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Grant "Smart" controller or Homely?

Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs)

Last Post by Toodles 9 months ago

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Steam Powered

(@steam-powered)

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Joined: 12 months ago

Posts: 14

Topic starter 29/03/2025 12:00 pm

My Grant Aerona 17R32 installed in Feb '24 has the basic Grant/Chofu control unit. The flow regulator on the return to the HP was omitted at installation (subject of a previous post from me) and in discussions with my installer to correct this he has suggested fitting the new Grant Smart control unit as a further improvement. From my research the benefits I can see over the basic Grant/Chofu controller are:

1. Fancy graphics. Nice but not essential.

2. Scheduling of UFH and DHW. Currently I can only schedule DHW via the separate Grant timer and am currently running on Octopus Cosy with TOU optimisation limited to what I can do with the Heatmiser room stats. (When I get the missing flow regulator fitted and hopefully reduce the current level of short cycling, my aim is a more continuously running open system with the room stats as maximum limiters but still optimising around the Cosy TOU for the DHW).

3. COP and SCOP data. Clearly a "must have" and not available from the Grant/Chofu basic controller.

4. Control and performance data via the Econet24 app. Remote control via the app. (not so important for me) but more importantly I believe data history and trend graphs are available, but without creating an account there doesn't seem to be much detail available on that.

Can anyone please share any experience of using Econet24 and what is available in terms of HP data and COP performance trends?

My installer is a Grant G1 registered engineer and has fitted Smart controllers on their new 290 range of HPs but has not done a Smart controller retrofit yet and is struggling to get info. from Grant on the wiring changes. Grant state they can be connected but in the guidance for a retrofit in their installation manual is vague to say the least!

Does anyone have any experience of having a Grant Smart controller retrofitted please?

The Grant wiring center drawings for the Chofu and Smart controllers are quite different and I am wondering if mine will need changing? With the retrofit looking a bit more complex and probably costing a fair bit more than the "around 300 quid" my installer had suggested, I am wondering if I would be better off having Homely fitted instead?

I understand I will get TOU scheduling with Homely plus management around solar gain which is would be very interesting as we have a good amount of south facing glazing and benefit from 3-5 degrees of gain on any reasonably sunny day. What I am unclear on is what data and COP trends are available via Homely. Could any Homely users advise please? (Did I read a previous post saying data is only available at Homely Installer access level?)

Overall does anyone have any advice please on going for Homely over the fairly limited (but probably acceptable) gains from the Grant Smart controller - but at probably a fair bit more than the cost of the Homely unit?

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Toodles

(@toodles)

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Joined: 3 years ago

Posts: 2380

29/03/2025 3:20 pm

The Homely app itself is really just for setting and programming for, as you say, the Dashboard is the webpage to log into for a lot of the data. I am attaching a couple of screen shots to give an indication of what is available there. Elements may be switched on or off to display just what you wish to see and the COP is available at any time for the last few weeks but not long term data as best I can see. Regards, Toodles.

Toodles, heats his home with cold draughts and cooks food with magnets.

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Steam Powered

(@steam-powered)

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Joined: 12 months ago

Posts: 14

Topic starter 29/03/2025 4:48 pm

@ Toodles,

Thank you for sharing your data screenshot, really helpful for me.

Am I correct in thinking the green "set temperature" line is the temperature that Homely is deciding is applicable at any point in time?

Also the grey "HP Actual Heating" legend appears to be masking over the "Estimated power input" line which is not so helpful.

I don't see COP as an option in all of those data legends. Is it possible to see that graphed over time like the other data sets, or only available as a value on the summary page that you shared?

Are you able to comment on how well Homely adapts to any solar gain in your environment?

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Toodles

(@toodles)

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Joined: 3 years ago

Posts: 2380

29/03/2025 5:40 pm

@steam-powered The various parameters are all available separately or can be overlaid, as it happens, I usually reduce the items at any one time for clarity. As to the temperature, the straight lines that steps up and down indicate the settings I have set at those hours (and even now, this is still a work in progress as nighttime setbacks have little or no effect as you can see). Maybe this is a measure of our insulation I am not sure! I have my doubts though as heating is still applied occasionally during these times; I am discussing this aspect with Homely at present. I have found that any temperature setting tends to be regarded as the minimum level and that normally, the average will be a little higher. COP only appears in the summary but, you can select from the calendar which days you wish to include in the computation; 24 hours seems to be the smallest interval available though. Regards, Toodles.

Toodles, heats his home with cold draughts and cooks food with magnets.

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