that the automatic control system for heating boilers (let's call them ordinary, in contrast to “smart” heating boilers) is overwhelmingly tuned to change the temperature of the water in the return pipe: the water in the return pipe has cooled down more, the fuel supply to the combustion chamber increases, the temperature the return flow is higher, the fuel supply to the combustion chamber is reduced.

In turn, the coolant cools down the faster, the lower the air temperature in the heated room.

Another important detail: the quick response of the boiler to changes in air temperature is possible only when using heating devices with a small internal volume, for example, aluminum or bimetallic radiators.

Video - Bitherm boiler with a movable grate and a smart control unit

Smart heating boiler

The operation of the smart boiler is controlled by a thermostat with a temperature sensor installed in one of the rooms.The principle of operation is extremely simple: using a thermostat, the desired temperature is set, upon reaching which the boiler turns off. When the temperature drops, the boiler is switched on and the process is repeated again.

By placing the temperature sensor on the street, you can set the operation of the boiler "in advance": the outside temperature has dropped, the boiler is working in a more intensive mode.

The timer in the operation of a smart boiler is designed to select modes of intensive and moderate operation. So, for example, at night, a slightly lower temperature is more comfortable, by about 2-3 degrees compared to the daytime temperature. At the same time, you can turn off the water heating in the boiler at night. The mode of moderate operation of the boiler can be programmed during the daytime, when all the inhabitants of the house are at work. The operating modes of the boiler can be set during the day, during the week, month and even year.

To do this, the smart boiler is equipped with a self-diagnosis system.

Boiler self-diagnosis system

The boiler self-diagnosis system allows you to determine from 10 to 40 (depending on the boiler model) malfunctions, some of which can be eliminated automatically. Information about detected faults is displayed on the display and stored in the device's memory.

All this makes the operation of smart boilers not only convenient, but also safe, excluding the possibility of emergency situations, such as a decrease in the temperature of the coolant below a critical level, a decrease in thrust, a drop in pressure in the gas pipeline network and a number of other equally dangerous situations that are not excluded during the operation of the boiler. .

"Smart home" - smart heating

No matter how efficiently the boiler works, to ensure truly comfortable conditions in the house, controlled heating devices are needed that can respond to changes in the temperature in the room. To do this, radiators are installed in the heating system, equipped with thermostats and servo drives that change the flow rate of the coolant depending on the ambient temperature.

Summing up

The heating system of a smart home can be based on a heating boiler equipped with a self-diagnosis system and weather-dependent automation, the operation of which is effective only with radiators equipped with thermostats and servo drives.

How to heat a house with electricity

Consider the most popular options for electric heating of a country house.

• Water heating with electric boiler.
• Heating with electric convectors.

The first option involves the creation of a heating circuit, which uses pipes for transporting the coolant, radiators for transferring thermal energy to the room, as well as the devices and mechanisms necessary for the operation of the system (expansion tank, circulation pump, shut-off and control valves, safety and control devices).

In addition, you need the right CO scheme for your home, according to the architecture of the building, design features and other factors.

The second option involves the installation in each room of the required number of electric convectors. The benefits are obvious: no need to create heating circuits, design and complex installation of equipment. All work can be done independently, without overpaying expensive specialists.

Consider the design features and principle of operation of each heating option, which will make it possible to conclude whether electricity can be used to heat private and country houses.

Device advantages

The main advantages of a smart thermostat are:

1. Comfort. The ability to adjust and control the temperature in each room separately.
2. Convenience. The ability to control heating online, through any device with Internet access.
3. The smart thermostat is capable of learn and adapt to the preferences of the owner of the house and his daily routine.
4. Saving. A smart thermostat allows you to significantly save money on heat consumption. The device monitors whether there is someone in the room and, depending on this, evaluates the need for heating or cooling.
5. Versatility devices. There are models of smart thermostats that are compatible with 95% of all existing heating systems, including the central heating system.

By using smart thermostats in your home, you can track your energy consumption data, taking into account changes in weather conditions, as well as the presence of residents in the house.

The latest heating systems

An example of a fairly affordable and at the same time effective system, suitable for both a country house and an apartment, is an electric underfloor heating. Having incurred relatively small expenses for the installation of such heating, it is possible to provide a home with heat and not buy any boilers. The only drawback is the cost of electricity.But given that modern floor heating is quite economical, yes, if you have a multi-tariff meter, this option may be acceptable.

In the southern regions with high solar activity, another modern heating system performs well. These are water solar collectors installed on the roof of buildings or other open places. In them, with minimal losses, water is heated directly from the sun, after which it is fed into the house. One problem - the collectors are absolutely useless at night, as well as in the northern regions.

Various solar systems that take heat from the earth, water and air and transfer it to a private house are installations in which the most modern heating technologies are implemented. Consuming only 3-5 kW of electricity, these units are able to "pump" from the outside 5-10 times more heat, hence the name - heat pumps. Further, with the help of this thermal energy, you can heat the coolant or air - at your discretion.

