How to Connect Control 4 Thermostat to Almost Any VRF HVAC?
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How to connect Control 4 Thermostat to almost any VRF HVAC? Get Daikin, Mitsubishi, LG, and Others Under Control Searching for HVAC integration solutions makes you probably wonder about the HVAC system as a whole. Not just where to connect the wires. After all, when you are trying to connect a Control4 Thermostat to a non-conventional HVAC, with VRF systems such as Daikin, Mitsubishi, LG, Samsung, Fujitsu, Gree VRF, you might feel confused. Typical Control4 Thermostat Connectivity Let’s look at a typical HVAC control case. You have the Control4 thermostat that you would naturally connect as follows: Control4 Central Control4 Conventional Controler Thermostat HVAC 1 Five wire thermostats So, to skip the in-depth technical explanation If you wish to dive a tiny bit deeper: a that is already obvious to our US readers, a thermostat dictates an on/off command to thermostat is an inherent part of the Unitary the relay it is connected to on the HVAC. HVAC system, which needs a control = brain Let’s say you need to cool down a hot = logical part to make the system reach and San Diego apartment to a comfortable 72 keep a set point temperature. degrees Fahrenheit. You turn on your AC in “Cool” mode and fix your set point to 72 The traditional thermostat is the decision degrees. maker of the system, a brain, engaging with the Air Conditioning using the well-known The HVAC system keeps cooling until 5-wire: a thermostat senses 72 (or a bit below) degrees Fahrenheit. Once the room - Cool (Y) temperature reading is 72, the thermostat - Heat (W) switches the HVAC unit’s cooling relay OFF, - Fan (G) using the Cool (Y) wire. The other 2 wires are meant to power the A thermostat is the brain of the system, thermostat itself. operating on a principle of: “I shut you off once you finish doing your job!” Pretty simple. And that’s how we like it: ON OFF 2 Two or three wire Thermostats However, once you try to connect that Fahrenheit) to the VRF indoor unit. That Control4 thermostat to a VRF system by unit then translates the request into an Daikin, Mitsubishi, or LG (and others for that engineering demand and sets the unit to matter), the problems begin. This is the point operate and deliver the desired climate at which you start wondering what to do conditions. Think of this process much like about the missing wires of the HVAC indoor the Control4 central controller, managing all unit. the devices you have installed. Your Home Automation system components and devices You see, we are all used to seeing that are communicating with each other using a control panel as a thermostat, the brain of network. the system. However, what the 2 or 3-wire thermostat is in fact not a thermostat at all. The HVAC manufacturers apply proprietary It is a Wired Remote Controller (WRC) that networks and closed communication communicates with the VRF indoor unit, for external access, using brand specific using a communication protocol. protocols. So, if you have a Daikin VRF or an LG, those two systems run the data on The WRC that comes along with a VRF is entirely different networks, using completely essentially a control panel. It delivers users’ different protocols. climate requirements (Cool to 72 degrees How to make the VRF HVAC work Connect the Control4 central with Control4 Thermostat? controller to the VRF HVAC using CoolMasterNet So, the question remains, how to make a Control4 Thermostat to work with a highly It’s a good idea for two reasons: sophisticated Daikin VRV? First – you get a bi-directional communication The answer is simple. You don’t. between the Control4 system and the VRF HVAC, with zero latency. You have achieved It’s like trying to make a digital I/O work with a your initial goal of controlling the HVAC! communication bus. Second – you can still have Control4 However, hold on before you close the Thermostat on the wall and keep your browser and secretly curse the star we were customers’ habits of controlling the HVAC born under, we have a better solution. with a wall mounted control panel. Just add a CoolAutomation gateway, that allows the commands to get from the controller to the HVAC (and a response back). 3 Like this: Now connect Control4 thermostat to the system like this: Connecting Control4 Thermostat this way In conclusion is most beneficial to your user. We are If you are trying to control an advanced HVAC all creatures of habits, and many of your system, particularly those with high growth customers still expect a wall mounted control market penetration, such as Daikin VRV or device. other VRF brands, using 5- wire thermostat remember this: In this case, the device is connected to the - central controller, and not directly to the A 5-wire thermostat will not work with a HVAC. So, your thermostat is operating non-conventional HVAC, such as Daikin, through two intermediate devices that allow Mitsubishi, LG, and other VRF systems. translating and connecting two distinct - systems. Instead, use a CoolMasterNet gateway that connects the Control4 central controller, directly to the HVAC system. - Use a Control4 thermostat, connecting it to the central controller, not to the HVAC. Wondering if we can help? Worry not and drop us a line to: [email protected]. 4.