ELV Max! Heating control system

[jmbjmbjmb]

Thanks for your feedback. I have started controlling my boiler 2 months ago with the code posted in previous posts of this thread. I can't say that I am saving on gas as it is very difficult to compare over such a short period of time. However, I have gained in comfort. Before, I had sensor that was connected to the boiler and that had to be installed in the "colder/less isolated" room which does not exist (i.e., sometimes the colder place would be the kitchen but when you start cooking then you would have to move the sensor to another room).

So, as explained, I am using the code that was posted here. It basically checks the % of the valve (not the temperature) and will tell the boiler to start when at least 1 room has a valve under the given treshold (which I have set to 30%).

I would be very interested to know more about your set up (especially how you decide to turn the boiler on or off).

[blackdog65]

Hi jmbjmbjmb,
It was me that put the valve% script in the wiki. It was written by someone else and then kind of tailored to my set up.

I have the script set to 2 rads above 50%, though I'm looking at dropping that to 40% to see what difference it makes.

My boiler on/off is done using a FIBARO FGS222 Double Relay Switch 2x1.5kW. One relay for CH and the other for HW. I have physical switches attached + neon indicators in case of a domoticz failure. If Domoticz is running ok it overrides these switches each time the script runs. Also, my switch logic will only allow HW or CH to run... never both.

Sean

[nono212]

Hello Guys
Folowing the wiki all is ok but the setpoint is not updated except one ( with a thermostat ) but for the vanne I am not able to have any update
can you please help

Is there a way to get also the current temperature from the vanne ... I know it is not really accurate but I am not intersted in buying other thermostat

Regards

[maxtrash]

after a screw up I had to reinstall the pi (I even bought a new one), but finally got it working now.
very nice functionality indeed, thanks for all that participated

[Skippiemanz]

For those who might be interested in expanding ther setup i'am selling some eq3 equipment:

http://domoticz.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=16382

[jmbjmbjmb]

Hi,

This morning I noticed (because my house was very cold) that the max cube is not getting any updates from the wall thermostats and rads.
The lua scripts is able to poll data from the Max cube but these data do not correspond to the actual temperature, valve %, etc.
Using the official Max app, I am getting a "Not initialized" message (see attached screenshot).

max

IMG_0354.PNG (95.39 KiB) Viewed 3619 times

I have restarted the Max Cube and also restarted one of the rad thermostat but that did not help.

Any idea what I could try to remediate this problem ?

Thanks

[jmbjmbjmb]

So after connecting to the cube using the Max Windows client, it turned out that the Max had its configuration reset. I've re-added the devices/rooms and now it works again.

[mvzut]

So after connecting to the cube using the Max Windows client, it turned out that the Max had its configuration reset. I've re-added the devices/rooms and now it works again.

Unfortunately this happens once in a while, I guess it is a bug in the firmware. I have had periods where the Cube lost its configuration once a month or so! I have recently put my Cube behind a remote controllable switch (controlled by Domoticz obviously) which turns the Cube off and on once per week. Hope this helps.

[daveabbott007]

I have been running the cron version of the script for a while now and it has been perfect - many thanks for all the effort in writing it.

Is there any way to implement a domoticz version of the ECO/AUTO/COMFORT switch?

Many thanks

[jmbjmbjmb]

Have you figured a way to do it ?

[maninblack30]

Hello everyone, I'm thinking of buying a bunch of valves and a cube, and I would like an honest opinion on the reliabillity of this system under Domoticz.
Is it essentially finished and working well?
How often does it drop-out etc?

Thanks!
Fraser

[jmbjmbjmb]

It is very reliable.
If you buy only a cube a radiator thermostats, you will only be able to see the target temperature. The radiator thermostats provide the current temperature in a rather unreliable way (only when the valve % has been updated, so the information is not really fresh).
This design is most probably meant to force you to purchase wall thermostat (so add another 30/35 € for each room) as these provide real time current temperature.

If your sole goal is to know the current/target temperature, the mobile app from the manufacturer will provide you those features.

From my point of view, the benefit of using domoticz is that you can have graphs, you can use for e.g., the script provided earlier in this thread to drive your boiler with a relay (and this is by far a very great use rather than having an ambiant thermostat that needs to be located in your coldest/less isolated room which does not necessarily exist in your house depending on different factors), you can configure alerts that can then be sent to your mobile using one of the avilable domoticz apps.