How to ensure heating control in the Smart Home system?

If you try to implement a "smart home" heating system with your own hands, positive effects can be achieved even without combining the heating systems under the general control of a computer.

Heating elements and heating units can be equipped with controllers linked to indoor temperature sensors. After that, the heating devices can be set to the operating mode (the order of switching on and off in time or when the temperature reaches a certain value).

The disadvantages of this solution are:

• each such device will have to be configured separately;
• it will not coordinate its work with other systems at home;
• each individual system will not respond to temperature changes from the outside, since it simply does not have such data.

A more efficient solution is to create a space heating system under the control of a single control unit, which can be set to a general mode of operation (taking into account the operation features for each group of heating devices separately).

For both simple and combined heating systems, it is a good idea to define temperature zones by setting separate heating parameters for each of them. A smart home with heating set up in this way will heat the living quarters more, give less heat to the garage, and make sure that the temperature in the wine cellar does not rise.

Weather-compensated heating control

An important link in the “smart home” system is a weather-dependent controller

A weather-controlled heating controller is one of the key elements for creating comfort with a smart home. An external temperature sensor allows you to correlate the temperature outside the room and inside, and then, using a given curve of this ratio, determine the operating mode without human intervention.

The weather-dependent heating controller will control the heating of the room, responding to changes in the weather outside: evenly increase the temperature when it gets cold, or stop heating if it's hot outside.

Since the weather heating controller reacts to the outside temperature, it can maintain heat according to a given program and avoid overruns. Smart heating of a country house will lower the temperature when it is not necessary to heat the premises (if the owners have left).

Comprehensive heating control in the "Smart Home" system

An integrated approach involves the management of heating in combination with the control of the ventilation system and the water supply system. This allows you to implement the full maintenance of a certain climate in the house, taking into account air humidity and indicators temperatures in different rooms.

You can set various work scenarios for all systems controlled by the Smart Home, and implement a notification function if any of the subsystems fails.

In addition, you can use mobile communication to give a command to the system. Smart heating of a country house will start preparing living quarters for receiving guests at such a signal in advance.

Integrated management of heating, ventilation, water supply and electricity in the "Smart Home" system results in energy savings and increases energy efficiency (the energy crisis dictates solutions in domestic construction as well).

Advantages and disadvantages

Of course, we cannot say that such systems are completely perfect. Consider the pros and cons of "smart home".

System Benefits

The comfort of living is an individual adjustment of the system to your own rhythm of life or preferences. "Smart Home" can prepare your favorite coffee every morning at a certain time, turn on music or TV, while on weekends you can shift or make other settings. Even if there are several family members in the house, the “smart home” will provide comfort for everyone, freeing them from everyday trifles.

It is worth installing a "smart home" for young parents or families who care for elderly relatives. The system is able to analyze information around the clock. Special bracelets for the elderly constantly monitor their health.Certain settings will remind you to take your medicine.

Parents "smart home" will also provide indispensable assistance. The schoolchild will have a hot lunch after school in the kitchen, the TV will show only TV channels approved by the parents at certain hours. If the child leaves the house, an alert will be sent to the parents' phone.

"Smart Home" will be able to take care of pets - at a certain time in the bowl there will be the right amount of food.

Security in the "smart home" is provided by a multi-level control system. The system checks everyone who tries to log in. If there is no human data, an alarm is triggered and an alert is sent to the owner about an intrusion attempt. The owners of the intelligent system will be able to allow or restrict access to their housing or certain rooms. For example, you can prevent the au pair from accessing the owner's office.

In private houses, surveillance is also carried out outside the house, the entire territory is monitored around the clock. There is a convenient function "presence simulation". If a long vacation is planned, the system will open and close curtains or blinds, turn on the light in the evening.

All communications are controlled by the system. Sensors will signal leaks in pipes, wiring problems, smoke or carbon monoxide.

The indoor climate is regulated by the system taking into account the settings. For each room, you can set your own settings. The system takes into account external indicators of temperature, humidity, and immediately responds to changes, providing the parameters that were set by the owner.

Savings is the main advantage of the system.Experts say that operating costs are reduced by 30% thanks to artificial intelligence.

Energy is saved in several ways:

• installation of motion sensors;
• the use of "smart lamps" and light detectors;
• full automation of climate systems.

Flaws

Smart home equipment, installation, maintenance in the future are not cheap pleasures, and this is the main disadvantage of the system.

The complexity of installation is the second drawback. Installation requires replacement of wiring, re-equipment of plumbing, heating system, replacement of windows, doors, installation of blinds or curtains with electric drive. Also, wires will be stretched throughout the house to connect many sensors. If radio channels are used to control sensors instead of wires, the cost of the system will increase several times. Many people have a question about the safety of living in such a house. Experts assure that all materials are environmentally friendly.

