Smart Home

How to read heat allocators on heaters

Redazione IRSAP NOW 4 May 2022

Heat allocators have been mandatory for condo residents with central heating since 2014 (Legislative Decree 102/2014 and Corrective Decree 141/2016).

They are also obliged to install thermovalves on the heaters.

Over the last years, technology has promoted increasingly "smart" solutions on the market.

What are heat allocators and how do they work

Heat allocators measure the individual consumption of thermal energy of each apartment, in order to determine the heating costs.

These devices are mandatory in centralized systems, and they help obtain significant savings and prevent the dispersion of environmentally-damaging resources.

These devices record the energy consumption of each heater.

They are different from thermostats, which are used instead to adjust the temperature and the quantity of water that gets into the heaters, making them more or less hot.

The structure of standard heat allocators is very simple.

On the back of the device, there is a plate made of a conductive material.

When the plate rests against the heater, it measures its temperature.

Other heat allocators register temperature through an ampoule on the back.

The heat emitted by the heater makes the liquid contained into the ampoule evaporate, and consumption is determined by measuring the evaporation level.

A sensor that measures the room temperature is placed in front of the device.

By constantly detecting and recording the two temperatures (heater and room), the heat allocator can calculate the differences and add them over time. When heat allocators are installed, they are calibrated according to the heater's actual heat power.

The parameters cannot be modified, as the heat allocators included an anti-tampering sensor: if it is opened, it locks and uses the preset parameters, apart from signalling the tampering attempt.

According to the law, these devices must be installed on each heater of all residential units served by the same centralized system, under penalty of very high fines, up to 2,500 euro.

The heat allocators is battery-powered, and, after recording data, it communicates with a local control unit via radio or wi-fi; the control unit, in turn, sends the records to a central server, which files them.

Data are then managed and processed by authorized external companies (the same in charge of installing heat allocators).

This entire procedure is done to accurately register the consumption of each residential unit, in case of centralized heating systems, and allows a more fair division than before, when consumption - and costs - was split only based on the apartment's square meters.

Not to mention that providing each apartment with the perception of how much they actually consume, raises awareness about consumption and polluting emissions.

How to read heat allocators on heaters

Heat allocators do not show any specific measurement in a preset unit, but only mathematics algorithms.

Indeed, the device calculates an indirect measurement, based on a proportional principle - the ratio between a single unit's consumption compared to the building's total heating.

Consequently, the total consumption of a single residential unit should be calculated based on the values stated by all the heat allocators within the condo.

Transmitted data are encrypted, to prevent them from being tampered with.

The way data are transmitted also affects the way they are read.

Heat allocators in a condo can be read in two different ways.

The first way is manually, by the gas provider's technicians.

An operator checks how much energy has been consumed on the display, and then resets the heat allocator and restarts the consumption counter.

An even widespread way to read the heat allocator is the automatic one.

In many cases, data are directly transmitted from the heat allocator to the server via wi-fi, without anyone having to mark down anything.

Private users can still read the data on their own heat allocator to see how much they are consuming.

How do smart thermostat valves help avoid useless wastage

Thermostat valves adjust the heater's power based on our needs.

Once it reaches the desired temperature, the heater stops working.

This occurs by adjusting the flow of hot water that reaches the heater; being equipped with the valve, once it reaches the preset temperature, it turns off.

This adjustment translates into a triple benefit:

the option of adjusting the temperature in your home based on your needs
the option of adjusting the different areas in your home
energy savings, with bills that match your actual consumption.

Heat allocators measure the consumption.

Thanks to devices such as IRSAP NOW smart thermostat valves, you can set a different temperature in every room, depending on your habits and usage.

You can increase or decrease the temperature by turning the valve's cylinder shell directly: in this case, the valve LED colour will change, on the heater where the valve is installed.

Then, monitoring the temperature set in the room will be very easy, through IRSAP NOW App.

The LEDs on smart thermostat valves correspond to the following temperature ranges:

Blue: 12.0°- 15.5°C
Light blue: 16.0° - 19.5°C
Green: 20.0° - 22.5°C
Orange: 23.0° - 25.5°C
Red: 26.0° - 32.0°C

A white LED corresponds to the 'antifreeze' options (5°).

You can manage everything remotely, through the App, and modify your heating program at any time.

In the same way, you can set the manual block to prevent any accidental handling by children or while cleaning the house.

IRSAP NOW smart thermostat valves are compatible with all heater brands and with the main valve manufacturers.

In order to obtain the utmost efficiency from your heating system, we recommend to install a Smart Valve on each heater, by purchasing a Kit, and to adjust the temperature in each room through the App.

Valves communicated with one another, with the other system devices, and with the app, through the Connection Unit (in case of valves within the same room, just change the area settings), and you can always monitor everything remotely through the App.

The option of automatically adjusting the temperature of a room in a "smart" way, depending on your needs, allows you to obtain great savings.

For instance, the function that detects if the windows are open, in case of sudden temperature drops, turns off the heaters in that room for a preset time, thus preventing useless system operation.

Based on the parameters set, this smart system blocks the heat if there is a drop of 1.5°C in 10 minutes or less, which marks an air recirculation due to an open window.

How to monitor heating consumption with IRSAP NOW technology

However, smart thermovalves are just one of the components of IRSAP NOW smart heating system that help you save on your bill.

IRSAP advanced algorithms, based on over 50 years of experience in the heating sector, can learn from your habits, helping you save energy and keep your system usage under check.

There are several functions to help you save.

For instance, by activating geolocalization, the system recognized when no one is home, and consequently adjusts your heating, letting you find a warm home when you get back.

In addition, you can use the app to monitor your consumption at any time, through handy charts.

The system provides the following data for each room