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The why, how and what of smart underfloor heating controls
Why choose smart underfloor heating controls?
Modern underfloor heating systems are controlled by means of individual room thermostats that allow users to set their preferred temperature and schedule the heating system. Smart underfloor heating controls take this to the next level by providing greater control over both energy usage and indoor climate comfort. With smart underfloor heating controls, such as the ones in our Unisenza Plus range, users can very easily fine-tune their heating system to their specific needs and preferences.
An individual room-by-room programme ensures the heating system is switched on when and only in those rooms where it needs to be. This can be accessed either manually on the thermostat, but just as well on the app that provides access to the heating system from a smartphone or tablet. Once the thermostats and the gateway are paired with the app and the network, users can control their radiant heating system whenever and wherever they want. This offers unprecedented convenience and flexibility. Remote access means the heating system can be tweaked in real-time and users have a continuous oversight of the system’s operation. They easily can ensure a warm and welcoming indoor climate upon their arrival without wasting energy on unoccupied rooms. Aside from reducing energy bills, this lowers the building’s carbon footprint, providing a great benefit to the planet in the long term.
Last, but certainly not least, there is the increased comfort for the user. Smart heating controls are highly responsive and allow to set the temperature with great accuracy according to the users’ requirements. The desired room temperatures can be adjusted on a room-by-room and time-dependent basis while the remote control option ensures that users always arrive at a comfortably warm building, regardless of how long they have been away.
What is the role of the various smart underfloor heating controls?
A radiant heating and cooling system in itself is already very efficient thanks to its low flow temperatures. Moreover, it is self-regulating to a certain extent as it emits less or no heat at all when the room temperature approaches or reaches the set temperature. This self-regulating effect works particularly well in very well-insulated buildings, but of course doesn’t replace the use of a thermostat. With the right controls, the system’s efficiency can easily be further increased, especially if they are smart controls.
A smart underfloor heating thermostat such as our Unisenza Plus wired universal room thermostat (230 V or 24 V) or wireless room thermostat offers a convenient way to optimally control the temperature based on the users’ requirements and needs. The wireless Unisenza Plus room thermostat is very easy to install with the included wall mounting bracket and supports heating as well as heating/cooling control. Once activated, it turns on the underfloor heating only when and where it’s needed. Smart thermostat features such as geolocation help to avoid wasting energy by ensuring that the system is turned on and off based on the users’ presence. When the Unisenza Plus room thermostats are connected to the Unisenza Plus gateway, they can easily be configurated and controlled via the intuitive Unisenza Plus app and be linked to other Unisenza Plus devices such as the wireless radiant heating and cooling wiring centre, the electronic thermostatic head for radiators or other Unisenza Plus components.
The Unisenza Plus wiring centre allows for the control of up to 8 thermostats (zones) with a maximum of 3 actuators per thermostat. If more than 3 connections are required per thermostat, for example in large rooms, several zones can also be combined on one thermostat. The individual thermostats can be assigned to the switching outputs, either manually on the safety edge or conveniently via the app. Like the Unisenza Plus thermostats, the wiring centre naturally also supports both heating and cooling. Furthermore, it is equipped with voltage-free outputs for controlling a pump, boiler or heat pump.
How to upgrade to smart underfloor heating controls?
Those who already have an underfloor heating system installed and want to reap the benefits of smart underfloor heating controls can easily make the switch. Most of the time the existing thermostat(s) and wiring centre can quite simply be replaced by smart controls such as the ones in the Unisenza Plus wireless range without having to change or adapt the wiring. Regardless of how the existing thermostats were originally wired, the Unisenza Plus wireless thermostat and wiring centre do not require any wiring. Communication between the devices is wireless.
Once the smart underfloor heating controls and the Unisenza Plus gateway are installed, they can be linked to the Unisenza Plus app and users can instantly control and monitor heat distribution as well as their energy use.
Again, flexibility is key when future-proofing an existing HVAC system with smart controls. Not only when it comes to the benefits we discussed before, but also in terms of timing and integration. Smart underfloor heating controls are easy to integrate in an existing system and when you opt for controls that are part of a complete range, such as Unisenza Plus, you can easily upgrade the entire heating system at your own pace. Once the central device - in our case the Unisenza Plus gateway - is installed it’s easy to link all compatible devices, ranging from the various underfloor heating controls to a boiler receiver, and electronic thermostatic heads. This can be done in one go for the entire heating system but just as easily step-by-step when budget and timing allow. This way future-proofing the HVAC system and configuring an entire building with a fully tailored solution becomes feasible for everyone.
Read more about the Unisenza Plus wireless heating controls
How to use smart underfloor heating controls?
Once they are set up correctly, smart underfloor heating controls are very easy to use. As mentioned above, the thermostat can be controlled either via the device itself or via the smartphone app that is linked to it. So, it’s no longer necessary to actually be in the room or building to control the heating system.
Additionally, the app helps users to easily create individual time programmes for each room and to adjust them afterwards if required. If multiple thermostats are installed in different rooms or zones, the temperature can be controlled individually in each space for optimal tailoring of the indoor climate and energy use.
Moreover, the Unisenza Plus wireless control range is based on the latest Zigbee 3.0 wireless technology, which improves the range communication as well as the energy consumption of the wireless products and allows future over-the-air (OTA) updates of the products. OTA updates ensure the devices use the latest software version and can implement new product features as well as software improvements. The Unisenza Plus platform is compatible with Alexa and Google Home. So if such a smart home system is installed, the underfloor heating can even be voice controlled.
If you have any further questions about smart underfloor heating controls or our Unisenza Plus wireless controls range, don’t hesitate to get in touch.