Smart switch for immersion

Shoog

Screwfix sell starter packs of wagos, used them everywhere in my recent house renovation.

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121863981#Comment_121863981

Are there any Irish regulations regarding them? They seem to be getting the thumbs up here.

Tree

Their statements of conformity they publish imply they at least meet minimum standards, I doubt you need a specific regulation saying "spring clips are good folks". (Another happy Wago user here)

TheSunIsShining

Used everywhere. However, you need to enclose them to comply with regulations etc

TheSunIsShining

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121862736#Comment_121862736

Looks good! I'll have to order one and get up and running as well.

You don't have a bath or sink switch on that? As I understand it, wiring in the smart control is only to control on and off - and if you do have a bath/sink switch you just leave that set on the old switch as is?

Shoog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121867306#Comment_121867306

Yes your just interrupting the feed to the immersion switch so the switching element of the immersion switch is unchanged. i will probably just leave mine in the off position until I get the solar installed and can start automating it properly. Whilst ever the central heating is coming on we have more than enough hot water for our needs - only when we get our smart meter fitted and the summer comes in will we use the immersion. Best to have it off to avoid expensive accidents.

Ours is a stainless steel direct cylinder made by kingspan which only has a relatively small 3K immersion element mounted right at the bottom of the tank so I changed the switch to a UK style single switch (I never saw a bath/sink switch in the UK).

Shoog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121867302#Comment_121867302

Not sure thats true if they are in a cavity, but you could be right. they sell special boxes for enclosing them but a normal pattress is adequate.

TheSunIsShining

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121867413#Comment_121867413

Not 100% sure either to be honest - not a sparks. But have used them myself and made sure to use the box - and cable tied it too!

TheSunIsShining

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121867404#Comment_121867404

In my case I'm hoping to use the immersion powered by cheap EV rate electricity in one of the 3 or 4 hour plans. The electricity KW unit cost is actually cheaper than a gas KW unit cost - and my understanding is that the immersion element is pretty much 100% efficient versus the losses from a KW of gas which has losses in both the boiler and in the transfer of hot water from the boiler to the cylinder. That's my thinking anyway!

Shoog

When we get Solar PV installed I will monitor whenever it is exporting to the Grid and turn the immersion on. The element thermostat will turn off the immersion when it can take nothing more. I will also monitor the tank temp at 4am and if the ambient outdoor temp suggests the heating will not be coming on - it will start the immersion to take advantage of the cheap overnight rates.

TheSunIsShining

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121868247#Comment_121868247

How will you integrate the outdoor temp do you mind me asking? Is that a sonoff device as well that you're using as a controller? Sounds pretty good. I have Tado heating so maybe I could IFTTT - maybe but not sure - to control various triggering of the heating/immersion. This stuff can get quite time intensive - and makes you think a lot in terms of being smarter and smarter about routines and what should happen and when!

Shoog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121868346#Comment_121868346

I am using HomeAssistant running on a Odroid N2 Single Board Computer as my hub . All the Sonoff devices are flashed with ESPhome and HomeAssistant has a fairly accurate weather app which provides the outdoor temp (I could add a simple outdoor thermometer but it seems unnecessary).

So far the most successful thing I have added is a thermostat using an NSPanel from Sonoff which combined with a scheduling function controls the heating brilliantly. Its already saving us considerably on a dumb timed controller which would significantly overheat the house on most days.

I just added a simple boost controller for my MVHR which allows me to switch on the boost on my phone when I get out of the shower, simple and only €5.00 to implement.

The only other things I am adding is limited light control so that I can have security lighting coming on and off in the house when we are on holiday. Anything else is just messing for the sake of it.

Home assistant has a significant learning curve and I wouldn't recommend it unless your a real techy tinker. The options to program automations are fairly much as broad as your imagination but it stretches my abilities.

TheSunIsShining

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121868048#Comment_121868048

Just realised something....and completely overlooked it! The immersion takes far longer to heat the water - I think close to 3 hours - so actually don't think it makes sense now that I think about it, to use it instead of the boiler.....

Shoog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121901536#Comment_121901536

It makes sense if you have free solar electricity. It also makes sense if you can't just direct your boiler to heat the water tank, and also if doing so cycles your boiler to often.

TheSunIsShining

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121901548#Comment_121901548

Yes. I have a sonoff thermostat on the cylinder. It was set to call for heat when temp dropped below 40. Off at 50. Had it cycling to 60 twice a week for legionnaires. But my sense is that it is costing me money. Would love to see if there was a smarter cycle to keep it on in terms of when I should have it reheat etc

Shoog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121903083#Comment_121903083

There are scheduling functions you can apply within HomeAssistant. You should be able to only run the heater in night rate times and if your tank is any way decent it should last most of the day.

We have a relatively small Kingspan tank and one period of heating gives us more than enough hot water.

TheSunIsShining

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121903098#Comment_121903098

I have a teenage son who likes showers. I'm not sure that even a commercial sized cylinder would provide enough hot water for him....

downwiththatsor

Any recommendations as to where to source a Sonoff Pow R3?

ted1

Amazon Germany

TheSunIsShining

Is there a physical switch that connects to it wirelessly that can be pushed to turn it on? Would rather not have everyone logged onto the app here - but then wondering how someone could switch it on in a boost type mode....?

TheSunIsShining

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121901548#Comment_121901548

I must continue to crunch the numbers on it all