Python Plugin: Smart Virtual Thermostat

[Electrocut]

Hi!

I have just started my heating system a few days ago.
I have 3 remarks

1. Ambient temperature regulation
   
   For the moment, sometimes the plugin is not really accurate. I will wait a few days, and try to adjust the "Calculation cycle" value.
   
   Setpoint was 17.5°C (Economy)
   
   - Ambient temperature history
   

   

   domoticz_04.png (25.69 KiB) Viewed 6105 times

   - Boiler relay history
   

   2017-10-08 05:13:42 Off
   2017-10-08 04:13:41 Off
   2017-10-08 02:13:29 On
   2017-10-08 01:18:28 Off
   2017-10-08 01:13:28 On
   2017-10-08 00:13:27 Off
   2017-10-07 23:13:27 Off
   2017-10-07 22:13:27 Off

2. Normal / economy switching
   
   When I switch from Normal to economy mode (or vice versa), the plugin seems to wait for the end of the calculation cycle, before activating / deactivating the relay. I switched to Normal mode at 08:00, but the boiler has started at 08:13. Is it the normal behavior?
   
   - Thermostat Mode History

   Code: Select all

   2017-10-08 08:00:03	Normal
   2017-10-07 23:30:02	Economy

   - Boiler relay

   Code: Select all

   2017-10-08 10:14:07	On
   2017-10-08 09:13:56	On
   2017-10-08 08:13:44	On
   2017-10-08 07:13:43	Off
   2017-10-08 06:13:43	Off
   2017-10-08 05:13:42	Off

3. Bug with temperature + humidity sensors
   
   I have tried to use an temperature + humidity sensor (from Weather underground), as Outside Temperature Sensor.
   Raw data looks like this:
   

   

   domoticz_05.png (15.35 KiB) Viewed 6105 times

   -> It has broken everything The plugin was not activating the boiler at all. Error log output:

   Code: Select all

   2017-10-05 04:28:09.697  Error: (Thermostat) 'onHeartbeat' failed 'TypeError':'unorderable types: float() > NoneType()'.
   2017-10-05 04:28:09.697  Error: (Thermostat) ----> Line 494 in /home/pi/domoticz/plugins/SmartVirtualThermostat/plugin.py, function onHeartbeat
   2017-10-05 04:28:09.697  Error: (Thermostat) ----> Line 282 in /home/pi/domoticz/plugins/SmartVirtualThermostat/plugin.py, function onHeartbeat
   2017-10-05 04:28:09.697  Error: (Thermostat) ----> Line 299 in /home/pi/domoticz/plugins/SmartVirtualThermostat/plugin.py, function AutoMode
   2017-10-05 04:28:09.697  Error: (Thermostat) ----> Line 353 in /home/pi/domoticz/plugins/SmartVirtualThermostat/plugin.py, function AutoCallib
   2017-10-05 05:28:10.509  Error: (Thermostat) 'onHeartbeat' failed 'TypeError':'unorderable types: float() > NoneType()'.
   2017-10-05 05:28:10.509  Error: (Thermostat) ----> Line 494 in /home/pi/domoticz/plugins/SmartVirtualThermostat/plugin.py, function onHeartbeat
   2017-10-05 05:28:10.509  Error: (Thermostat) ----> Line 282 in /home/pi/domoticz/plugins/SmartVirtualThermostat/plugin.py, function onHeartbeat
   2017-10-05 05:28:10.510  Error: (Thermostat) ----> Line 299 in /home/pi/domoticz/plugins/SmartVirtualThermostat/plugin.py, function AutoMode
   2017-10-05 05:28:10.510  Error: (Thermostat) ----> Line 353 in /home/pi/domoticz/plugins/SmartVirtualThermostat/plugin.py, function AutoCallib

