ST Enabled floor heating thermostat solution?

Devices & Integrations
#12

@RBoy the temp sensor you suggested would not work in my case as i need something to pickup the temp from the tiles (preferably using the tiled in sensors that i already have in place). so i would technically need a sensor to touch the tiles and tell ST their temp then ST would trigger an on/off switch based on previously set points.

The heatit tstat would be exactly what i need, but in the 110v version which they don’t have :frowning:

#13

So couple of things:

  1. You can put the temperature sensor on the floor, it isn’t perfect but may do the job (it’s essentially a hack)
  2. We’re working with manufacturers on some new devices that will be launched within the next few quarters from which will meet your need to contact temperature sensors/thin strip sensors but can’t give more details due to a NDA. Just keep a watch on the market.
  3. For the heatit tstat, just buy a 220 to 110 converter from Amazon or local hardware store, pretty cheap.
#14

@celblazer the sensor comes to bite me in the rear end. did a bit of research found this Aube Technologies RC840T-120 which is power and relay all in one. however i cant think of ST Tstat that would take the input from my preinstalled floor sensors.

@RBoy without trying to sound very picky about this whole setup here it goes:

  1. an ambient temp sensor would have a very skewed reading for the floor temp, also due to code regulation the heating wire is not anywhere near water features or the wall which means id have a big white sensor in front of the toilet or somewhere in plain sight
  2. OMG OMG ill sign the NDA as long as you tell me. promise i wount tell anyone (to be read in Stewie’s voice from Family Guy)
  3. the size of one of those converters alone would make the install prohibitive not to mention to possible code violation. all those factors aside means i would somehow have to turn my current 110v wire coming from the elec panel into a 220v, then plug in the heatit TSTAT, attach a converter to the output load leads of the converter to my heating wire in the floor. all while trying to fit a square box into a rectangle :sunglasses:
#15

You could overheat your floor heater wire by not using the in-floor temp sensor. You could have max power going to the heater wire while the external sensor is at room ambient temp. ST to control temp is not recommended due to stability so I would definitely avoid this unless you are comfortable. What I would do is leave your old Tstat in place and wire the ST sensor in series.

#16

Heatit is whats needed. Just need a manufacturer to make a version that is for the US. I know my Schulter floor system thermostat has GFCI built in along with other safety features.

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#17

That may have been me as I had a heated floor installed back in the fall using a Schluter thermostat and a GE switch.

#18

Just be aware the GE switch is rated at 600W.

#19

@Navat604 i agree about overheating and dont wish to do that. however i currently dont have any thermostat as my previous one broke. can you think of a solution where i would use a dumb tstat and something to communicate to ST ?

@TN_Oldman i agree with you! HeatIt is exactly what i need but in the 110v version for the US.

@JaneL yes that was your post i saw but i wanted more functionality then just on/off…

@Navat604 yes that GE switch would pose an issue seeing that my system uses 815W

Any of you guys know of an arduino type project i could implent to transmit my floor temp to ST ? I could then use ST to turn on a smart switch that is rated for my 800W setup…

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#20

Use a dumb Tstat for GFCI and overtemp protection and wire this z-wave smart thermostat in series for controlling.
http://www.stelpro.com/en-CA/4000-w-ki-thermostat-smart-home-z-wave

#21

Actually if you buy a electronic converter it is a small box and can handle up to 1500w. I bought one locally for 30 bucks and it works great. It’s portable so you can stick it under the floor or in a wall. Not sure about code violations, don’t know much about it but don’t see why it would be a code violation. It has a safety trip switch built into it for overload scenarios.

#22

@Navat604 i did some digging into a setup like what you are suggesting. a dumb tstat non progamable would take my floor sensor temp but i am not sure how to pass that information the stelpro. without the sensor info going to a brain there wouldnt be much of a need past the single programming.

@RBoy i emailed HeatIt in regards to a 110v US version and they said at this point it is not on their horizon at all. He said he would think about it and get back to me in a couple months. He stated the reason he does not want to build one is because the US code requires an RCD built in and there is no room on the current board for it. RCD - residual current discharge sounds like the system built-in to our GFCI outlets. i am not sure id want something without GFCI in a bathroom. I frequently have water on the tiles due to our shower not having a door (by design). But i did find the little controllers you spoke about and they would do the job nicely.

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#23

I wonder if you can plug it the system into a GFCI outlet?

#24

The dumb thermostat is just for protection and when it comes to in floor electric heating. You do need overheat (not overload) and GFCI protection. This is to prevent damage to your heater wires. Not sure if you know but most in floor electric heating is for supplement heat and not for whole room heat like liquid radiant heater. So if this is the only heater you are using for heating that area. I highly recommend you have that protection.
The Stelpro will be using ambient temp for controlling you heater so there is no communication between the two.

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#25

I describe mine not as what I would call warm or hot but, rather, foot temperature. Just a bit of cozy warmth. Much better than stepping onto cold tile.

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#26

I believe the Schulter limits you to 82 F max. So not going to crank out alot of heat.

I think that’s what the manual said when I set mine up. It would never heat the bathroom it’s in. Not really what it’s designed to do.

2 Likes
#27

What about this NuHeat Wifi Radiant Floor Controller? Someone would have to create a DTH for it, then would solve the ST issue.

#28

With the price of that thermostat. I think you are better off with sinope in floor thermostat and the gateway but of course that’s an option to consider if someone could integrate it with ST.

#29

@Navat604 I use the floor heater to only keep tile warm like @JaneL does. i have forced air in the walking closet and master bedroom which warm up the bathroom.
@TN_Oldman my old thermostat was a schluter programable but it died on me and yes it was limited to 82 (which is perfectly fine)
@the2352 i saw the nuheat and also the warmly yours thermostats but neither have any kind of integration with ST or an inclining of going that way. how difficult would it be to create a DTH ? and then would the DTH be all that is needed to comunicate between ST and the stat ? also what kind of feature limitation would there be in this scenario ?

@Navat604 i am hoping that if i get enough interest in this topic and make big enough waves someone smart and in a position of power will just build the stat i am looking for. (for 80$ :smiling_imp:)

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#30

To bad you can’t figure a way to just toggle a thermostat on. Kinda like when you put the Schulter in manual mode.

Then just have smartthings control the toggling of that input?

Manual mode heat floor. Auto mode don’t heat floor or use preset program.

#31

I know it is a bit old thread but I was looking for something to work with radiant heating too.
Not sure if my thought process is right but I figured if nothing else is available out of the box then I think I may be able to use temperature sensor to trigger a zwave microswitch that can trigger a 110v manifold actuator and another switch/relay can trigger a pump for the zone. I think that might work only thing I am trying to figure out is how to switch off the pump for the manifold when a zone is satisfied.