The telephone, which was once used only for talking, is now a versatile device that makes life easier in many aspects. It is no wonder that it can also become an ideal controller for the home ventilation system. Vasco has adopted smartphone control as a basic solution - all control and settings of the Vasco recuperator are based on the application and therefore each control unit has the necessary equipment so that the user can control the ventilation from wherever he or she is with his or her smartphone.
From this article you will learn:
- how remote control of the heat recovery unit works using a smartphone,
- what possibilities the application offers,
- what options are provided for traditionalists.
The world is changing, and recuperator controllers are changing with it
The standard for controlling mechanical ventilation is a wall controller and gear switching (usually three). However, since heat recovery has become popular in single-family homes, many options have appeared that provide additional opportunities to adjust the intensity of air exchange . Examples include: automatic bypass management in the cooling function in summer and in the additional heating function on sunny days in spring or autumn, the fireplace function that eliminates the balance in favor of air supply, or the absence mode, i.e. minimizing the operation of fans.
The user will use all these functions if it is not too difficult for him, for example he will not have to go to the boiler room every time and remember how the recuperator controller works. Often , a standard wall controller solution in a technical room turns out to be a cumbersome solution .
Vasco, a manufacturer of complete heat recovery systems for single-family houses, operating in this sector since 2011, after talks with installers and users of heat recovery units, decided that its standard would be a smartphone application. Thus , the company gave up developing wall-mounted controllers, which have a separate operating system and require an operating manual , and you cannot take them with you and correct the operation of the ventilation system while, for example, at work.
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How does the Vasco recuperator control system work?
A necessary element enabling control via a smartphone is the Vasco Wi-Fi gateway. It is a communication module connected to the home network, most often directly to the Internet provider's router. The Vasco Wi-Fi gateway wirelessly connects to the heat recovery unit and communicates through the router with the Vasco server , from where the application downloads data to the user's smartphone.
The user installs the Vasco Climate Control application on his smartphone. The application is free and available for devices with Android and iOS operating systems. The first step after opening the application is to create an account in the Vasco system, and then all operations related to connecting components via radio are performed according to the instructions in the application.
The user has a weekly programmer in the application, in which he can create his own programs using all the heat recovery operating options and save his own names. The programmer offers 5 ventilation levels and an automatic mode based on sensors. Other features of the Vasco Climate Control application for controlling the operation of Vasco recuperators include:
- preview of the current ventilation efficiency for the house in m3 /h, supply and exhaust temperatures from the rooms, as well as the air temperature from the intake and exhaust vents;
- signaling of antifreeze heater activation, bypass opening and defrost mode activity;
- modifying the current intensity of the recuperator's operation permanently or until the next change in the program;
- activation of time functions: fireplace/kitchen hood, guests, absence;
- access to settings where the user can change the recuperator's operating parameters within a safe range : efficiency at all speeds, as well as bypass settings, anti-freeze electric heater and filter alarm intervals.
Possibility of full automation of ventilation operation
In the weekly schedule, you can set mode A - automatic for any period. In this mode, the recuperator will be controlled directly by the CO 2 level sensor in the living room. However, when a humidity increase is registered in the bathroom where the sensor is placed (for example, when using a shower), the sensor will increase the air exchange level for a specified period of time .
Both sensors - carbon dioxide and humidity - must be purchased separately and installed. However, it can also be done in a ready-made house, because these devices do not require control wiring - they communicate with the recuperator via radio. The humidity sensor is wireless thanks to the batteries, the CO 2 sensor requires a 230 V power supply connection.
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Managing recuperation automatically , based on current sensor measurements, has two great advantages:
- ensuring constant comfort for household members, without any involvement on their part. In particular , the use of a carbon dioxide sensor provides a flexible ventilation control system, perfectly adapted to real needs . The CO 2 sensor constantly measures its level and changes the efficiency of the recuperator so as to maintain the set air composition at a level assessed as comfortable. Since the source of CO 2 in the house is breathing people (100 times higher content in human exhalation than in fresh air), the sensor will react to the presence and activity of household members before anyone feels that it is getting stuffy. In turn , the humidity sensor in the bathroom reacts as soon as it senses an increase in air humidity . This way, the ventilation knows when to increase its intensity.
- cost-effectiveness of this method of ventilation management. This is primarily because during periods when no one is at home, the recuperator automatically switches to the lowest gear , which reduces electricity consumption and minimizes the cooling of the house (the recuperator recovers most of the heat energy from the exhausted air, but not all of it). . At the same time, when residents are at home, the ventilation intensity is also limited to a level at which an appropriately comfortable level of CO 2 concentration in the air is guaranteed. Thanks to this , sensor-controlled recuperators achieve the highest energy class A+ .
Remote service access, i.e. the 21st century in the ventilation industry
Connecting all active Vasco recuperators to the central system, to which the company's service has access, gives the opportunity to view their current activity and history. It should be emphasized here that Vasco fully respects customer privacy and does not collect personal data of device users. The only identifier known to Vasco is his e-mail address, but there is no information about the person or town. However, when the service department obtains this data from the customer filing a complaint, after combining it with the image of the heat recovery unit's operation , it prepares a diagnosis for the service technician who, when arriving at the site, is immediately prepared to solve the identified problem .
It is also worth mentioning that for traditional customers who are not familiar with smartphones, Vasco gives them full opportunity to use the heat recovery unit, as it is always supplied with a manual, wireless gear selector , with the option of switching on the ventilation for 30 minutes. This is a basic switch for those most resistant to new things, but fully sufficient to enjoy comfortable and energy-saving heat recovery in a single-family house.
All Vasco recuperators with the ability to be controlled with an application for smartphones with Android and iOS systems are available at the Oninnen wholesaler. In addition to heat recovery units, Onninen offers the entire Vasco duct system and additional devices, which together make up the complete Vasco Silent Ventilation heat recovery system for a single-family house. Onninen, in cooperation with Vasco, also offers additional services for installers :
- Free preparation of a complete recuperation offer based on the house design,
- After the client accepts the offer, preparation of an industry-specific executive design with the necessary calculations will enable the installer to reliably build the system for the client , as well as its adjustment and safe commissioning.
This is what I call a comprehensive approach!