sensible heat

Isn’t it sensible to use energy wisely?

Did you know that nearly 50% of the CO2 emissions produced by the UK come from heating(and cooling) in buildings ?

Did you know that 66% of the energy we use in atypical UK home is used for space heating, and afurther 16% is used for heating hot water?

Did you know that by 2020 we will be importingover 90% of our Natural Gas?

Wouldn’t it be sensible to tackle some of theseissues now?

We think so.

That’s why Sensible Heat offers goods and services toaddress some of these problems. Our mission is tomake UK residential buildings greener, but at thesame time more comfortable, pleasant places to live,by using modern technology. No need to wear a hairshirt, or extra layers of clothing, in our green vision!

We can design, supply and commission HomeAutomation systems which can control not only yourHeating and Hot Water systems, but also yourlighting, blinds, awnings, security and other systemswithin your home. These systems will make lifeeasier and more comfortable for you, whilst savingenergy and CO2 emissions at the same time. Youcan even control your home when you are awayusing the telephone or the internet.

Green and pleasant

Contents4 Radiators 6 Underfloor Heating 7 Boilers and Hot Water Systems 8 Cooling Systems 9 Lighting

10 Awnings, Blinds, Shutters and Windows11 User Controls13 Controlling your house remotely or from another system

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Honeywell Hometronic

Sensible Heat are the sole UK/Ireland distributors ofthe Honeywell Hometronic system; we use thisunique, wireless system together with our ownproducts, to create complete systems. Because it’swireless, installation is easy and can be done by yourown electrician – and of course, it is ideal forretrofitting to an existing house. Wiring is minimal;you only need to wire locally between a Hometronicmodule and the item being controlled. And yes, itdoes work! The patented technology has beeninstalled in thousands of homes.

Hometronic can control the following:

> radiators, using the unique wireless RadiatorController – no need for zone valves

> underfloor heating, from any manufacturer

> electric heating of any type

> ventilation systems, including natural/passive

> cooling systems (underfloor, aircon etc)

> light switching and dimming (with presencesimulation when you’re out)

> blinds and awnings, with wind and sun interlocks

> water and gas leak detection

> interface to security systems

> interface to touchscreen control systems

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Radiators are the most common form of heatingfound in UK homes today, although their popularityin new build properties has been overtaken byunderfloor heating.

The Old WayMany modern installations still rely on ThermostaticRadiator Valves (TRVs) for temperature control. Thesedevices are mounted onto the radiator themselves,and usually have a dial with numbers or symbols forthe user to set the temperature. Whilst they arecheap and widely available, they suffer from anumber of disadvantages:

> crude mechanical temperature regulation

> you have to manually adjust the temperature

> no timed operation possible; to make a timezone, you have to re-pipe the heating andintroduce a zone valve, timeclock, power supplyand wiring

The Sensible WayUsing the unique Hometronic Radiator Controller,these problems disappear. Now, for every room inyour house, you can choose exactly whattemperature you would like in the room, at whattime. Every room becomes a time and temperaturezone; you can still adjust the temperature locally atthe radiator, but normally you won’t need to,because it is automatic.

> Patented wireless technology; no new wiring to install

> fits onto the valve body of your existing TRV (you unscrew the old head, and discard it – no plumbing changes)

> excellent electronic temperature control, usingfuzzy logic.

> remote-mounting temperature sensor/adjuster forboxed-in radiators or concealed valves

> battery powered, min 2 year battery life

Controlling Radiators

Radiator controller

Boiler Control

Module

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> local adjustment knob, and LCD display

> receives signals from the Hometronic Manager totell the radiator what temperature is needed at aparticular time and day

> you can have several temperature setpoints everyday (for example, cooler during the day, warmerin the evening for your Lounge)

> you can shut down rooms to a lower temperaturewhen not in use (e.g. Guest Rooms)

> the boiler is automatically controlled by the BoilerControl Module; this receives wireless demandsignals from the radiators, so the boiler only runswhen heat is needed, and you no longer need a“bypass radiator” (with no TRV fitted) to dumpexcess heat.

Manifolded RadiatorsSome new radiator installations are using manifolds:this is where the radiators are plumbed individuallyback to the central manifold, where all of the controlvalves are mounted – much like underfloor heating.This has the advantage that the radiators themselvesneed no valves, useful where the radiators aremaking an architectural statement, and conventionalvalves would detract from the effect. In these cases,we utilise our underfloor heating controller and wallmounted sensors (see separate sheet for details).

