The Heat Controller: Troubleshooting

Charging the device battery

  1. The charger does not charge the device or charges it too slowly.
  • It is required to use an efficient USB charger (at least 2.5W, 500mA). If such charger still doesn’t charge the device check if the charger is not damaged. If the charging still does not take place correctly, the device must be sent to the service.
  • The battery charging process usually takes about 4 hours. The type and power of the charger do not influence the charging time.

 

Valve calibration

  1. The device is not calibrating.
  • FG(BH)T-001 head does not support a specific type your thermostatic valve. Verify your valve with a list of supported valves.
  • The thermostatic valve is defective. Check if it is possible to regulate the temperature, fully open and completely close the thermostatic valve with the classic thermostatic head. Make sure that the adapter has been installed correctly.
  • FG(BH)T-001 head isn’t correctly installed in the thermostat valve. It should be removed and reinstalled correctly.
  • The design and dimensions of the valve don’t allow the device to work properly, although it is officially supported. The same valve models, but from different manufacturers may be slightly different from each other. The same applies to FG(BH)T-001 heads. You can try swapping two heads and see if the problem is solved.
  • In the case of FGBHT-001, during the setup using the application (after an earlier factory reset), the calibration may not start. The application will display a calibration error. You can try turning your Bluetooth on and off to restart the connection on your iPhone.
  • If the valve is scaled it may cause calibration failure. The scaled valve can be recognized by the fact that it never closes or the valve spindle is working insecurely. Call the installer to descale the installation/valves.

 

  1. The device works too loud.
  • Verify if some elements of the heater do not resonate. Secure and attach those elements. You can also remove and reinstall the head.
  • Firmware version 4.4 reduces the engine rotation of the device, which results in quieter operation.

 

  1. “Motor failure” message.
  • The work of the gear is “uneven” or you hear “something” inside. In this case, the device should go to the service.

 

Temperature regulation

  1. The device incorrectly measures the temperature or does not measure it at all.
  • The external sensor measure temperature every 10 minutes, the internal sensor measures the temperature every minute.
  • The temperature report is sent every hour unless the currently measured value is different from the last reported value by more than 0.2 °C, then the report with the new value is sent immediately. Therefore, there may be discrepancies between the sensors / heads placed side by side.
  • The accuracy of the temperature sensor is ± 0.5 °C.
  • In software version 4.4 and below, the temperature of the internal sensor (head of the FG(BH)T-001 thermostat) is not reported to the control unit. Only the value of the external sensor is reported.
  • If all the steps above fail, you can ask FIBARO Support for help. In this case you should prepare:
    1. Logs from the device from the last 7 days of work. You can download them in the Home Center. [Downloading logs from the thermostat]
    2. A brief description of the device’s operating environment, which should contain:
      • Type of heating (gas furnace, heat furnace, etc.);
      • The temperature of the medium (water in the installation), if it changes – how?;
      • A description of the room (area, the location of the heater, etc.);
      • A description of additional factors that may affect the quality of the regulation (fireplace, constant draft, etc.);
      • Photo of the heater environment.
    3. How you use it (manual temperature change, remote change via mobile application or the Home Center, schedules setting).
  • During and one hour after the end of the charging process, the device may incorrectly measure the temperature.
  • The external sensor can send reports about 10 minutes after the first pairing.
  • The outdoor sensor is not paired or the connection has been lost.

 

  1. The device incorrectly adjusts the temperature.
  • It is important to note that even within one room, there is a different temperature at different spots, whether it is the heater, the center of the room, or the opposite wall. The temperature error can be different for different rooms / houses and installations. The temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling can reach up to 3°C.
  • The room cools down or warms up to the set temperature too slowly. This is probably caused by the working environment. The external temperature, insulation of the building and the efficiency of the installation affect the time of cooling down or heating the room.
  • The device memorizes the last valve setting while the battery is charging. During the charging process, the device does not regulate the temperature. The device may erroneously regulate the temperature for an hour after the end of charging.

 

  1. The device temporarily overheats or does not warm up the room.
  • Temporary over-regulation / under-regulation of about 2°C is a natural consequence of changing the setpoint or other disturbances such as, for example, temporary draft or window opening. However, the temporary value of over or under-regulation may be different for different rooms, houses, and installations.
  • The cause may be too high or too low temperature factor. It is recommended to change it by 5°C, then by 10°C and verify the work of the head FG(BH)T-001.
  • During and an hour after the end of the charging process, the device may incorrectly measure the temperature.

 

  1. It’s too cold or too hot in the room controlled by The Heat Controller.
  • Experimentally choose a different place for the external sensor.
  • Verify that the head is able to properly regulate the temperature. To do this, close / open the valve and verify that the temperature drops / rises and how quickly.
  • Check if there are other sources of heat in the room (fireplaces, ventilators) or drafts. They can affect the quality of regulation.
  • Check if the radiator isn’t covered. Covering the radiator with objects (curtain, furniture) is not desirable, and it has a significant impact on the quality of regulation and the efficiency of the entire heating system at home.

