Reset "learning" after heating system overhaul

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Hi all. We've recently had an extension built on our home, which included replacement and re-piping of several radiators, installation of some new ones, and installation of a new boiler as well. The boiler is wired to a tado extension kit via OpenTherm, and appears to be working as expected.

I wondered though if all of the data that tado had 'learned' about my heating system, the way it works etc. over the 7 years that it has been installed so far would still be present, and tado would be using that data still. It's struggling to get some new rooms fitted with smart TRVs up to temperature for example.

Is there anything I need to do, other than reconfigure the tado extension kit for OpenTherm (which is already done) to tell the tado system that it's part of a new heating system, and it should disregard everything it 'knows'?

Answers

  • Montage
    Montage ✭✭✭
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    I’d suggest focusing on the heating system, rather than expecting the Tado ‘learning’ is getting in the way.

  • retro123
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    Thanks - yes I've checked the heating system out. If I wire it up as a 'dumb relay' rather than OpenTherm, then the boiler spends more time at the max flow temp, and the rooms heat up without a problem. With OpenTherm though it's spending more time around the mid-40s, which I'm sure is more efficient, but I don't know if if that's the boiler's decision, or if it's just following tado's instructions. So perhaps it's an OpenTherm thing rather than an AI learning thing? At full tilt everything warms up nicely, so I don't think there's an inherent heating system fault.

  • Montage
    Montage ✭✭✭
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    Work on the basis the boiler is just doing what Tado demands of it. Tado don’t publish anything regarding what they use, but let’s assume they know the power capability of the boiler (over OT), the current outside temp and the temperature reported by the 5ado devices.

    At the moment it’s 10 degrees here and Tado reflects that and I’m heating to what Tado calls 22 degrees (but is not really that high). Using their API (or Care and Protect) suggests 30-40% but that’ll drop off shortly. As mine is relay it just cycles it in and off (not to max power as I’ve reduced flow temps). Your OT setup should just request partial power.

    If you have a heat loss calculation, you might be able to see if it’s in the right ballpark. Whoever changed the system presumably took into account the heat loss and the expected lower flow temps when sizing the emitters.

    In addition there’s the question of whether to favour comfort (mine does) or chase efficiency.

    I’m not convinced running the boiler at full tilt validates the system and the design decisions. It certainly suggests the boiler is at least big enough or more.

  • retro123
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    Thanks for the insight - unfortunately I have to assume "design decisions" weren't a part of the heating engineer's process, it was more a case of "plumb in whatever radiator fits, or whatever I have in the van" sadly.

    In my particular scenario - I have a room with a TRV fitted to a radiator, with the target TRV temperature set to 22°. The temperature reaches around 21° and hovers at that mark, it never actually makes it to the target temperature. I'd have assumed Tado would realise that it's not getting to where it needs to be, and change the demands on the boiler to get to the place it needs to get to. Observed behaviour on the boiler is that the central heating pump runs continuously, the burner ignites to bring the flow temp up to the target set in the Tado Pro app (60°), then the burner turns off, and the flow temp drops back down to around the 40-43° mark. It stays there for around 5 minutes, then the burner re-ignites, and that cycle starts again. I'd have expected Tado would ask the boiler to spend more time at a higher flow temperature to bring the room up to the target temperature, but that doesn't seem to be happening.

    The demand indicator in the Tado app for the affected room is on "full", and has been all day.