Radiator controller

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Manifold Controller for manifolded radiators

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Underfloor Heating systems are becoming the mostpopular form of heating for new build houses in theUK. They produce uncluttered, comfortable spaceswith fewer draughts, and work well in combinationwith efficient condensing boilers.

The Old WayUnderfloor systems will produce a “zoned” house bydefault, because of the way that they are installed,but the benefits of this are rarely exploited by thesimple controls that are usually fitted. Each room willhave one or more “loops” of heat-emitting pipeburied in the floor, each loop being run in aserpentine pattern so as to cover the entire floorarea. The two ends of each loop are connected to aManifold, which may have an electric control valve(one for each loop) controlling the water flow.

In most systems, the electric control valve isconnected to a wall-mounted thermostat, whichcontrols the temperature in the room. Timedoperation is usually provided by a timeclock, actingon the whole manifold, or perhaps centrally at theboiler, acting on the whole house. Thus it is notpossible to set different rooms to differenttemperatures at different times of the day, or to putrooms into and out of use, other than by manualadjustment of the thermostat.

The Sensible WayBy adopting the Hometronic Underfloor HeatingController, now each room can be individuallycontrolled automatically. Times and temperatures canbe set centrally, using the Hometronic Manager, andare sent automatically to the Underfloor HeatingController (mounted next to the manifold, usually ina cupboard) via radio. Wall-mounting temperaturesensors (with adjustment knobs if required)communicate temperature settings for each roomwithout wires.

> patented wireless technology means less wiringthan conventional controls

> excellent electronic temperature control, usingfuzzy logic – much less temperature ‘cycling’ thanwith conventional thermostats.

> remote-mounting temperature sensor/adjuster,battery powered, min 2 year battery life

> discreet ‘thimble’ sensors may be used if desired

> receives signals from the Hometronic Manager totell the underfloor controller what temperature isneeded at a particular time and day

> you can have several temperature setpoints everyday (for example, cooler during the day, warmerin the evening for your Lounge)

> you can shut down rooms to a lower temperaturewhen not in use (e.g. Guest Rooms)

> shut down the whole house when you leave atthe touch of a single button, but have it warmwhen you arrive home (important with underfloorheating, because it responds very slowly)

Controlling Underfloor Heating

Underfloor Heating Controller

Wall mounted

wireless sensor

Optional ‘thimble’ sensing elements

Boiler SystemsMost houses have a Boiler to heat the house (spaceheating) and often the Hot Water for washing,showers etc. Some larger houses have more thanone boiler, perhaps one for each end of the house,or maybe they are plumbed in tandem next to eachother. There are lots of different types and styles ofboiler – but don't worry, we can control just aboutanything!

Hometronic is designed to control virtually any boilertypically found in UK houses. It works on a demand-driven basis, so that the boiler system only workswhen the space or the hot water needs heating,rather than on a timeclock.

Some modern boilers come with their own integralcontrols, providing features such as weathercompensation (where the boiler alters its flowtemperature according to the outside temperature) –this is usually no problem, let us know the make andmodel of the boiler you have chosen and we’ll checkfor compatibility

For more complex applications, for instance multipleboilers in larger properties, or alternative heatsources such as Heat Pumps, we may use othercomplementary products alongside Hometronic toproduce a complete solution.

Hot Water SystemsHot Water Systems (sometimes called Domestic HotWater, or DHW systems) are used to provide hotwater at the taps for dish washing, showers andbaths etc. It can be heated by electricity (usually viaan Immersion Heater) or as part of the Gas or Oilfired wet heating system.

Normally, with a Gas/Oil fired system the simpledomestic timeclock (or “programmer”) allowsselection of space heating only, or hot water only, orboth, to operate to a single set of operating times.Some modern timeclocks allow separate times to beset for the hot water system, which is desirablebecause you may need hot water to be available atdifferent times than the heating.

Using Hometronic, the operation of the Hot watersystem can be tied into the operation of the wholebuilding, so that when you are away, the hot wateris not running needlessly. When you have guestsstaying, you might need the hot water to run forlonger; this is easy to achieve using the Lifestylesfeature of Hometronic

Hometronic is easy to integrate with Solar Heating, which is normally supplied with its ownintegral controls.

Electric Water Heating is also no problem, using aHometronic Switch Module to switch the heater onand off, with a wireless connection to theHometronic Manager. Automatic changeover fromGas/Oil fired to Electric heating can also be achievedif required.

Controlling Boilers and Hot Water Systems

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Hot Water zone valve Hometronic switch module

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These days, more and more people desire cooling intheir houses. We have air conditioned offices, shopsand cars, why not our house too ?

