Release Notes

New

Release 8.4

  1. added auto TPI (experimental). This new feature allows automatically calculating the best coefficients for the TPI algorithm. More information here
  2. added a temperature synchronization function for a device controlled in over_climate mode. Depending on your device's capabilities, VTherm can control an offset calibration entity or directly an external temperature entity. More information here,
  3. added a feature named "timed preset" which aims to select a preset for a certain duration and come back to the previous preset after the expiration of the delay. The new feature is totally described here.

Release 8.3

  1. Addition of a configurable delay before activating the central boiler.
  2. Addition of a trigger for the central boiler when the total activated power exceeds a threshold. To make this feature work you must:
    • Configure the power threshold that will trigger the boiler. This is a new entity available in the central configuration device.
    • Configure the power values of the VTherms. This can be found on the first configuration page of each VTherm.
    • Check the Used by central boiler box.

Each time a VTherm is activated, its configured power is added to the total and, if the threshold is exceeded, the central boiler will be activated after the delay configured in item 1.

The previous counter for the number of activated devices and its threshold still exist. To disable one of the thresholds (the power threshold or the activated-devices count threshold), set it to zero. As soon as either of the two non-zero thresholds is exceeded, the boiler is activated. Therefore a logical "or" is applied between the two thresholds.

Release 8.2

Added a feature to lock / unlock a VTherm with an optional code. More information here

Release 8.1

  • For over_climate with regulation by direct valve control, two new parameters are added to the existing minimum_opening_degrees. The parameters are now the following:
    • opening_threshold: the valve opening value under which the valve should be considered as closed (and then 'max_closing_degree' will apply),
    • max_closing_degree: the closing degree maximum value. The valve will never be closed above this value. Set it to 100 to fully close the valve when no heating is needed,
    • minimum_opening_degrees: the opening degree minimum value for each underlying device when ``opening_threshold` is exceeded, comma separated. Default to 0. Example: 20, 25, 30. When the heating starts, the valve will start opening with this value and will continuously increase as long as more heating is needed.

alt text More informations can be found the discussion thread about this here: https://github.com/jmcollin78/versatile_thermostat/issues/1220

Release 8.0

This is a major release. It rewrites a significant part of the internal mechanisms of Versatile Thermostat by introducing several new features:

  1. requested state / current state: VTherm now has 2 states. The requested state is the state requested by the user (or Scheduler). The current state is the state currently applied to the VTherm. The latter depends on the different VTherm functions. For example, the user can request (requested state) to have heating on with Comfort preset but since the window has been detected open, the VTherm is actually off. This dual management always preserves the user's request and applies the result of the different functions on this user request to get the current state. This better handles cases where multiple functions want to act on the VTherm state (window opening and power shedding for example). It also ensures a return to the user's initial request when no detection is in progress anymore,
  2. time filtering: the time filtering operation has been revised. Time filtering prevents sending too many commands to a controlled equipment to avoid consuming too much battery (battery-powered TRV for example), changing setpoints too frequently (heat pump, pellet stove, underfloor heating, ...). The new operation is now as follows: explicit user (or Scheduler) requests are always immediately taken into account. They are not filtered. Only changes related to external conditions (room temperature for example) are potentially filtered. Filtering consists of resending the desired command later and not ignoring the command as was previously the case. The auto_regulation_dtemp parameter allows adjusting the delay,
  3. hvac_action improvement: the hvac_action reflects the current activation state of the controlled equipment. For an over_switch type it reflects the switch activation state, for an over_valve or valve regulation, it is active when the valve opening is greater than the minimum valve opening (or 0 if not configured), for an over_climate it reflects the underlying climate's hvac_action if available or a simulation otherwise.
  4. custom attributes: the organization of custom attributes accessible in Developer Tools / States has been reorganized into sections depending on the VTherm type and each activated function. More information here.
  5. power shedding: the power shedding algorithm now takes into account equipment shutdown between two measurements of home power consumption. Suppose you have power consumption feedback every 5 minutes. If a radiator is turned off between 2 measurements then turning on a new one may be authorized. Before, only turn-ons were taken into account between 2 measurements. As before, the next power consumption feedback will possibly shed more or less.
  6. auto-start/stop: auto-start/stop is only useful for over_climate type VTherm without direct valve control. The option has been removed for other VTherm types.
  7. VTherm UI Card: all these modifications allowed a major evolution of the VTherm UI Card to integrate messages explaining the current state (why does my VTherm have this target temperature?) and if time filtering is in progress - so the underlying state update has been delayed.
  8. log improvements: logs have been improved to simplify debugging. Logs in the form --------------------> NEW EVENT: VersatileThermostat-Inversed ... inform of an event impacting the VTherm state.

⚠️ Warning

This major release includes breaking changes from the previous version:

  • versatile_thermostat_security_event has been renamed to versatile_thermostat_safety_event. If your automations use this event, you must update them,
  • custom attributes have been reorganized. You must update your automations or Jinja templates that use them,
  • the VTherm UI Card must be updated to at least V2.0 to be compatible,

Despite the 342 automated tests of this integration and the care taken with this major release, I cannot guarantee that its installation will not disrupt your VTherms' states. For each VTherm you must check the preset, hvac_mode and possibly the VTherm setpoint temperature after installation.

