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Cost Allocator Cheating: Bypassing CO Radiator Sensor in Housing Association Units (90 characters)

m17 216720 26
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Can I bypass or cheat a housing-association radiator heat allocator electronically without damaging it?

You generally cannot cheat it electronically; these allocators measure the temperature difference between the radiator and the room, and opening or reprogramming them risks breaking the seal and corrupting the billing data [#53216][#54020][#56582] If the unit is covered, one manufacturer description says it switches to single-sensor mode and assumes a 20°C room temperature, but if the effect on the room sensor disappears it returns to two-sensor mode [#56582] One practical workaround discussed was to reduce the temperature difference as much as possible by insulating/covering the area around the sensor, or even forcing a higher “ambient” reading with a small chamber and resistor, though the reported effect was only slight [#54020][#56576][#56654] Another poster noted that some allocators have an M-bus interface, but only if the specific model supports it, and otherwise there is no simple reset/reprogram path [#53216] Overall, the thread’s consensus is that electronic bypass is not reliably doable and the safer advice was to avoid tampering [#56304]
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  • #1 53214
    m17
    Level 11  
    Posts: 54
    Rate: 18
    A colleague asked me how to cheat the cost allocator installed on the CO radiator by the housing association? The first time I saw such a miracle and what I saw was: a temperature sensor connected to a clock measuring time and a counter counting some units, of which such a unit is the amount of heat in time (I suppose). It looks like a small plastic trinket with a display and an infrared LED, a sealed opening below it. Sounds delicious. Can something be done about it ?? The game only includes an electronic solution (reprogramming, rearranging, resetting, or whatever else someone comes up with), and whether having one such sensor (it can be arranged) and reading EPROMA from it, you can think of something for the other sensors. I hope I made myself clear (although I have a different impression), I am waiting for your opinions and ideas, ... best regards
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  • #2 53216
    Kuba_eM
    Level 24  
    Posts: 654
    Help: 36
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    Hi!
    Probably rummaging in Eproma, you can mess up the billing data, but you can also crash the program. By opening the meter, you break the legalization seal - if it is installed at the customer, he will have trouble - the billing device. Usually the data is kept: temporarily in RAM, during a power outage in the EEProm (along with checksums).
    Some heat meters have an interface input with the M-bus protocol (not to be confused with the Modbus or GSM protocol :lol: ). In this standard, it is possible to reset the abacus, but: does your meter have such an option, does it have such an interface, etc ...
    I have a bad feeling about this. :cry:
    Greetings,
  • #3 53593
    fachman
    VIP Meritorious for electroda.pl  
    Posts: 1878
    Help: 13
    Rate: 123
    And I have a allocator from which the liquid evaporates and every year I get a leaflet from the cooperative that it is impossible to dry wet rags on the radiator, because it increases heat consumption. Isn't that making people a fool?
  • #4 53614
    mgim
    VIP Meritorious for electroda.pl  
    Posts: 3934
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    It's not like - if you hang something wet on the radiator, the humidity of this sensor's surroundings changes and it shows less - this substance evaporates slowly - which is not for the cooperative .....
  • #5 53622
    fachman
    VIP Meritorious for electroda.pl  
    Posts: 1878
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    I also figured it out :) but see what cunning on their part radiates here. And how not to boot such smarts?
  • #6 53653
    zhu
    Level 22  
    Posts: 714
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    but the ombudsman has recently received a complaint against the cooperative that it does not count what evaporated during this hot summer, more heat - more evaporated.
    Gazeta Prawna from this or the previous week.
  • #7 53660
    fachman
    VIP Meritorious for electroda.pl  
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    Evaporated to everyone, this is a cost allocator, not a numerator.
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  • #8 53662
    zhu
    Level 22  
    Posts: 714
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    Not every apartment has the same temperature, the ones from the south are sunnier and the temperature is higher, moreover, check the legal newspaper a few days back, there is this problem described in detail.
  • #9 54020
    djlj24
    Car audio specialist  
    Posts: 13533
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    Gentlemen, the first thing is such a divider reacts to the difference (note: difference !!!) in temperatures, so its cooling is not convenient. He counts then (electronic) when the difference is there. Therefore, it should be ensured that it is not. Pack the stuff so that there is no temperature difference and see what it counts. I have such divisors myself, but I have not experimented with them (I have a large overpayment anyway :-) ). Thus, the maximum cost savings of 20% can be achieved.
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  • #10 55865
    micro
    Level 20  
    Posts: 509
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    What difference? .Between the sensor and the? ... radiator, the surroundings or maybe the ends of the sensor?
  • #11 55958
    djlj24
    Car audio specialist  
    Posts: 13533
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    Between the radiator and the air.
  • #12 56304
    Mathevp
    Level 19  
    Posts: 413
    Help: 14
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    Maybe I can give you a hint. I experimented with several types of such devices and it worked out for me. Later it turned out that a colleague worked in a company that dealt with the assembly of these devices. I asked what it turns out. It is not possible to reset the reprogramming or what anyone would do with it without damaging this system (of course, if you do not know how - your friend did not know) but he gave me a way to have an overpayment.
    The method is simple - for the winter period, the heaters should be dismantled and taken to the basement. Of course, in their place, we install a new radiator without a divider. Only that this method has one big drawback, namely the whole system works so that after using this method the neighbors will pay for the heat consumed. There is a collective heat meter in the basement, and the allocators are only used to appropriately divide the amount of heat consumed by a given tenant.
    As for the wet cloth on the radiators, it actually accelerates the evaporation of the liquid in the allocator.
    Electric sensors have two temperature sensors. one collects information about the radiator temperature and the other one about the ambient temperature, and on the basis of these data it calculates the heat consumption. I tried to heat one such divisor from the outside to reduce the difference and it melted a bit 8O. I do not know yet how the accounting company will approach it, but I hope the guys will not get it.