Green OptionsBefore considering full Air Conditioning, you shouldspare a thought for the environment, and considersome other options; automation using Hometroniccan make these greener options just as effective as aircon under most circumstances, and muchcheaper to run.

For instance, if you have South-facing glazing, or aconservatory, fitting some automatic awnings orblinds to avoid overheating, perhaps with theaddition of automated opening vents, is a far betteroption than fitting aircon. Using Hometronic, youcan take the benefit of solar heat gain during thewinter, to reduce your heating load, whilst in thesummer months, using solar shading and naturalventilation can keep your house cool, with zero CO2 emissions.

If designing a new house, consider adopting NaturalVentilation techniques for the whole building.Natural Ventilation (sometimes called “passive”,because it uses no active elements like fans) relies onthe “stack” effect, where warm air is more buoyantthan cool air, and hence rises - like hot air from a firerising up a chimney. If you can arrange a verticalpath for airflow through the house, so that it canenter at low level, rise through the house, and

exit at high level, you can both ventilate the houseand cool it in hot weather. Hometronic can controlthe opening of windows or vents at the entry andexit points, and can keep the house secure byautomatically closing them when you're away, if required.

Ceiling fans are an effective cooling measurecommon in continental Europe but rarely seen in theUK. Although they consume electrical power, theyuse far less than aircon, and can be effectivelycontrolled by Hometronic.

Air ConditioningIf you have considered all the alternatives, and musthave Air Conditioning, then Hometronic can ensuretwo key things; firstly that the heating and coolingsystems are not running simultaneously (a verycommon problem where the control systems forheating and cooling are not interlocked). Secondly,that the cooling is only running when you actuallyneed it, and is not left running accidentally whenyou leave the house.

We can control most popular air conditioningsystems; let us know which system you have in mind,and we can check compatibility.

Controlling Cooling Systems

Wireless Hometronic Light-level

and Temperature Sensor

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Dimming ControlsThe use of dimming within a lighting design iscommonplace today. Often, modern designs usemany more lights in a room than would have beencommon a few years ago, arranged on differentcircuits so that they can be controlled independently.For instance, uplighters might be on one circuit, acentral feature light on another, spots on another,and so on.

In order to create the desired ambience, it isnecessary to set the lights on each circuit to adifferent brightness level; this is done by using adimmer. The simplest form of dimming is the wall-mounting manual rotary or slider type; a row ofthese can be installed on the wall, and manuallyadjusted.

The disadvantages of these simple dimmers are obvious;

> a row of dimmers on the wall can look ugly

> they are tedious to manually adjust

> if different “scenes” are desired for differentactivities (e.g. party, dining, cleaning, watching TV,reading) this is difficult to reproduce each time

Instead, Hometronic can be used to automaticallycontrol the lighting level of each circuit. Lights canbe set to different levels on a timed basis, or madepart of a Hometronic Lifestyle. The Wireless RemoteControl handset can be used to dim individualcircuits, or to set a “scene”.

Switched LightingSwitched electric lighting has remained largelyunchanged for over 100 years, from when it wasfirst introduced. Everyone understands how to use asimple light switch, and it appears difficult to thinkof a way of improving it. But in fact, relying on lightswitches alone does have some disadvantages;

> Once a light switch is switched on, the light stayson until you switch it off (obviously!) but this canbe inconvenient if, say, a light at the top of thehouse is left on, and you want to leave the house

> You cannot easily incorporate a hardwiredlighting circuit into a system for simulatingoccupancy to deter intruders – you end up withtable lamps plugged into timers, which foolsnobody.

Instead, Hometronic can be used to automaticallycontrol the switching of each circuit. Lights can beswitched on or off on a timed basis, or made part ofa Hometronic Lifestyle. The Wireless Remote Controlhandset can be used to switch individual circuits, orto set a “scene”.

SecuritySignals can be taken from your Intruder Alarm, sothat different actions could happen in the event of,say, the alarm being triggered - all the lights couldbe brought on. Better still, when you set the alarm,or hit the “away” lifestyle button on the HometronicManager, you can make just some, or all of the lightswork in the “Presence Simulation” mode; this“learns” your normal pattern of living, and “plays itback” by turning on and off lights at the right time.Couple this with control of the blinds or curtains,and the house really will look “lived in” when youare away.

Controlling Lighting

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Plug-in switch module

Wired switch

module

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Many properties today are being fitted with awnings,blinds and roller shutters in addition to the usual UKstaple, curtains.

