Re: Additional sensors for dynamic HVAC

Additional sensors for dynamic HVAC (Score: 1)

by billshooterofbul@pipedot.org on 2015-08-17 15:10 (#HMQZ)

Its really sad how expensive a quality HVAC thermostat system is. I found one Honeywell system that would actually maybe kinda do something smart, but it would be in the thousands of dollars price point, and intended for commercial applications.

What is needed is:

A system of thermostats that all talk to each other and wirelessly control floor vents. So if the room where the thermostat is is not representative of the whole house, additional thermostats can be paired to give the system more data points to consider. With optional computer controlled vents, the system can further be optimized.

This was my hope for Nest. But years later, there has been no improvement. there is no algorithm that will solve a problem for which there is only incomplete input data.

Re: Additional sensors for dynamic HVAC (Score: 2, Insightful)

by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2015-08-17 17:00 (#HN2R)

A system of thermostats that all talk to each other and wirelessly control floor vents.

Maybe I misunderstand your idea, but it sounds like you want an ultra-high-tech system that can be more easily solved by an inexpensive low-tech one. Much like those smartphone controlled LED lights, when a switch or motion-sensor does the job just as well...

It's very easy and not too expensive to slice-up a home HVAC system into multiple zones that work independently. You can have a fairly low-tech (possibly wireless) thermostats in several rooms, if you so desire, controlling the damper for that zone. What's more, inexpensive mini-split systems are naturally zoned this way, too.

And that's more-expensive and more complex than most homes need... A wireless thermostat that can be put in the coldest or warmest room of the house is cheap, and basic mechanical dampers can be used to reduce the airflow in other rooms/zones which heat/cool more quickly.

Re: Additional sensors for dynamic HVAC (Score: 1)

by billshooterofbul@pipedot.org on 2015-08-17 17:18 (#HN52)

Having the vents computer controlled, would allow the system to figure out the optimal settings for all of them to get the desired temperature and efficancy goals.

But aside from the vent problem, do you have any links on how to splice up a HVAC to multiple zones? I tried looking but maybe my google foo is stale. That's 90% of the problems I face with my house and at the office as well.

Re: Additional sensors for dynamic HVAC (Score: 2, Informative)

by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2015-08-17 18:29 (#HNAH)

do you have any links on how to splice up a HVAC to multiple zones?

You might be happy with very cheap, minimal effort battery & timer-controlled "vent-misers":

http://www.amazon.com/Vent-Miser-91667-BR-Programmable-Energy-6-Inches/dp/B000WAA8XM/

For the basic (manually adjusted) dampers, you can see the first segment of this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8jM9z3scQk

And the last 5 minutes of this one:

https://youtu.be/UPbjM08DGZY?t=18m23s

For an automatic zoning retrofit, it's easiest to find one of the forced-air zoning retrofit kits like the Honeywell TrueZone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G7ZOsNGBJU

Though you can really do the same thing by buying a few line-level thermostats and motorized dampers, separately instead of depending on their expensive and advanced multi-zone thermostat systems that are part of the kit.

The high-tech pneumatic retrofit options might be easier to install (and therefore worth the extra expense) in some situations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2EJLhZ939A

http://www.retrozone.com/Catalog/retrofit.htm

Well, at least that should be enough to get you started.

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