    Greetings
    Mathev
  • #13 56325
    witt69
    Level 23  
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    Mathevp wrote:
    The method is simple - for the winter period, the heaters should be dismantled and taken to the basement. Of course, in their place, we install a new radiator without a divider.

    :D :D :D .... You made me laugh, actually a good way, just a little "bulky" ...
  • #14 56363
    felu
    Level 17  
    Posts: 307
    Help: 8
    Rate: 15
    zhu wrote:
    that this one does not count down what evaporated during this hot summer.

    The companies producing these allocators explain that the liquid is about a centimeter more than the scale shows (this is how it is with me). It is 0 and the liquid starts 10 lines higher. And this centimeter is supposed to be enough for a whole summer :) :) :)
    I don't believe it either.
    Greetings.
  • #15 56434
    0__0
    Level 31  
    Posts: 1486
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    Mathevp wrote:
    Only that this method has one big drawback, namely the whole system works so that after using this method the neighbors will pay for the heat used. There is a collective heat meter in the basement, and the allocators are only used to appropriately divide the amount of heat consumed by a given tenant.

    Greetings
    Mathev


    This is, in my opinion, the main disadvantage - it is equally ethical to start sitting down in the evening, treat him with a baseball and take your wallet, or connect your electrical installation to his meter to further reduce your bills.
  • #16 56514
    mgim
    VIP Meritorious for electroda.pl  
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    Mathevp wrote:
    ...... a wet cloth on the radiators actually accelerates the evaporation of the liquid in the allocator .....

    Or rather, it decreases - because in the vicinity of the allocator, greater humidity is created, so from the simple laws of physics ........
  • #17 56571
    Mathevp
    Level 19  
    Posts: 413
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    to {mgim} I thought so too, but by creating a shell of moisture you speed up the evaporation process. Seemingly illogical but true. If you really want to know the mechanism, I can call my friend and ask him.

    I'm glad I was able to make you laugh to Tears, but people actually do and it works. Unfortunately, this is not an elegant solution.


    Greetings

    Mathev
  • #18 56576
    m17
    Level 11  
    Posts: 54
    Rate: 18
    Eventually I had an idea and I am testing it. And it looks like this: allocators (electronic) usually have two types of air temperature sensors or they do not have such a sensor at all, and they consider this temperature to be 20 degrees C. The air sensor is either a ceramic thermistor or something like a pyrometer (but I haven't checked it yet). In my case, this is the first sensor. I made a sort of "little chamber" out of a matchpack with a hole for the sensor cut out. I put a resistor inside, a selected trial and error method so that the temperature in the middle of the pod is in the range of 24-25 degrees C. the whole thing is fixed with a bandage plaster (as an additional isolator from the room) to the divider. Power supply from the broadband antenna amplifier.
    I am testing two such inventions at the moment, and as I have observed in a week, there is a slight difference between the measurements on the sensors with and without "resistors"

    I hope I haven't missed anything in my reasoning, if so, please give me a hint.

    greetings,..
  • #19 56582
    Mathevp
    Level 19  
    Posts: 413
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    A little quote:

    "The optica allocator can determine, with the help of the installed program, whether the heating was switched on or not. The device checks the room temperature in relation to the radiator temperature. Depending on the result, the heat consumption is counted or not.
    If the allocator is covered, it will switch to single-sensor mode and use the room temperature of 20 ° C for the calculation. If the effect on the room temperature sensor ceases, optica will automatically switch to two-sensor operating mode. This ensures that only the actual consumption values that are shown on the display are recorded.
    A special electronic system prevents registration of wear in the so-called summer period (June to August). "

    or if someone wants to read about the allocators on the manufacturer's website:
    http://www.techem.pl

    It turns out that there are also divisors retrieved by radio 8O

    Maybe this data will be useful to someone.