All of these devices can benefit from automation.Whether used for sun shading, security, privacy or acombination of these things, being able to link theseitems to an intelligent control system enables allsorts of things to be done;

Awnings and sun blindsFor instance, you can use external awnings whichcan automatically extend and retract based on thetemperature in a room, or the relative brightnesslevel - Hometronic has a special Light Sensor whichcan measure the ambient light level. However, theseawnings are sometimes quite delicate structures,which can be damaged by high winds. No problem;Hometronic has a Wind Sensor, which monitors windspeed and can automatically retract the awnings toavoid damage.

Security of your property can be enhanced by usingHometronic to control them. Blinds can also belinked to the Light Sensor, so as to automaticallyopen them at sunrise, and lower them again atsunset, if desired. Don't worry, you can manuallyoverride this if you want to, and also make the blindsettings part of a Lifestyle so as to enable, or inhibit,this function.

Blind and curtain controlMaybe you just want to indulge in the luxury ofbeing able to open blinds or curtains from thecomfort of your armchair, or maybe the size andlocation of the blinds, or your own mobility, make itdifficult to operate them manually. No problem; withHometronic's Hand-held Remote control, you canoperate them from anywhere in the house, with thetouch of a button.

ShuttersMany houses in continental Europe use externalroller shutters, both to improve security, and to helpkeep the house cool in hot weather. Now some UKhomes are using these devices. No problem forHometronic; originally developed for the Germanmarket, Hometronic has special control modules forroller shutters, including special door contacts toensure that you don't get locked out inadvertently

WindowsAutomatic opening of windows is becomingincreasingly popular. Sometimes high-level windowsare impossible to reach manually. Maybe you want tocontrol the temperature automatically using windowsfor cooling ? Of course, you may need toautomatically close the windows for securitypurposes, or because its windy, or raining. All ofthese things can be controlled by Hometronic

Controlling Awnings, Blinds, Shutters and Windows

Hometronic wind sensor Wireless Hometronic light level

and temperature sensor

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So, we’ve talked about all the elements of yourhouse that we can control; heating, lighting, security,awnings, blinds etc - but how do you control thecontrols? Hometronic allows several different formsof user interface;

The Hometronic ManagerThis is the heart of the system, using its simpledisplay and buttons, you can control all aspects ofyour house, setting up times, temperatures. Youcan locate the Manager almost anywhere in yourhouse, because it is a wireless device. You can onlyhave one Hometronic Manager per system, but youcould have several Hometronic Systems (each with aManager) in a single building (for instance, a very large house, or multiple-occupancy buildingmay need more than one system).

The Hand-held Remote ControlUsing this lightweight wireless device (it uses radiotechnology, not Infra-Red, so you don’t need to be inthe same room as the device you are controlling) youcan turn things on and off, dim lights, positionblinds, set room temperatures, and set Lifestyles.

If you’ve got children, or other peoplein the house who you don’t want to“fiddle” with the settings, you can“lock” the remote control. You canhave as many Remote Controls onone Hometronic system as you like

User Controls

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The Hometronic Manager

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Hand-held

Remote Control

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Wall mounted wirelesssensor/adjusterThis device is designed for wall-mounting; bothwired and wireless versions are available for differentapplications, but they look the same externally. Thescale on the adjuster is calibrated plus and minus, asan offset from a “normal” setpoint - this normalsetpoint would be set automatically from theManager, and can change at different times of day –but the offset would always be applied.

Special temperature sensors For people that do not like the appearance of thestandard wall-mounting sensors and adjusters wecan offer ‘thimble’ temperature sensors in a varietyof metal finishes. Contact us for further details.

Telephone Voice Interface*You can interact with your house using a normaltelephone or cellphone; the Voice Interface talksback to you!

Web and Data Interfaces*For connection to other intelligent systems in yourhouse, e.g. Touchscreen control system, and forcontrol from a local PC, or the internet.

* See next section:Controlling your house remotely

User Controls continued

Wall mounted wireless sensor/adjuster Optional ‘thimble’ sensing elements

Internet AccessSensible Heat’s Web Interface allows you to accessyour Hometronic System from any PC within yourhouse, or if you have an appropriate broadbandconnection, from the internet. The Web Interfaceplugs into your home’s ethernet LAN, and ‘serves’fixed-format web pages which you can view withany web browser (e.g Internet Explorer). You canview and adjust room temperatures, switch on hotwater and towel rails, and adjust ‘Lifestyles’.

