Essential Install | HVAC
DID YOU KNOW : The earliest reference under-floor heating was that the temple of Ephesus in Greece was heated in this manner in 350 BCE
Cool Runnings
EI gets hot ( and cold ) under the collar as we examine the dynamic HVAC market .
Sensible Heat says the Euro-style matching lighting keypads of Lutron ’ s Palladiom Thermostat are likely to be a popular choice
Sensible Heat continues to supply fully integrated HVAC controls with a range of control systems , including Control 4 , Savant , Crestron and RTI , using our range of proven , pre-written drivers which are available free-ofcharge to its partners .
The company says that it has recently been working on several projects where it employed different user interfaces in different parts of the building .
Dave Robinson , Sensible Heat ’ s MD , says : “ In some cases , the client wants a full AV touchscreen experience in the principal rooms , but sometimes in circulation spaces or ‘ minor ’ bedrooms , or guest bedrooms , they ’ ve requested a simpler , HVAC-only display , which just drives the heating and cooling systems – a ‘ thermostat ’ – but of course it needs to be much more than a simple thermostat , in order to control independent heating and cooling systems and interact with the overall managing control system .”
Dave says that on one large project the company has just completed , it worked with custom installation specialists to produce a system which has Savant touchscreens in most of the principle rooms , but all of the bedrooms have a Lutron Dynamic Keypad which is configured to control just the HVAC .
Dave says : “ As long-standing North partners , we ’ ve used the Lutron QS driver developed by North to drive the Dynamic Keypads and now the end user can use either the Savant screens or the Dynamic Keypads to adjust the HVAC settings in a bedroom . The HVAC system sitting behind the scenes is very complex on this project , but the user is presented with a simple ‘ thermostat ’ display to use .
“ The same North Lutron QS driver will also be used in new projects to control the recently-released Palladiom Thermostat , which we can use as an HVAC-only user interface ; with its Euro-styled matching lighting keypads , the Palladiom Thermostat is likely to be a popular choice .”
On another couple of projects , one of which has AMX touchscreens , Sensible Heat is using the new North SmartSwitch colour touchscreens to provide HVAC-only control , again in certain rooms .
Recently released by North , the SmartSwitch forms part of the Zip range and comes in a variety of metallic finishes /
Dave says : “ We can configure it to provide ‘ thermostat ’ functionality for a single room , or a suite of rooms , whilst forming part of the overall control system – so whole house functions ( e . g . holiday / away mode ) still work , without exposing the user to the underlying complexity of the HVAC system .”
Sussex-based business Intelligent Controls ( UK ) has been providing HVAC controls and integration with the North platform for 14 years .
John Corbin , director at Intelligent Controls , says : “ In 2009 , my visit with North to see Mike Backer at Crestron changed the way North products integrated to Crestron and AMX . Further work with Janus Technology followed with the Control 4 driver interface and very soon after David Alexander outlined the Savant profile .”
Intelligent Controls is a North Gold partner and John says that the company can implement any North solution for you .
John says : “ Recently we have upgraded two Sea Change or Smart Controls systems with the North Commander and Zip systems . The North system can directly replace and upgrade the Smart Controls platform with the need to replace wall and floor probes and sensors .”
Ivory Egg has announced a brand new one-day heating course designed to ensure that its customers understand how heating and hot water systems work , the benefits of introducing more intelligent control and how to achieve this with KNX .
Mark Warburton , Ivory Egg ’ s technical director , says that having delivered various manufacturer heating courses over the years , Ivory Egg felt it was time to create a course specifically on how UK heating and hot water systems are designed , installed and controlled .
info @ sensibleheat . com www . sensibleheat . com sensible heat
Advanced HVAC controls for the home
42 | June 2017