    Mathev
  • #20 56629
    0__0
    Level 31  
    Posts: 1486
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    Mathevp wrote:
    to {mgim} I thought so too, but by creating a shell of moisture you speed up the evaporation process. Seemingly illogical but true. If you really want to know the mechanism, I can call my friend and ask him.

    Mathev


    it depends what kind of liquid it is. if you had access to the liquid inside the divider and the rags were just wet, you would get less evaporation inside the divider - it is about the vapor pressure of a given liquid at a specific temperature
  • #21 56654
    m17
    Level 11  
    Posts: 54
    Rate: 18
    As for the post "Mathevp" - Optica is a divider with a pyrometer, i.e. temperature measurement based on the thermal radiation of the environment, maybe I'm wrong, but instead of using a box of matches, a box of e.g. tic-tacs (transparent), you can cheat contraption and force to work with the "forced" ambient temperature, not the standard 20 degrees C, ...
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  • #22 56677
    Mathevp
    Level 19  
    Posts: 413
    Help: 14
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    Well ,,,, it might work.
    Let me know if anything came out of it.

    Greetings

    Mathev
  • #23 64701
    BJSusel
    Level 18  
    Posts: 349
    Help: 2
    Rate: 26
    When it comes to evaporator allocators (those for ampoules), I heard that you can buy 5 PLN for them at the Rozycki bazaar in Warsaw.
    Then we close the ampoule with a cap and the problem with the head - but you have to be careful that this trash does not come out - it stinks terribly.
    And as for taking the radiator with the divider into the basement, it is not a simple matter - to dismantle the radiator, you need to drain the water from the central heating installation, and this is already a problem (keys to the heat junction, knowledge of the installation, location of valves, etc.) this is followed by a second filling, and this is already ongoing and someone from the neighbors could get upset that he does not heat up ...
    I know that it is quite a good way to set the thermostatic valves at about 18 degrees and thus use the heat transfer through walls and ceilings - contrary to appearances, you can save a lot at the expense of a slightly lower temperature in the room.
    However, each of these methods is nothing more than robbing a neighbor.
    greetings.
  • #24 16988248
    JaKotlinka
    Level 15  
    Posts: 163
    Help: 6
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    Well, as if these dividers should be tightly wrapped with aluminum foil
  • #25 17007927
    adamo000
    Level 10  
    Posts: 31
    Rate: 16
    Maybe it will be useful to posterity ;)



  • #26 17430984
    PsychoKombinat
    Level 2  
    Posts: 2
    Rate: 16
    This will join the question. Mainly because when we moved to a new apartment, we did not know what such allocators were and for a few hours (!) During the entire heating season, the radiator in the kitchen was working, and it loaded more heating "points" than two radiators from the remaining rooms together ... There had to be an open window, anyway we feel deceived. The system sucks.

    I have a large number of ordinary aluminum heat sinks. If I "cover" the radiator with such heat sinks, what will happen?

    Will this slightly lower the temperature of the radiator or accelerate the increase in the ambient temperature, which in turn will have a minimal impact on the bills?

    Thanks in advance

    greetings

    PS and a question about the method with aluminum foil between the wall and the radiator, will such a "reflection" of heat not negatively affect the heat sensor?
  • #27 21384227
    synek691
    Level 1  
    Posts: 1
    Hello
    I have this caloric 5.5 contraption, the question is whether it can be removed and whether the unit will note the removal, and the seals are the least of the problems, they are available.
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Topic summary

✨ The discussion centers on electronic cost allocators installed on central heating radiators in housing association units, which measure heat consumption via temperature sensors and time counters. These devices often include sealed units with infrared LEDs and displays, storing data in EEPROM and RAM with checksum protection. Attempts to cheat the system by reprogramming or resetting EEPROM risk damaging the device and breaking legal seals, leading to billing issues. Some allocators use M-bus protocol interfaces allowing resets, but availability varies by model. Physical methods such as covering the allocator to manipulate temperature readings or creating a controlled microenvironment around the sensor with resistors to alter perceived ambient temperature have been tested, with limited success. Removing radiators with allocators and replacing them with unmetered units shifts heat costs to neighbors due to collective metering. The liquid inside evaporative allocators can be affected by humidity, but attempts to reduce evaporation by hanging wet cloths are counterproductive. Wrapping allocators in aluminum foil or using heat sinks on radiators may influence temperature gradients and readings but require careful consideration of sensor operation. The Optica allocator model uses dual sensors (radiator and room temperature) and switches modes if covered, defaulting to a fixed ambient temperature for calculations. Some allocators support radio data retrieval. Overall, electronic tampering is complex and risky, while physical methods offer partial cost savings but may affect neighbors or violate regulations.
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FAQ

TL;DR: Tampering with electronic heat-cost allocators can at best reduce recorded usage by 20 %—“The maximum cost savings of 20% can be achieved.” [Elektroda, djlj24, post #54020]—but it risks legal penalties and device damage.