Telephone AccessWhat happens if you’re away on business, orvacation, and you want to return home early? Maybe you have a second residence that you visitirregularly? Invariably, you’ll turn up and the housewill be cold, with no hot water available. If you’vegot underfloor heating, it may take a whole day forthe house to warm up; frustrating, if you’ve justgone for the weekend!

Also, wouldn’t you like to know if something seriousoccurred in your home while you’re away?Supposing you were burgled, or the house flooded,or there was a fire?

Using Hometronic’s Voice Interface, connected to astandard telephone line, you can dial up yourHometronic system from any telephone, eitherlandline or mobile phone. The Voice Interfaceanswers the call, and asks for your PIN number. If you enter this successfully, you are then able tochoose different Lifestyles for your property. For instance, you could adjust from “away” to“arriving” lifestyles, which would make sureeverything is ready for you when you arrive.

The Voice Interface can also be used to dial outalarm messages to two different telephone numbers(for instance, your mobile phone, your directbusiness line). The Voice Interface then delivers oneof a set of standard voice messages (e.g. IntruderAlarm, Water Alarm etc) depending upon whichevent has occurred – if you’re not available, it will berecorded on your voicemail.

Controlling your house remotely or from another system

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Telephone Voice Interface

Web Interface

Screenshots from Web Interface

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Interface with other control systemsAn important point when considering technology foryour house is to make sure that all of the systemswork well together, to make life easier - not morecomplicated! Sensible Heat regularly work withspecialist partner companies from the CustomInstallation world; together we can ensure that youhave an integrated, easy to live with solution foryour house.

You may have already installed, or decided to investin, a sophisticated Lighting Control system fromanother manufacturer. There may be an opportunityto integrate the Hometronic system with the Lightingsystem so that you can, for instance, control yourheating from some extra buttons on the lightingkeypads. This will depend upon which system youhave chosen – speak to us about compatibility.

Maybe you are considering a whole-housetouchscreen control system (such as AMX,Netstreams Digilink, or Crestron) to bring together allof the disparate systems in your house? No problem;using the Web or Data Interface developed bySensible Heat, or simpler volt-free contactinterfacing, it is easy for your supplier to integratethe systems controlled by the Hometronic systemwith other systems so they can all be viewed andadjusted from the touchscreens.

Controlling your house continued

Screenshots from Netstreams Digilink

touchscreen system

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Hometronic works without wires. That's why it can be installed so effortlessly in such ashort time, and even taken with you when youmove. With Hometronic, you can control everythingby cell-phone or Internet when you're away. And when you're at home, everything works asordered by remote control, or automatically viaHometronic Manager.

Hometronic works without system cabling (just somelocal wiring is needed), using new, patented radiotechnology. It can therefore be installed withoutspecial wiring diagrams (just the standard oneswhich come with each module), and can have anydesired application added on later.

Will the radio transmission be reliable?Neither normal partition walls and ceilings, nor otherHometronic systems, can impair your system.Hometronic is absolutely reliable, and has anegligible radiation of less than 1 milliwatt (acordless telephone transmits at 200 milliwatts, acellphone at 2000).

Because it works on a much lower frequency, andcarries far less information than, say, a typicalwireless Ethernet router working on the 802.11standard, Hometronic modules are able tocommunicate through most building fabric types.Where you may experience communicationsdifficulties with a wireless router for your computernetwork, you should find no similar problems withHometronic. The range of the signal is 100m in freeair, and around 25 to 30m through typical buildingfabric. If you have a particularly demandingapplication (a below-ground room, or very thicksandstone walls, for example), we’re more thanhappy to come to your site to perform a radio test toput your mind at rest.

What about interference?Hometronic operates on the unlicensed 433 and 868MHz bands, which are also used by some otherwireless devices (doorbells, wireless mouse, garagedoor opener etc) – so how do we avoid interferencefrom these devices, or from a neighbour’sHometronic system? Hometronic uses a patentedprotocol which utilises a unique serial numberembedded in every Hometronic device; this numberforms part of the wireless message, so ensuring thatonly legitimate signals are responded to. Thepossibility of “jamming” by another devicetransmitting continuously is also catered for;Hometronic uses “frequency hopping” to make surethat the same frequency is not used for everymessage, thus making jamming almost impossible.

Hometronic is a modular system; each module ispurpose-designed for its job. You only need to payfor the modules that you need for your specificapplication. If you want to expand your system lateron, this is easy to achieve by simply adding moremodules.

Hometronic offers you definiteadvantages – including the price –compared to traditional systems.

How does it work ?

info@sensibleheat.com

www.sensibleheat.com

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