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Internet Connected Boilers: Any Interest or Experience?

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Chris_L
Chris_L Member Posts: 336
I've been doing some research into approaches for connecting residential boilers to the internet for the purposes of monitoring operating conditions and communicating possible problems before they result in a complete shutdown.

While some new boilers (and furnaces) have this capability, I am looking for feedback on devices that could be retrofitted to existing installations. Honeywell, for example, used to market its EnviraLINK, system for this purpose, but no longer does so. Emerson currently sells a system called ComfortGuard.

Does anyone have any experience with either of these systems (or others) or any thoughts on them? Would it be useful for pros to have a system that could, at a minimum, send them the diagnostic information from from a boiler's control board before they made a service call? Would it be of any interest to homeowners to be able to receive alerts on their phone or by email of maintenance issues or impending problems?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have.
CLamb

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  • JohnNY
    JohnNY Member Posts: 3,231
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    I use the Lochinvar ConXus system and I like it a lot. It gives me full functionality from my phone as if I were standing in front of the boiler. It's not a retrofit device for a lot of boilers though as it only works on newer Lochinvar products.
    Aside from that, I've been installing Heat-Timer MPC products with optional BACnet communication with great success. It's a system and boiler/valve monitoring device but it doesn't allow for remote boiler logic manipulation.
    Contact John "JohnNY" Cataneo, NYC Master Plumber, Lic 1784
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  • Chris_L
    Chris_L Member Posts: 336
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    @JohnNY, thanks for the feedback.

    I wasn't familiar with the Heat-Timer MPC products. Based the quick look I took, I assume they are used primarily for commercial and multi-unit residential appiications, rather than single-family homes.

    I haven't seen much connectivity for the latter unless it is built into new equipment like the Lochinvar.