   To fix this, I had to:
   - Replace my Outside Temperature Sensor with a "Temperature only" sensor
   - In Domoticz User variable, edit the variable, "Thermostat-InternalVariables":
   From: {'ConstC': 87.8, 'LastSetPoint': 20.0, 'ConstT': 1.9, 'ALStatus': 1, 'nbCC': 5, 'LastPwr': 100, 'LastOutT': None, 'nbCT': 21, 'LastInT': 17.9}
   To: {'ConstC': 87.8, 'LastSetPoint': 20.0, 'ConstT': 1.9, 'ALStatus': 1, 'nbCC': 5, 'LastPwr': 100, 'LastOutT': 10, 'nbCT': 21, 'LastInT': 17.9}

[Logread]

I have just started my heating system a few days ago.
I have 3 remarks

1. Ambient temperature regulation
   Let it settle a bit... and indeed adjust the calculation interval ? These parameters seem to be require some trial and error adjustments based on the thermal properties of your home and how the temp sensors are set up. Monitoring how the constC and constT values evolve over time can be useful (use Verbose logging in the plugin parameters to see these changes in domoticz log)... if the calculations converge over time to an optimum value you are on the right track. On the other hand if these keep jumping up and down without a pattern, you need to change some of the settings.
2. Normal / economy switching
   Good pick... will fix that in next version
3. Bug with temperature + humidity sensors
   This is not a bug... by design these combos (temp + hum) do not report a « temp » value in the domoticz Json API... the usual work around for any use of these for temperature monitoring purposes involves setting up a dummy temp sensor and having a lua script monitor the combo device and update the dummy temp device... it is well documented in the wiki at http://www.domoticz.com/wiki/Virtual_weather_devices

[Electrocut]

Ambient temperature regulation

Let it settle a bit...

I will

Normal / economy switching

Good pick... will fix that in next version

Great

Bug with temperature + humidity sensors

the usual work around for any use of these for temperature monitoring purposes involves setting up a dummy temp sensor and having a lua script monitor the combo device and update the dummy temp device... it is well documented in the wiki at http://www.domoticz.com/wiki/Virtual_weather_devices

Good point I will create a virtual temperature sensors, as explained in the wiki.

Thanks

[Goldwing1973]

Question :

I have a nest (v1) and also 5 Popp Thermostat’s, (1 in each bedroom and 1 in the living room).
Can I use this project to control the nest and popp thermostats to heat each room individually?

[Logread]

@Golwing1973,
No (and I cannot see how this would work...). This plugin aims at replacing unsatisfactory existing thermostats, typically unsophisticated hysterisis based ones like found in many electrical heaters.

[Goldwing1973]

Ok, to bad.
To be sure, the popp thermostats are radiator valves and not thermostats you fix on the wall. (https://www.amazon.fr/Popp-Thermostat-c ... 01I5N9KFY/)
Only wall mounted thermostat is the Nest.

[Logread]

Version 0.3.4 is available from GitHub, fixing the "normal/economy" switching bug uncovered by @Electrocut (thanks to him).

[Electrocut]

Seems working great, my heater start immediately when I switch from Economy to Normal mode
Thanks!

[napo7]

Hi @LogRead,

I think there is a bug in the code :

Line 316-317, there is :

Code: Select all

         if (power > 0) and (power <= self.minheattime):
                power = 0  # Seuil mini de power

I think it should be :

Code: Select all

         if (power > 0) and (power <= self.minheattime):
                         power = self.minheattime  # Seuil mini de power

Without this, the "minHeatTime" variable is never used...
Am I right ?

[Logread]

@napo7,

You are right. Thanks for pointing out. I’ll fix that and publish a new version soon.

[Logread]

Version 0.3.5 is available from GitHub for install/upgrade as per instructions at https://www.domoticz.com/wiki/Plugins/S ... ostat.html.
It fixes the bug uncovered by @napo7.

[strelniece]

Hello and thanks for a great plug-in, made me (partly) use Domoticz again

I have some thoughts though. I might not be using it quite as intended, I have created 3 different thermostats since I have different temperatures around the house (cooler in the bedroom, for example) and no heaters in some rooms, but hope that it still will work out.

