logo elektroda
logo elektroda
X
logo elektroda
Advanced Search
logo elektroda

[Solved] How do you automate the control of a room thermoelectric fan?

bolek11 564 13
ADVERTISEMENT
Treść została przetłumaczona polish » english Zobacz oryginalną wersję tematu
Report a violation of the law
| New topic
  • #1 21400145
    bolek11
    Level 12  
    Posts: 167
    Rate: 17
    WITAM, I have a question whether it is possible to create a control of a thermoventilator in a room based on such a scheme: basic temperature set e.g. 18 °C, when no one is present, a person enters, the thermoventilator turns on and raises the temperature e.g. 2 - 3 °C more. When the person leaves the room, the temperature returns to 18 °C. I was thinking of using a motion sensor, a temperature sensor, a phone app, maybe a Tuya system, as there is a control panel in the building on this system. Please give me some solution.
  • ADVERTISEMENT
  • #2 21400151
    sosarek

    Level 43  
    Posts: 83875
    Help: 9318
    Rate: 15430
    bolek11 wrote:
    maybe on the tuya system as there is a control panel on this system in the building. Please give me a solution
    .
    You have suggested them yourself ;) .
    Company Account:
    Z
    Pka, Poznań, 60-850
    Helpful post? Buy me a coffee.
  • #3 21400173
    bolek11
    Level 12  
    Posts: 167
    Rate: 17
    I don't have that much experience of what to connect to what and what I would need to create such a control and that is why I wrote a request on the forum for help in putting together the necessary components . The inspiration for the idea was such a fan heater with a motion sensor .
  • ADVERTISEMENT
  • #4 21400181
    sosarek

    Level 43  
    Posts: 83875
    Help: 9318
    Rate: 15430
    There are a whole bunch of tutorials on the web on how to create a scene in Tuya, besides it would probably be cooler if a worker entered an already heated room.
    What's a thermo-fan?
    Company Account:
    Z
    Pka, Poznań, 60-850
    Helpful post? Buy me a coffee.
  • ADVERTISEMENT
  • #5 21400189
    vodiczka
    Level 43  
    Posts: 30167
    Help: 1183
    Rate: 4287
    The fan heater should be turned on to a higher temperature 15-30 min before the staff arrive and when they are not there, maintaining 16°C is sufficient. If you have fixed working hours, a timer control will suffice.
  • #6 21400228
    bolek11
    Level 12  
    Posts: 167
    Rate: 17
    Thermo fan 230v 2000w wall mounted . Room occupancy varies and the timer does not come into use.
  • ADVERTISEMENT
  • #7 21401362
    VPSA132
    Level 26  
    Posts: 726
    Help: 74
    Rate: 180
    Two motion sensors will be needed.
    Rules in tuya:
    1. turn on when motion appears on sensor #1 and there is no motion on #2 and keep it that way.
    2. turn off when movement is on #2 and there is no movement on #1.
    Sensor #1 will be inside the room and #2 behind the door, for example.
    Sensor locations to be determined experimentally. Any delays are the same.
    I have lighting firing done like this in one place. I have gone through several configurations and this one works best.
  • #8 21401458
    xury
    Automation specialist  
    Posts: 7071
    Help: 876
    Rate: 1486
    And what if there are, say, 10 people hanging around? Will it switch on and off every now and then?
    That's what human sensors are for, they detect "people" even when they don't move.
    And there are even some for tuya.
  • #9 21401513
    VPSA132
    Level 26  
    Posts: 726
    Help: 74
    Rate: 180
    xury wrote:
    And what if there are, say, 10 of these people hanging around?
    .
    You are right. However, we do not have data on this. The author has not written anything about it. It would be useful to specify whether the employees enter and leave in one group or as whoever wants.
  • #10 21401661
    bolek11
    Level 12  
    Posts: 167
    Rate: 17
    The room is visited about 5 times at 10 minutes each for 16 hours, and for this reason the pattern of operation of the fan heater which gave me food for thought was as follows: the temperature was set at e.g. 20 degrees when someone entered the room, the motion sensor raised the temperature by 2 degrees for about 10 minutes, when the person left during the 10 minutes, the fan heater returned to 20 degrees and kept it that way. I know this from the owner, who had such a fan heater, but it got worn out and he brought it back from Norway, and that is why I want to copy this cycle of heating with a fan heater in my case.
  • #11 21403066
    vodiczka
    Level 43  
    Posts: 30167
    Help: 1183
    Rate: 4287
    Raising the temperature because someone stays for 10 minutes and not much longer sounds like a joke to me, unless the room is a loo and the fan is blowing cool air from outside during that time.
  • #12 21403327
    bolek11
    Level 12  
    Posts: 167
    Rate: 17
    The time of the raised temperature lasted as long as the motion sensor saw the person, minimum 10 min (adjustable) to 20 min max.
  • #13 21404324
    vodiczka
    Level 43  
    Posts: 30167
    Help: 1183
    Rate: 4287
    and let him stay for 30 minutes, I thought you were writing about a room where people stay much longer and do sedentary work.
    For light work and work carried out in office premises, the temperature must not be lower than +18°C, the recommended temperature in winter is 20-23°C.
  • #14 21437204
    bolek11
    Level 12  
    Posts: 167
    Rate: 17
    I am closing the topic because some posts miss the question and do not contribute any hints to the solution of the topic.
| New topic
Report a violation of the law

