Seeking advise on Weather Compensation

Bucki

Hello

I have a system boiler: Ideal Vogue Max and the set max temp is set to 60c because I also have a cylinder water tank.  The thermostat is Ideal Halo System Wifi which is connected to the WiFi which apparently uses the local weather forcast for the weather compensation part which I am not quite following how it works and what benefits... 

So, let's say today is 10c outside as per weather forecast whilst the room temperature is 18c in the room, as per thermostat.  How is weather compensation helping here? What is the aim of the game of it ... what am I expecting?

If I set the thermostat to 20c, what will weather compensation actually do on the boiler?
Will it make the boiler work less harder to reach the 20c temperature? Or will it ensure the Flow and Return temperature are kept within a specific temp range?

I am lost... please enlighten me and advise.
Appreciate your support.

Vitor

Weather compensation adjusts the boiler’s flow temperature based on outside conditions. At 15°C outside it uses a lower flow temperature because the house loses heat more slowly than at 5°C. You still reach 20°C, but with steadier running and better efficiency in use of gas. The thermostat sets the room temperature; weather compensation sets how hot the radiators need to be.

The boiler ignores weather compensation when heating the hot-water cylinder. That part of the system is controlled by the cylinder thermostat and your programmer.

Bucki

Appreciate it Vitor.

Ah I see, so it will just modulate the boiler to use less gas when not needed when the weather outside is not so cold.
Do we actually know on what basis that is judged on ... to say if outside is 10c and room tempt is 16c and I set thermostat to 20c = what is course of steps or the algorithm behind it?

Would OpenTherm vs WeatherComp be totally different thing?

Qyburn

When I did heating controls we used to do W/C by mixing to create a variable temperature circuit with the boiler still running at full temperature. The W/C would typically reduce flow and radiator temperature by 2 degrees for every 1 degree rise in outdoor temperature.  That gave a more stable internal temperature, and reduced losses in pipework.

Nowadays with modulating condensing boilers there's the added benefit of more efficient condensing action when the boiler runs at a lower temperature.

Qyburn

Bucki said:

Would OpenTherm vs WeatherComp be totally different thing?

Opentherm is a protocol for smart thermostats to talk to modulating boilers.

Vitor

- what is course of steps or the algorithm behind - 

Most controllers have a "heat curve" which allows you adjust the impact of weather compensation, linking outside temp and C/H flow temp.

- Would OpenTherm vs WeatherComp be totally different thing? -

Opentherm is communication protocol between controller and boiler, weathercomp is a feature of smart controllers.