@tomasmcguinness

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  • Avoid Outdoor Temperature Sensor Mistakes: My Own Experiences

    This came as a surprise to me. My kitchen extract fan and my bathroom extractor fan have been interfering with my outdoor temperature sensor! I’m using an Ecowitt Temperature sensor (https://amzn.to/4i2dNCf) mounted on an enclosure (https://amzn.to/4fH2yxy). I don’t have the waterproof version of the sensor, which is also available. I was running an experiment on…

  • Adventures in low temperature heating

    In this video, I give a brief explanation of that low temperature heating is and how I’m able to heat my 1950s home with radiators at between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius! If you’re interested in getting more performance from your boiler or want to better understand how low temps can really heat your home…

  • A brief update on my radiator sensors

    As we’re now (almost) back into the heating season here in the UK, I thought it would be worth posting a brief update on my radiator sensors project! The aim of this project is to develop a set of sensors that connect to the flow and return pipes of a radiator (the tails) for the…

  • How I stopped my Zappi from draining my battery (2nd edition)

    In this video, I break down the role that CT clamps play when it comes to EV chargers and Solar Inverters.

  • My DIY Air Source Heat Pump Installation Journey

    In February of 2024, I decided I was going to have a go at installing my own Air Source Heat Pump. To give me the best possible chance at doing a quality install, I’m going to go very slowly and do all the assessments and blocks of research in a sequence. I will document the…

  • Finding and fixing an issue with a 2-port zone value, which caused my boiler to fire erratically!

  • The importance of boiler sizing!

    In my last video, I poke a little fun at my oversized boiler before diving into the importance of sizing your boiler correctly!

  • High CO2 Levels at Home

    In this video, I discuss the discovery of high CO2 levels in my house at night and how I’m wondering if they are impacting our sleep quality.

  • Installing a Home Assistant Control Panel in my kitchen

  • Some lessons learned from a new heating system

    If you’re planning to upgrade your boiler or heating system, I would like you to read this post. I learned some valuable lessons since having a new heating systems installed in March 2021. I want to tell you what those lessons were. They might help you get better performance our of your new system! New…

  • A quick look at the Android tablet I’m going to use with Home Assistant

    In my latest YouTube video, I unbox an Android powered point-of-sale screen that I’m planning to use as a Home Assistant control panel. I’ve been running Home Assistant for a few years now, but something I always wanted to add was a control panel. This was always going to be an iPad or Android tablet.…

  • Wrong ribbon?

    My plan to use the Eddi relay board to interface it with my Mixergy tank has had its first setback. The ribbon cable is the wrong size!! I’m waiting on a replacement from Myenergi!