Topic summary

✨ The discussion addresses automating the control of a 230V 2000W wall-mounted thermoelectric fan heater in a room with variable occupancy. The goal is to maintain a base temperature (e.g., 18°C) when unoccupied and increase it by 2-3°C upon detecting presence, reverting to the base temperature after occupants leave. The proposed solution involves integrating motion sensors and temperature sensors with a smart control system, such as Tuya, which supports scene creation and automation rules. Suggested configurations include using two motion sensors positioned inside the room and near the door to accurately detect entry and exit, preventing frequent on/off cycling. The system should allow adjustable delay timers (minimum 10 to 20 minutes) to maintain elevated temperature while presence is detected. The approach considers occupancy patterns of short visits (around 10 minutes, multiple times daily) and the need for temperature adjustments accordingly. Alternatives like timer-based control are less suitable due to irregular occupancy. The discussion also notes the availability of human presence sensors compatible with Tuya for more reliable detection. The solution aims to replicate a previously used fan heater with built-in motion sensing, now to be implemented via external sensors and smart automation.
Generated by the language model.
Today's popular

FAQ

TL;DR: Use Tuya scenes with two sensors to switch heat on entry and off on exit; "Two motion sensors will be needed." Add a timed comfort boost and a lower empty-room setpoint. [Elektroda, VPSA132, post #21401362]

Why it matters: This helps small facilities and offices keep occupants comfortable without manual switching or wasting energy.

Quick Facts

Whats the simplest way to automate a thermofan to heat up when someone enters?

Build two Tuya scenes driven by occupancy. Use one sensor inside and one just outside the door. On entry, turn heating on and start a hold timer. On exit, turn heating off and clear the timer. Keep a lower base setpoint when the room is empty. This logic avoids manual control and follows traffic direction reliably. [Elektroda, VPSA132, post #21401362]

How do I detect entry vs exit reliably with Tuya?

Place sensor #1 inside the room and sensor #2 outside the door. Scene A: if #1 detects motion and #2 does not, treat it as entry and enable heat. Scene B: if #2 detects motion and #1 does not, treat it as exit and disable heat. "Sensor locations to be determined experimentally. Any delays are the same." [Elektroda, VPSA132, post #21401362]

What hardware do I actually need for this build?

You need two Tuya-compatible motion sensors and a Tuya-controlled switch/plug/thermostat to drive the heater. Add a temperature sensor or thermostat if you want setpoint-based control rather than simple on/off. Use a Tuya hub if your sensors are Zigbee. This lets you create scenes that switch heating based on entry/exit patterns and time windows. [Elektroda, VPSA132, post #21401362]

How do I set a 103020 minute comfort boost in Tuya?

Use a scene that, on entry, turns heating on and starts a delay timer. Maintain heat while motion is seen, then revert to base after the delay. The referenced setup kept heat for "minimum 10 min (adjustable) to 20 min max." Tune the delay to match stay duration and comfort needs. [Elektroda, bolek11, post #21403327]

What if people stand stillwont PIR time out?

Use a human presence sensor instead of a basic PIR. Presence sensors detect micro-movements and occupancy even when people are seated or still. That keeps the heater on during quiet tasks and prevents nuisance shutoffs. As one expert noted, they detect "people" even when they don't move. [Elektroda, xury, post #21401458]

Does boosting for just 10 minutes make sense for comfort?

Short boosts raise air temperature near occupants and increase perceived warmth due to airflow. Whole-room temperature changes may be modest in 10 minutes. One responder cautioned that raising the setpoint for such a short stay "sounds like a joke" for room-wide heating. Consider directed airflow comfort plus a modest boost. [Elektroda, vodiczka, post #21403066]

Is a timer schedule enough if hours are fixed?

Yes. For fixed shifts, preheat before arrival and lower when empty. "The fan heater should be turned on to a higher temperature 1530 min before the staff arrive and when they are not there, maintaining 16B0C is sufficient." Use schedules, and add occupancy override if needed. [Elektroda, vodiczka, post #21400189]

What base temperature and boost delta should I use here?

The described scheme uses 18B0C as the base when empty. When someone enters, it raises the temperature by about +2 to +3B0C for a short, timed period. On exit, it returns to the 18B0C baseline. That balances comfort and energy use. [Elektroda, bolek11, post #21400145]

How much energy does a 10-minute boost add on a 2 kW heater?

A 2 kW heater running for 10 minutes consumes about 0.33 kWh. Multiply your number of boosts per day to estimate daily energy. This simple calculation helps quantify comfort versus cost and supports selecting the right delay time. [Elektroda, bolek11, post #21400228]

How do I switch a 2 kW heater safely with Tuya?

At 230 V and 2000 W, the current is about 8.7 A. Choose a Tuya switch or plug with a continuous current rating above that, suitable for resistive loads. If unsure, use a higher-rated device or control a dedicated contactor. Ensure wiring and mounting meet local electrical codes. [Elektroda, bolek11, post #21400228]

Where should I place the sensors to avoid false triggers?

Put one sensor inside the room, facing the occupied area. Place the second just outside the door, aimed at the approach path. Avoid direct line-of-sight to busy corridors or HVAC airflow that can cause false triggers. "Sensor locations to be determined experimentally." Test and adjust angles and delays. [Elektroda, VPSA132, post #21401362]

Will two-sensor logic break if groups enter and leave at once?

It can. Simultaneous motion on both sensors may confuse entry/exit logic. Add a short hold-off, or prioritize one direction to avoid rapid toggling. Clarify whether employees enter and leave together or individually. "It would be useful to specify whether the employees enter and leave in one group." [Elektroda, VPSA132, post #21401513]

What is a thermo-fan in this thread?

It is a wall-mounted, 230 V, 2000 W fan heater used to quickly warm a small room. The airflow provides immediate comfort, while automation manages when it runs. This is the load being switched by the Tuya scenes and sensors. [Elektroda, bolek11, post #21400228]
Generated by the language model.
ADVERTISEMENT