I'm seeking suggestions for a zone controller & thermostats to pass on to my heating contractor in advance of installation of a new residential boiler in eastern Pennsylvania (US).
I've got a 100+ year-old house with hydronic heat (fin & tube baseboards). It's 3 stories, with stone & plaster/lathe walls. I've got a boiler replacement scheduled in about 6 weeks (Weil Maclean CGa-4 series with outdoor reset sensor) and the house will be divided into 3 zones (one-per-floor, with separate circulation pumps).
There's an existing wired thermostat on the 1st floor (with C-wire), but no easy path to get 24v control wiring to the 2nd or 3rd floors. I'm looking for thermostats or remote temp sensors for those locations that can run from batteries and communicate with a zone controller (relay controller for circulating pumps) via Zwave or Zigbee.
I do not have HVAC experience, but work in IT and I've already got a bit of home automation (Hubitat hub, Zigbee & Zwave devices). I'd strongly prefer a control system that could be integrated with Hubitat -- where the thermostats identify as standard Zigbee or Zwave thermostat devices. Vendor support of Hubitat (or existing Hubitat support of a particular control system) is not required.
I'm strongly against any system that requires internet access (cloud) for monitoring, temperature control, or communication between thermostats and the zone controller.
Our heating contractor suggested the Honeywell Redlink system -- which meets the wireless thermostat requirement, but I don't like the proprietary communication and need for internet access for any "smart" control.
I've found Salus products (4-zone pump relay control, coordinator hub, AS20 thermostats) that are similar -- they use Zigbee, but seem to have a closed protocol and also have need an internet-based "gateway" for smart control.
I'm not interested in a DIY (or even contractor-DIY) system with a generic Zigbee or Zwave relays and multiple "single-zone" thermostats, requiring custom integration to perform as a multi-zone system; I'd like a supported group of products designed for zoned heating....but with standards-compliant thermostats.
Can anyone provide feedback on:
Many thanks!
I've got a 100+ year-old house with hydronic heat (fin & tube baseboards). It's 3 stories, with stone & plaster/lathe walls. I've got a boiler replacement scheduled in about 6 weeks (Weil Maclean CGa-4 series with outdoor reset sensor) and the house will be divided into 3 zones (one-per-floor, with separate circulation pumps).
There's an existing wired thermostat on the 1st floor (with C-wire), but no easy path to get 24v control wiring to the 2nd or 3rd floors. I'm looking for thermostats or remote temp sensors for those locations that can run from batteries and communicate with a zone controller (relay controller for circulating pumps) via Zwave or Zigbee.
I do not have HVAC experience, but work in IT and I've already got a bit of home automation (Hubitat hub, Zigbee & Zwave devices). I'd strongly prefer a control system that could be integrated with Hubitat -- where the thermostats identify as standard Zigbee or Zwave thermostat devices. Vendor support of Hubitat (or existing Hubitat support of a particular control system) is not required.
I'm strongly against any system that requires internet access (cloud) for monitoring, temperature control, or communication between thermostats and the zone controller.
Our heating contractor suggested the Honeywell Redlink system -- which meets the wireless thermostat requirement, but I don't like the proprietary communication and need for internet access for any "smart" control.
I've found Salus products (4-zone pump relay control, coordinator hub, AS20 thermostats) that are similar -- they use Zigbee, but seem to have a closed protocol and also have need an internet-based "gateway" for smart control.
I'm not interested in a DIY (or even contractor-DIY) system with a generic Zigbee or Zwave relays and multiple "single-zone" thermostats, requiring custom integration to perform as a multi-zone system; I'd like a supported group of products designed for zoned heating....but with standards-compliant thermostats.
Can anyone provide feedback on:
- whether what I'm looking for is impossible :)
- the Honeywell Redlink line
- the Salus line
- alternative systems that meet my desired specs
Many thanks!
source https://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?2223684-Suggestions-for-zone-controller-amp-battery-powered-thermostats-for-smart-integration&goto=newpost
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