  • Release 7.4:
  • Added thresholds to enable or disable the TPI algorithm when the temperature exceeds the setpoint. This prevents the heater from turning on/off for short periods. Ideal for wood stoves that take a long time to heat up. See TPI,
  • Added a sleep mode for VTherms of type over_climate with regulation by direct valve control. This mode allows you to set the thermostat to off mode but with the valve 100% open. It is useful for long periods without heating if the boiler circulates water from time to time. Note: you must update the VTHerm UI Card to view this new mode. See VTherm UI Card.
  • Release 7.2:
  • Native support for devices controlled via a select (or input_select) or climate entity for VTherm of type over_switch. This update makes the creation of virtual switches obsolete for integrating Nodon, Heaty, eCosy, etc. More information here.
  • Documentation links: Version 7.2 introduces experimental links to the documentation from the configuration pages. The link is accessible via the icon ?. This feature is currently tested on some configuration pages.

  • Release 7.1:

    • Redesign of the load-shedding function (power management). Load-shedding is now handled centrally (previously, each VTherm was autonomous). This allows for much more efficient management and prioritization of load-shedding on devices that are close to the setpoint. Note that you must have a centralized configuration with power management enabled for this to work. More info here.

  • Release 6.8:

    • Added a new regulation method for over_climate type Versatile Thermostats. This method, called 'Direct Valve Control', allows direct control of a TRV valve and possibly an offset to calibrate the internal thermometer of your TRV. This new method has been tested with Sonoff TRVZB and extended to other TRV types where the valve can be directly controlled via number entities. More information here and here.

Release 6.5 :

  • Added a new feature for the automatic stop and restart of a VTherm over_climate 585
  • Improved handling of openings on startup. Allows to memorize and recalculate the state of an opening on Home Assistant restart 504

Release 6.0 :

  • Added number domain entities to configure preset temperatures 354
  • Complete redesign of the configuration menu to remove temperatures and use a menu instead of a configuration tunnel 354

Release 5.4 :

  • Added temperature step #311,
  • Added regulation thresholds for over_valve to prevent excessive battery drain for TRVs #338,
  • Added an option to use the internal temperature of a TRV to force auto-regulation #348,
  • Added a keep-alive function for over_switch VTherms #345
<details> <summary>Older releases</summary>
  • Release 5.3 : Added a function to control a central boiler #234 - more info here: Central Boiler Control. Added the ability to disable security mode for the external thermometer #343
  • Release 5.2 : Added a central_mode to control all VTherms centrally #158.
  • Release 5.1 : Limitation of values sent to valves and to the underlying climate temperature.
  • Release 5.0 : Added central configuration to combine configurable attributes #239.
  • Release 4.3 : Added an auto-fan mode for over_climate type to activate ventilation if temperature difference is large #223.
  • Release 4.2 : The temperature curve slope is now calculated in °/hour instead of °/min #242. Fixed automatic opening detection by adding temperature curve smoothing.
  • Release 4.1 : Added an Expert regulation mode where users can specify their own auto-regulation parameters instead of using pre-programmed ones #194.
  • Release 4.0 : Added support for Versatile Thermostat UI Card. See Versatile Thermostat UI Card. Added a Slow regulation mode for slow-latency heating devices #168. Changed how power is calculated for VTherms with multi-underlying equipment #146. Added support for AC and Heat for VTherms via a switch #144
  • Release 3.8: Added an auto-regulation function for over_climate thermostats regulated by the underlying climate. See Auto-regulation and #129. Added the ability to invert control for over_switch thermostats to address installations with pilot wire and diode #124.
  • Release 3.7: Added the over_valve Versatile Thermostat type to control a TRV valve directly or any other dimmer type equipment for heating. Regulation is done directly by adjusting the percentage of opening of the underlying entity: 0 means the valve is off, 100 means the valve is fully open. See #131. Added a bypass function for opening detection #138. Added Slovak language support.
  • Release 3.6: Added the motion_off_delay parameter to improve motion detection handling #116, #128. Added AC mode (air conditioning) for over_switch VTherm. Prepared the GitHub project to facilitate contributions #127
  • Release 3.5: Multiple thermostats possible in "thermostat over climate" mode #113
  • Release 3.4: Bug fix and exposure of preset temperatures for AC mode #103
  • Release 3.3: Added Air Conditioning (AC) mode. This function allows you to use the AC mode of your underlying thermostat. To use it, you must check the "Use AC Mode" option and define temperature values for presets and away presets.
  • Release 3.2 : Added the ability to control multiple switches from the same thermostat. In this mode, switches are triggered with a delay to minimize the power required at any given time (minimizing overlap periods). See Configuration
  • Release 3.1 : Added window/door open detection by temperature drop. This new feature automatically stops a radiator when the temperature drops suddenly. See Auto Mode
  • Major Release 3.0 : Added thermostat equipment and associated sensors (binary and non-binary). Much closer to the Home Assistant philosophy, you now have direct access to the energy consumed by the radiator controlled by the thermostat and many other sensors useful for your automations and dashboards.
  • Release 2.3 : Added measurement of power and energy for the radiator controlled by the thermostat.
  • Release 2.2 : Added a safety function to prevent leaving a radiator heating indefinitely in case of thermometer failure.
  • Major Release 2.0 : Added the "over climate" thermostat allowing any thermostat to be transformed into a Versatile Thermostat and gain all its functionalities.
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Tip Notes

Complete release notes are available on the GitHub of the integration.