PHPI discovers how Resideo’s smart heating control technology was used to improve energy efficiency in an older property.
Improving the energy efficiency of large older properties can be challenging. One recent home renovation project, in Oxton, Merseyside, utilised a combination of Resideo’s Honeywell Home heating control technologies to achieve the desired outcome.
The home, a large four-bedroom, Victorian property, and its accompanying two-room annexe, has undergone a large-scale renovation project, which was started in January 2024.
Due its size and the overall comfort and efficiency requirement set out by the customer, the property required a bespoke solution for central heating and hot water provision that could be zoned and would also work with a combination of underfloor heating and radiators, and the gas-fired boiler.
In addition, an annexe building located in the garden area will, when complete, work from a separate boiler – so, the overall solution needed to recognise and function with the annexe, while being controllable alongside the main heating system.
The customer was also keen to explore the benefits of smart technology to allow visibility of the energy being used.
Smart heating ecosystem
The Honeywell Home HCC100 Bluetooth enabled, underfloor multi-zone controller was selected for its ability to simplify the installation of underfloor heating and integrate with compatible wired and wireless zone controllers. To this, the Honeywell Home evohome® smart zoning technology was added, alongside nine Honeywell Home DT4 room thermostats to adapt the temperature needed for each room.
Paul Clark, heating installer and owner of Concept Plumbing and Heating, has been installing UFH across the Northwest of England for over 25 years. He said: “Some of the biggest issues associated with other available underfloor heating system controls is that they are over complicated to use for clients, as well as not being aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Installing underfloor heating is a significant investment and clients expect a solution that gives them more. Being able to use products that work together ticks all these boxes.”
The Honeywell Home HCC100 underfloor multi-zone controller can individually manage up to eight UFH zones/rooms in a home, offering professional installers and their clients a single, flexible controller supported by the Resideo Pro app, designed to make installation and configuration faster and simpler.
Paul continued: “The HCC100 is highly flexible, meaning it can be customised to the client needs when it comes to zoning. You can add wireless or wired thermostats and it can be configured and set up easily through the Resideo Pro App. In this home, we have linked two HCC100 controllers in different parts of the property to allow us to create extra zones and cover an even greater space downstairs – and they have worked out perfectly.”
Connecting controls
Paul has also connected this technology with other controls from Resideo throughout the property. Smart control over the heating system gives visibility of the energy being used and can result in both savings and increased comfort for the end user.
The Honeywell Home evohome® with smart zoning technology installed in this project can be used via the touch screen, the homeowner app or even voice control – by linking to a digital voice assistant – to adjust the zones and hot water provision. It has been paired with nine Honeywell Home DT4 room thermostats to work alongside evohome to wirelessly measure and control temperatures within eleven individual zones located on both levels of the house. Working in conjunction with the newly installed gas-fired boiler, the smart zoning features on the evohome system allows Paul’s client to control the temperature in rooms not being used, therefore saving energy and money.
The availability of a black finish for the DT4 room thermostats also meant he could match the controls to the overall decorative scheme within the property, to the appreciation of his client. “The home is being decorated with a sophisticated black and white theme throughout, so as soon as I showed the customer the sleek, black DT4 options, she was quick to see that they dropped into the overall look and feel of the property perfectly.”
A complementary system has also been employed in the annexe of the property, which will serve as a self-contained flat or an office. Sited in the garden of the property, a further HCC100 and evohome has been installed. “The beauty of following the system through to the annexe is that it can be viewed and controlled via the same app, making it much easier for the customer to make the most of the benefits this type of heating ecosystem has to offer.”
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Preparing customers
“However, smart technology has to be straightforward for customers to use, otherwise they simply won’t use it to its full potential,” Paul continued. “Being able to link the HCC100 underfloor multi-zone controller with evohome® and DT4’s means I’ve been able to create multiple underfloor heating and room zones to suit the lifestyle and needs of the homeowner, but all zones can be accessed conveniently.
“A proper handover for the customer is so important and shouldn’t be overlooked either. It works both ways too. When a customer knows how to get the best out of a system, it has the added benefit of reducing call backs to run through details at a later date.”
Installation support
“The background support from Resideo was a great help when I started to use this system on different jobs,” added Paul. “For instance, I initially needed direction on how to approach the wiring of the HCC100, but help was available at the end of the phone. And once that was understood, it was plain sailing for me. Knowing that there is someone able to talk through products is worth its weight when you are working on a project and need to get it complete on time.
“The app set up was equally easy to get to grips with too. Once you grasp the terminology, the tick box set up on the Resideo Pro app takes you through the zones and you choose what goes where to suit the customer.”
Paul concluded: “The one app control for the evohome zoning technology and the HCC100 underfloor heating controller, alongside the versatile DT4 room thermostats, makes it, in my opinion, the best integrated heating control system currently on the market. The fact that these products come with a five-year warranty is an extra winning selling point for customers too.”
