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- TL;DR
- How do TRVs manage to measure room temperature in the proximity of a hot central heating radiator.
I have recently acquired some remotely controlled radiator valves in an attempt to control our domestic heating better. The water enters at the bottom of the radiator and the valve opens proportionally to let just enough hot water through to bring the local room temperature to your chosen setting.
I have had some real struggles with the Zigbee wireless network - which is another problem - but now I mostly have some sort of command of all five valves and also the boiler thermostat. I am impressed how the temperature of the room seems to measure within a fraction of a degree (C) after settling down. How do they do it?
I have read that there are three sensors in each valve body so they have clearly gone to some trouble to achieve the performance. The valves are about £50 each so I don't intend to poke inside one. Have any PF members been here and found out any of the trade secrets - or even some basics of temperature control that doesn't use remote sensing?
Whilst I am at it, most of the network elements are battery operated (2XAA) so they will use minimal power. So my system is very sensitive to placement of units (rads are fixed, of course). The manufacturers clearly have 'issues' with weak signals and local WiFi interference but their recommendations are deliberately vague and there's little solid guidance. If there were an affordable scanner to look at the Zigbee environment, that could help but that sort of test gear would be expensive.
I have had some real struggles with the Zigbee wireless network - which is another problem - but now I mostly have some sort of command of all five valves and also the boiler thermostat. I am impressed how the temperature of the room seems to measure within a fraction of a degree (C) after settling down. How do they do it?
I have read that there are three sensors in each valve body so they have clearly gone to some trouble to achieve the performance. The valves are about £50 each so I don't intend to poke inside one. Have any PF members been here and found out any of the trade secrets - or even some basics of temperature control that doesn't use remote sensing?
Whilst I am at it, most of the network elements are battery operated (2XAA) so they will use minimal power. So my system is very sensitive to placement of units (rads are fixed, of course). The manufacturers clearly have 'issues' with weak signals and local WiFi interference but their recommendations are deliberately vague and there's little solid guidance. If there were an affordable scanner to look at the Zigbee environment, that could help but that sort of test gear would be expensive.