I have been looking at alternatives to EQ-3 Max! Cube and Thermostat and haven't really found any that had good feedbacks/reviews and were sold at a reasonable price.
The only issue I am having with these thermostats is that the algorithm that open/closes the valve accoridng the current vs target temperature is sometimes having a strange behaviour (but that is a very recent issue that I have been having for the past 2 weeks since I did a complete reset of all devices).

I am assuming that you have been looking alternatives. If you have, it would be interesting if you could share with us what you have found so far.

[maninblack30]

It is very reliable.
If you buy only a cube a radiator thermostats, you will only be able to see the target temperature. The radiator thermostats provide the current temperature in a rather unreliable way (only when the valve % has been updated, so the information is not really fresh).
This design is most probably meant to force you to purchase wall thermostat (so add another 30/35 € for each room) as these provide real time current temperature.

I am assuming that you have been looking alternatives. If you have, it would be interesting if you could share with us what you have found so far.

Thanks for your reply.
Here in Australia Hydronic heating is far from mainstream, and there is pretty much nothing like this available, and I already have a Domoticz system running a bunch of espeasy flashed Sonoff devices and some Xiaomi devices and a broadlinkRM2, so It looks like these are my best option.
Can I ask, in your experience, how often is the actual temperature updated? and can I use that data in rules/scripts?

Thanks again,

Fraser

[jmbjmbjmb]

If you rely on the temperature information that you can retrieve from the radiator thermostat, as I said, it is very unreliable and you could get the temperature from maybe 2 hours ago.
If you use the wall thermostat then you can poll the temperature every time you want (I personnaly check every 5 minutes, using the LUA script provided in this thread). If your question is "how often does the device actually refresh the current temperature", I would say probably every few seconds (e.g., if I blow on the device to warm it up, then the display will show the higher temperature very soon after, probably 30 seconds after at most)

[hasan]

Hi guys,

I have problem with script, it works fine before, there was no modification but since some day DOMOTICZ log show error message:

Code: Select all

/domoticz/scripts/lua/script_time_max.lua: /root/domoticz/scripts/lua/script_time_max.lua:49: 'for' limit must be a number

Does anybody have idea where is the problem?

Thanks

[jmbjmbjmb]

You probably should add some print() inside the script to understand what is going on.
Apparently, the num_rooms variable set 3 lines earlier does not get a proper value.

[mvzut]

I think your Cube might have lost its configuration. You can check if this is the case with the MAX! configuration software.

This happens to me too once in a while. I think it is a bug in the firmware, it's apparently not used to being polled so often. Since a month or so I restart my Cube once a week using a remote controlled switch, hope this helps.

[damien7400]

I have been running the cron version of the script for a while now and it has been perfect - many thanks for all the effort in writing it.
Is there any way to implement a domoticz version of the ECO/AUTO/COMFORT switch?
Many thanks

Hello !! Great job, the scripts are realy cool, it's running perfectly on my raspberry 3, great wiki/tutorial !!!

now I'm programming the switchs, boost, eco etc etc
I've searched how to do, but no success, now I use a new method: I copy the "Trace" log of Max! Home automation (Windows 7) for all commands I need.
only the lines with "s:" are important

Capture Max home auto.JPG (20.78 KiB) Viewed 3337 times

I obtain this:
Salon-Rad 16A683
s:AARAAAAAFqaDASI= --17°C Auto
s:AARAAAAAFqaDASY= --19°C Auto
s:AARAAAAAFqaDASo= --21°C Auto
s:AARAAAAAFqaDAS4= --23°C Auto

s:AARAAAAAFqaDAcA= -- Boost

s:AARAAAAAFqaDAV4= --15°C Manual
s:AARAAAAAFqaDAWI= --17°C Manual

SDB-Rad 16A682
s:AARAAAAAFqaCAiI= --17°C Auto
s:AARAAAAAFqaCAiY= --19°C Auto
s:AARAAAAAFqaCAio= --21°C Auto
s:AARAAAAAFqaCAi4= --23°C Auto
s:AARAAAAAFqaCAjI= --25°C Auto
s:AARAAAAAFqaCAjY= --27°C Auto

s:AARAAAAAFqaCAsA= -- Boost

s:AARAAAAAFqaCAl4= --15°C Manual
s:AARAAAAAFqaCAmI= --17°C Manual

I have only to send the commands when "Switch command ON" or "Switch command OFF" are activated, I use "netcat", a switch for Boost, a switch for eco ...
ex: with bash executable script with arguments,
script://Max_Salon_b.sh Salon (-> s:AARAAAAAFqaDAcA= boost salon)