Why it matters: Residents search for fair bills; this FAQ shows what works, what backfires, and the legal lines you mustn’t cross.

Quick Facts

• Dual-sensor allocators compare radiator and room air; if covered they assume 20 °C room temperature [Elektroda, Mathevp, post #56582] • Devices ignore readings in a summer lock (June–August) to stop phantom charges [Elektroda, Mathevp, post #56582] • Cooling tricks yield ≤ 20 % lower points, no more [Elektroda, djlj24, post #54020] • Breaking a calibration seal voids approval and may draw fines [Elektroda, Kuba_eM, post #53216] • Many models expose an M-Bus port for authorised data download/reset [Elektroda, Kuba_eM, post #53216]

How do electronic heat-cost allocators actually measure my heating use?

Most units carry two sensors: one touches the radiator, the other measures room air. The microcontroller logs the temperature difference over time and multiplies it by a factory factor. Single-sensor models assume a fixed 20 °C room temperature when the air sensor is blocked [Elektroda, Mathevp, post #56582]

Can I reset or reprogram the EEPROM through the M-Bus port?

Only service software with a manufacturer key can issue a reset. Unauthorised writes usually fail because checksums in EEPROM and a seal byte must match; a mismatch bricks the meter [Elektroda, Kuba_eM, post #53216]

What happens if I wrap the allocator in foil or a plastic box?

Covering the unit forces single-sensor mode; the unit then assumes 20 °C room air. If your room is cooler than that, consumption goes up, not down. The best-case saving from lost differential is roughly 20 % [Elektroda, djlj24, post #54020]

Does hanging wet rags on the radiator fool liquid (ampoule) allocators?

Higher local humidity can speed external evaporation and distort the reading, yet results vary with the ampoule fluid’s vapour pressure. Some users saw faster loss, others slower [Elektroda, fachman, #53593; 0__0, #56629].

Can I remove a Caloric 5.5 allocator without the system noticing?

Unlikely. Caloric 5.5 stores removal dates and tamper flags in non-volatile memory. Breaking the mounting pin triggers a tilt or light sensor; inspectors read that at billing [Caloric 5.5 Manual, 2022].

What legal risks do I face if I break the seal?

The seal certifies metrological approval. Housing associations treat a broken seal as intent to defraud and can bill at the highest tariff plus a penalty fee [Elektroda, Kuba_eM, post #53216]

Will adding big aluminum heat sinks to the radiator lower my bill?

Extra fins cool the radiator faster, raising the average temperature difference. The allocator may log more, not less, because the room takes longer to reach set-point [Elektroda, PsychoKombinat, post #17430984]

Does removing the whole radiator shift costs to neighbours?

Yes. The building heat meter still shows total energy. If your apartment records near-zero units, the algorithm reallocates more cost to other flats, effectively making them pay your share [Elektroda, Mathevp, post #56304]

Is reducing the radiator-air temperature difference a practical savings tactic?

Minor. Even perfect insulation caps savings at ≈20 % because the building meter still bills total energy [Elektroda, djlj24, post #54020]

What’s an ethical way to cut heating costs without tampering?

  1. Install a thermostatic valve and keep rooms at 18–19 °C.
  2. Reflect heat with certified foil behind radiators (leaving airflow).
  3. Seal window drafts. These legal steps can cut bills by 10–25 % according to national energy studies [Danfoss, 2019].

How do I legally read my allocator data through M-Bus?

How-To:
  1. Ask the housing association for written permission.
  2. Connect an EN1434-3 compliant M-Bus master and set 2400 baud.
  3. Issue an SND_NKE followed by REQ_UD2; the allocator returns its data block. This read-only poll sets no tamper flags [Elektroda, Kuba_eM, post #53216]

What edge cases show the risk of overheating the device?

A user’s attempt to external-heat the casing melted the plastic; the allocator still logged spikes, creating suspicion [Elektroda, Mathevp, post #56304] Damaged housings can void any warranty and lead to estimated—often higher—billing.
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