And the last minus is the room for equipment. Power surges, power outages can disrupt the system.

Advantages and disadvantages

Now we will analyze the pros and cons of a smart home. As a matter of fact, we have already analyzed all (or almost all) advantages of such systems. Now it remains to find out if there are any disadvantages of the "smart home".

Minuses

Of course, there are cons and they are enough:

1. Price. Those kits that we have already mentioned are the initial kit, so to speak, for the seed. A full-fledged system from Russian suppliers is in the range of $ 5-15 thousand. This is if you have an apartment or a small country house. A full-fledged system, initially competently designed and correctly installed by a reliable company, will reach several million rubles!
2. Who installs and the quality of the equipment. In Russia, there is not such a large selection of firms for the installation of large-scale systems. If Western firms offer a ready-made system, then ours assemble it in parts. And replacing a broken sensor is also not easy. Not all elements may be compatible with each other.
3. Let's not forget, this is still a complex system and components for a smart home may well break down. And if it so happened that one component of the system “flew”, it is more likely that it can pull other elements with it.
4. Expediency. Still, these complexes were originally designed for use in country houses with autonomous heating. And in this case, such an investment justifies itself. And we have centralized heating in our apartments and there is no savings here.
5. Uninterrupted power supply. In our reality, periodic power outages are a common thing and ensuring uninterrupted power supply is also a separate story. Especially if it's a suburban option. It is possible, but difficult.
6. Be prepared for the fact that in a few years your kit will become obsolete and finding components will not be as easy as before.
7. Safety. Despite the fact that this is the main purpose of such systems, security vulnerabilities are often noticed by users. The owners themselves are partly to blame for this. The owners of the house do not have enough imagination to come up with a strong password. It turns out to be short and simple, for example - the wife's maiden name, the dog's name, the year of her birth - these are standard passwords. It is clear that it is not difficult for an attacker to guess the password to the security system and enter the smart home.

Undoubtedly, Smart House has more advantages than disadvantages.This technology is under active development and these kits are not in demand everywhere. In America, about 20% of private houses are provided with such complexes. There are no such statistics in Russia, but, most likely, the figure will be much less.

Frankly speaking, to make a choice in favor of a smart home complex or to live in the old fashioned way - everyone makes the choice himself. These systems are under constant development, and manufacturers are constantly working to identify and eliminate deficiencies by adding new features and options.

What is the benefit of the Smart Home system?

Advantages of this technology:

1. High level of comfort. All elements are designed with the latest trends in mind. Touch panels and remotes are presented in a modern user-friendly design.
2. Budget savings. In the absence of the owner, lighting, heating and other engineering complexes begin to work in a moderate mode.
3. Safety. The program helps to detect smoke or penetration of unauthorized persons in time. In the event of a water or gas leak, the program closes the valve for supplying these resources. Information about each emergency incident is immediately provided to both the client and the relevant emergency services.
4. Saving time. By pressing 1 button, the system will turn on the desired program, close the blinds, dim the light, lower the screen and turn on the projector for playback.
5. Control over the internal parameters of the room. Complex problems are solved by pressing 1 button.
6. Increasing the value of real estate through technology.

The technology is considered expensive, but the benefits of using it outweigh the cost of acquiring it.

Benefits of full heating automation

Before discussing the benefits of smart heating, there is some sort of initial disadvantage for the end user.

Arranging a system of this kind, you will have to spend money on purchasing the required components, as well as on installation and configuration.

Not the most expensive and advanced set of "smart" heating, nevertheless, allowing you to organize a completely effective home automatic control system

It is not excluded, of course, the possibility of doing everything with your own hands. However, to implement this option, you must have the status of a highly qualified specialist, or a jack of all trades. But the cost of setting up the system is ultimately compensated in full.

Average calculations showed up to 30% savings in heating costs during the cold season. Thus, the device of "smart" heating pays off in a short period.

Among the clear advantages of the technology, the ability to control all parameters directly from a phone or tablet stands out.

Modern smartphones allow the installation of special applications through which the monitoring and adjustment of the parameters of the heating system is carried out.

A smartphone and the ability to remotely create a comfortable environment in the home are a reality of modern life. At the same time, it is possible to control heating from other popular digital devices.

The obvious advantage of such systems is the factor of accurate and stable temperature background.

Moreover, using the application, you can set the desired mode at a certain time of the day: cooler at night for a restful sleep, and an hour before returning from work - a gradual increase in temperature.

When the inside of the room is “not cold - not hot”, that is, the temperature background is optimal for the body, the risk of colds is sharply reduced. In such conditions, the body is in an active phase, a person feels a state of comfort.

The convenience factor is also an advantage. There is no need to turn the taps, measure the temperature with a thermometer. All these actions will be performed by automation with high accuracy. In addition, it becomes possible to take into account the energy consumed. And this, again, is savings.