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bash:
#!/bin/sh

if [ $1 = "Salon" ]
then
sudo echo 's:AARAAAAAFqaDAcA=' | netcat -C 192.168.2.xxx 62910
fi
if [ $1 = "Sdb" ]
then
sudo echo 's:AARAAAAAFqaCASA=' | netcat -C 192.168.2.xxx 62910
fi
if [ $1 = "Arret" ]
then
sudo echo 's:AARAAAAAFqaDAV4=' | netcat -C 192.168.2.xxx 62910
sudo echo 's:AARAAAAAFqaCAl4=' | netcat -C 192.168.2.xxx 62910
fi
if [ $1 = "SalonCold" ]
then
sudo echo 's:AARAAAAAFqaDASI=' | netcat -C 192.168.2.xxx 62910
fi
if [ $1 = "SdbCold" ]
then
sudo echo 's:AARAAAAAFqaCAiI=' | netcat -C 192.168.2.xxx 62910
fi

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I use 2 bash executable scripts (ON and OFF), but you can have 1 script and use 2 arguments too( $1 and $2 ) -> $0 is the command

Now can I use the Max! system in Auto/Manu/Boost mode, I've already programed the Max cube (Standalone week program, if domoticz, or the raspberry don't run), so I need the Auto Mode.

ex: time scrpit in Domoticz event, auto mode Temperature regulation when sunny and > 20°C outdoor

Code: Select all

commandArray = {}

time = os.date("*t")

if ((otherdevices_temperature['Meteo'] > 15) and (time.hour <= 19) and (time.hour >= 12) and (tonumber(otherdevices['Salon-Stat']) > 20)) then
    os.execute('echo s:AARAAAAAFqaDASY= | netcat -C 192.168.2.xxx 62910')   --set Salon-Rad 19°C Auto
    print('Radiateur Salon reglé à: 19°C, T° Extérieure = '..tostring(otherdevices_temperature['Meteo'])..'°C')
    -- commandArray['SetSetPoint:18']='21'
end
if ((otherdevices_temperature['Meteo'] > 20) and (time.hour <= 20) and (time.hour >= 6) and (tonumber(otherdevices['Salon-Stat']) > 20)) then
    os.execute('echo:AARAAAAAFqaDASY= | netcat -C 192.168.2.xxx 62910')   --set Salon-Rad 19°C Auto
    print('Radiateur Salon reglé à: 19°C, T° Extérieure = '..tostring(otherdevices_temperature['Meteo'])..'°C')
    -- commandArray['SetSetPoint:18']='20'
end

if ((otherdevices_temperature['Meteo'] > 15) and (time.hour <= 19) and (time.hour >= 12) and (tonumber(otherdevices['SDB-Stat']) > 21)) then
    os.execute('echo s:AARAAAAAFqaCAio= | netcat -C 192.168.2.xxx 62910')   --set Salon-Rad 19°C Auto
    print('Radiateur Sdb reglé à: 21°C, T° Extérieure = '..tostring(otherdevices_temperature['Meteo'])..'°C')
    -- commandArray['SetSetPoint:18']='21'
end
if ((otherdevices_temperature['Meteo'] > 20) and (time.hour <= 20) and (time.hour >= 9) and (tonumber(otherdevices['SDB-Stat']) > 20)) then
    os.execute('echo s:AARAAAAAFqaCAio= | netcat -C 192.168.2.xxx 62910')   --set Salon-Rad 19°C Auto
    print('Radiateur Sdb reglé à: 21°C, T° Extérieure = '..tostring(otherdevices_temperature['Meteo'])..'°C')
    -- commandArray['SetSetPoint:18']='20'
end

return commandArray

The temperature is changed until the next programmed temperature, but with this command "commandArray['SetSetPoint:18']='20'" the mode stay in manual, so the temperature will not change without another command.

Thank you for your scripts, what a job !!!

[jmbjmbjmb]

Hi,

Instead of using netcat, you could use the MaxCmdSend function of the lua time script

[damien7400]

Hi,

Instead of using netcat, you could use the MaxCmdSend function of the lua time script

Hello, I don't know why, it doesn't run,
I've explored the scripts, and test the MaxCmdSend but only the manual function run properly, Auto and Boost are not recognized ('maybe?)