My main concern is that I also heat my house with a stove using wood. It is very manual, so only used when I am at home, awake and not in a too lazy mood My question is now how much this will affect the regulation. Any ideas?

Also, I would like to be able to control them from outside Domoticz (I'm using node-red to everything else in my home, only use Domoticz for my thermostats). Are there any way to control the thermostats with MQTT/JSON?

thanks

//f

EDIT: I found out how to control from node-red it makes me think it might not be that complicated to add one (or more) set-point-level?

[Logread]

Hello and thanks for a great plug-in, made me (partly) use Domoticz again

You are welcome
Creating multiple thermostats is the way to go to control individual rooms or zones, as long as you have a decentralized heating (e.g. electric convectors, radiators with individual valve control such as the new Fibaro zwave heat controller) specific to that zone.

Mixed heating sources will certainly impact the regulation, but it is hard to predict how... for instance if your wood stove heats "more" than the source controlled by the smart virtual thermostat, the learning algorithm of the latter will skip learning...

On your comment on MQTT, definitely it is out of the box with Domoticz so no need for the plugin to address this.

On the possibility to add more setpoints, I am not sure I see the point. I actually was initially not keen to have two setpoints for the plugin - i.e. one for normal mode and one for eco mode - but settled for it as I found it more user friendly to have a "normal/eco" switch than changing a setpoint value via a script or timer.

[Skippiemanz]

Hi, i was just trying youre plugin. Looks realy promising.

But suddenly domoticz crashed with this in the log:

2017-11-14 20:45:59.378 Error: Domoticz received fatal signal 11 !...
2017-11-14 20:45:59.379 Error: /home/pi/domoticz/domoticz() [0x230390]
2017-11-14 20:45:59.380 Error: /home/pi/domoticz/domoticz(_Z14signal_handleri+0x4c) [0x230448]
2017-11-14 20:45:59.380 Error: /lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libc.so.6(__default_sa_restorer_v2+0) [0x76c9b180]

Is this a general python error or connected to your plugin?

[napo7]

Hi,

I experienced the same problem.
I was thinking at first that it was related to xiaomi-robot vacuum, but I had disabled this plugin first, and still experiencing the same error.

Experienced this on Beta version.

[Skippiemanz]

Hi,

I experienced the same problem.
I was thinking at first that it was related to xiaomi-robot vacuum, but I had disabled this plugin first, and still experiencing the same error.

Experienced this on Beta version.

These steps fixed it for me:

Code: Select all

cd plugins/SVT
get reset –-hard
git pull --force
sudo chmod +x plugin.py
sudo /etc/init.d/domoticz.sh restart

[napo7]

Did not worked for me...Still crashing this morning after forcing update of the script.

I'll disable it to be sure it is this script that cause failing !

[Electrocut]

I was having the problem with Domoticz v3.8153 stable version.

Fixed since I switch to the beta version (currently using V3.8450 beta).

[Logread]

Plugin works perflectly fine for me both on a production system (Raspberry Pi2 on Raspbian Jessie, domoticz beta 3.8564) and a test Raspberry Pi3 on Rasbian Stretch and domoticz beta 3.8564.

[jake]

Being able to set a different setpoint for each virtual thermostat would be ideal to regulate bath, bed and study rooms in the house without the need of physical thermostats. The only invesment would be in a temperature sensor (if not included in the heating device/remote controlled radiator thermostat) and the remote controlled radiator thermostat itself.

I wonder how to tell the boiler to start heating through the OTGW device when multiple virtual thermostats are used with their own setpoints.

EDIT: I now see that the plugin requires a Domoticz (virtual) switch to turn the heating system on/off. I guess that will take care of multiple thermostats. However, I wonder if OTGW will allow this within Domoticz, I think you can only update the setpoint of the physical thermostat that it is connected with.