 

  1. The head does not close the valve even though the temperature setpoint is set to lower than the measured one.
  • Look at “6. The device incorrectly adjusts the temperature.”
  • The valve is scaled and it isn’t able to fully close.
  • After closing the valve. The radiator is still warm for some time. This time depends on many factors, including the construction of the radiator itself and can take several hours.

 

  1. More than one heater in the room. The temperature of the two heaters is different. One heater is open, the other is not.
  • Check whether those two FG(BH)T-001 heads have the same work schedule. If not, this is an undesirable arrangement because both devices can “fight” with each other.
  • The temperature distribution in the room is not even and it differs at those two arrangements. This may be the reason why one heater is “open” and the other is “closed”, despite the same schedule being loaded. It is recommended to use extra sensor paired with all radiators in the room. It’s worth mentioning that one extra sensor can be paired with up to three FIBARO Heat Controllers.

 

  1. Cooperation with other heat control systems.

FG (BH) T-001 does not work with another heat control system such as a wall thermostat. Simultaneous operation of the wall thermostat can cause problems with temperature regulation, such as unheated and overshoot.

 

Other

  1. The RGB ring stays on or turns on at random times.
  • This behaviour is probably caused by another electrical device or other metal objects near the face of the Thermostatic Head. The problem can be solved by removing objects that may be causing these interferences.

 

  1. The thermostatic head opens the valve at 100% and then closes it. The operation is performed periodically.
  • Look at “Valve calibration”.

 

  1. What heating systems does FG(BH)T-001 supports?
  • The FG(BH)T-001 thermostatic head is adapted to work in a system where liquid (water) is used as the heating medium. It doesn’t matter how the medium is heated, it is important that the temperature of the medium doesn’t change (or changes slowly) because it will affect the quality of temperature control.
  • FG(BH)T-001 doesn’t control the operation of the boiler or circulation pump. Boiler service should be provided by the boiler’s automatics. FG(BH)T-001 cannot turn off the boiler or change its operating mode.
  • If you are not sure whether our thermostatic heads are suitable for your heating system, contact FIBARO Installer.
  • If you are not sure whether your heating system will handle the thermostatic heads, contact your installer and draw his opinion.

 

  1. What to look for before buying The Heat Controller?
  • Is my heating system suitable for operating thermostatic valves? (Heaters with thermostatic valves, floor heating with thermostatic valve)
  • Is my heating automation system suitable for operating thermostatic valves? (Wall thermostat, weather sensor and other automation that can disrupt the operation of FG(BH)T-001)
  • Do I have a Z-Wave control panel for FGT-001 or an iOS device that supports the HomeKit protocol for FGBHT-001.
  • Will FGT-001 work with my type of valve?

 

  1. How to reduce heating bills?
  • The apartment should have a constant, optimal temperature, around 20 °C. When it is around 0 °C outside and 23 °C in an apartment, it escapes 15% more heat through the windows, walls and flat roofs than when it is 20 °C in the apartment. Lowering the temperature by 1 °C gives about 10% savings.
  • For the proper functioning of the heater and the thermostatic head, make sure they aren’t obstructed by anything. Otherwise, the head will measure the air temperature between the wall and the curtain, which will be different from the room temperature.
  • Ventilate apartment by opening windows wide for 5­-10 minutes, and screwing thermostats to the star position to reduce heat loss.
  • Do not allow the apartment to cool completely, it takes a long time to warm up again, but when you leave for a long time, screw the heaters to the star position.
  • Remember that heat consumption depends on the outside temperature. When the outside temperature is low, the flat cools down more quickly and the thermostat increases the flow of hot water in the heater more often to even the temperature in the room to the temperature set on the thermostat.
  • Let’s take care of the tightness of windows and insulation of the building, which will help reduce heat loss.

 

  1. Do I have to install FG(BH)T-001 on all heater in the house?
  • It is recommended to install FG(BH)T-001 in all rooms where you want to regulate the temperature. The rooms where you spend most of your time, such as: living room, bedroom, etc., are recommended to install FG(BH)T-001 first. In this way, you will achieve the highest comfort at home and you will save the most. All heaters that are not equipped with FG(BH)T-001 must be controlled by another thermostatic valve (e.g. classic).

 

  1. Do I have to control the operation of the boiler (furnace) if I abandon the wall thermostat and replace it only with FG(BH)T-001?
  • FG(BH)T-001 does not control the operation of the boiler or circulation pump. Boiler service should be provided by the boiler’s automatics. FG(BH)T-001 can’t turn off the boiler or change its operating mode.
  • Probably all modern boilers have intelligent controllers that regulate the temperature of the medium, regardless of the conditions and operation of the entire heating system. Sometimes you may find the opinion that closing all heaters may cause a rapid increase of the water temperature and bring it to the boil. In a correctly designed installation and with properly operating furnace control, this situation should not take place.
  • If you are not sure whether your heating system will safely handle the thermostatic heads, contact your installer.

 

  1. How to configure the FIBARO system to turn off the head for a specified time when the window is opened?
  • Setting the block scene that activates the override (OFF) mode to the desired minute value using the window opening sensor as the scene trigger.

December 5, 2018   20036    Questions    
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