Climate is not heating even if temperature below target

[nicola-spreafico]

Hello,
I have 5 Sonoff TRV configured with 5 over_climate , for all of them I configured the direct valve control, open/close degree and the temperature offset.

This is the result, at the top you can see the VT, while in the second box the status of the TRV climate.

I'm having and hard time to understand how the basic functionality works (like all the events on temperature changes are instant or there is a periodic cron to update the values?). For example the temperature calibration does not seem to follow instantly the external temperature sensor but instead is updated periodically.

You can see from the image, for example, that the last one is in 1.1° below target and the status is not heating.
Also, what is the "heat" status compared to the heating?

Last question for now, sometimes, it does not occur often but in 2 weeks I already found this 4 times, some climate change status by themselves, like I'm getting a change on the target temperature (w/o touching the physical TRV) or else I found the climate set to "auto" instead of "heat" or even "off". Are those automatic changes expected due to some event?

Forgive me I'm making stupid question but I'm probably missing the general idea on how this works.
Thank you for the patience

[jmcollin78]

Hello,

To be more accurate on the answer I will need more informations.
Can you please give me the attrbutes on one VTherm (https://github.com/jmcollin78/versatile_thermostat/blob/main/documentation/en/reference.md#custom-attributes), a regulation curve like explained here,

and you think it is possible some screen copy when the issue occurs with the specific VTherm UI Card (https://github.com/jmcollin78/versatile-thermostat-ui-card). You will have native Vtherm feature in this card to see or interact with the thermostat.

Then I will explain some few things:

like all the events on temperature changes are instant or there is a periodic cron to update the values

VTherm reacts to event like temperature changes, preset changes and so on but have also an internal cycle (for which you have a configuration parameter in minutes). You also have some threshold parameter to avoid sending too much commands to the TRV and drawn the battery.

For example the temperature calibration does not seem to follow instantly the external temperature sensor but instead is updated periodically

The temperature calibration is send each time a new opening percent is send, so that all parameters are refreshed regularly. You can display a graph with calibration is you want to see this in action. This should be relativly stable. Mine is stable around -1.1°.

Also, what is the "heat" status compared to the heating?

This is more Home Assistant question. There is 2 importants concepts: hvac_mode and hvac_action which are independant and are the root cause of many misunderstanding.
hvac_mode is the mode in which you set the thermostat. For Sonoff TRVZB, you only have : heat or off. For reversible heat pump, you have cool (you want Air conditioning, heat, fan only, off, ...).
hvac_action is the current state of the thermostat. It could be heating or idle or cooling or whatever. For Sonoff TRVZB, only heating and idle are possible.

A thermostat can be in heating hvac_mode (you want it to heat) but idle because the setpoint is reach.
What you see in your screen is that:

1. all VT seems in hvac_mode heating (it will more clear with the VTherm UI Card),
2. only the fourth is havc_action heating.
   That is why you see heat (hvac_mode=heat and hvac_action=Idle) or heating (hvac_mode=heat and hvac_action=heating).

hvac_action is VTherm is set to heating when the opeing degree is > min degree (0 by default).
you can see on the fourth VT (heating) but the Sonoff climate is Idle.

I hope this helps.

[nicola-spreafico]

Hello and thank you for your answers, the whole configuration is starting to be clearer.

As an example I choose the second TRV, which is now like this:

I choose this in particular because the temperature is already above target, but somehow it's still in heating action, so my first doubt is how the hysteresis works compared to this integration. It seems that while is in heating action, the valve is open only at 1% so it is basically closed. Is it some kind of heat retention once the target temperature is reached?

Can you please give me the attrbutes on one VTherm (https://github.com/jmcollin78/versatile_thermostat/blob/main/documentation/en/reference.md#custom-attributes), a regulation curve like explained here,

These are the expected attributes of the VT related to the first image:

hvac_modes:
  - "off"
  - auto
  - heat
min_temp: 7
max_temp: 35
target_temp_step: 0.5
preset_modes:
  - none
  - frost
  - eco
  - comfort
  - boost
current_temperature: 19
temperature: 18.5
hvac_action: heating
preset_mode: none
is_on: true
hvac_mode: heat
type: null
is_controlled_by_central_mode: true
last_central_mode: Heat only
frost_temp: 7
eco_temp: 7
boost_temp: 7
comfort_temp: 7
frost_away_temp: 0
eco_away_temp: 0
boost_away_temp: 0
comfort_away_temp: 0
target_temperature_step: 0.5
ext_current_temperature: 9.5
ac_mode: false
saved_preset_mode: none
saved_target_temp: 7
saved_hvac_mode: heat
last_temperature_datetime: "2025-03-16T11:32:54.912729+01:00"
last_ext_temperature_datetime: "2025-03-16T11:53:44.247669+01:00"
minimal_activation_delay_sec: 10
minimal_deactivation_delay_sec: 0
total_energy: 43.16
last_update_datetime: "2025-03-16T11:53:44.249170+01:00"
timezone: Europe/Rome
temperature_unit: °C
is_device_active: true
device_actives:
  - number.casa_p1_camera2_radiatore_valvola_valve_opening_degree
nb_device_actives: 1
ema_temp: 19
is_used_by_central_boiler: false
temperature_slope: 0.01
hvac_off_reason: null
max_on_percent: null
have_valve_regulation: true
last_change_time_from_vtherm: "2025-03-16T11:53:02.506732+01:00"
presence_sensor_entity_id: null
presence_state: unavailable
is_presence_configured: false
power_sensor_entity_id: null
max_power_sensor_entity_id: null
overpowering_state: unavailable
is_power_configured: false
device_power: 1
power_temp: null
current_power: null
current_max_power: null
mean_cycle_power: 0.01
motion_sensor_entity_id: null
motion_state: unavailable
is_motion_configured: false
motion_delay_sec: 0
motion_off_delay_sec: 0
motion_preset: null
no_motion_preset: null
window_state: "off"
window_auto_state: unavailable
window_action: window_turn_off
is_window_bypass: false
window_sensor_entity_id: binary_sensor.casa_p1_camera2_finestre_contatto_contact
window_delay_sec: 30
window_off_delay_sec: 30
is_window_configured: true
is_window_auto_configured: false
window_auto_open_threshold: 3
window_auto_close_threshold: 0
window_auto_max_duration: 30
is_safety_configured: true
safety_state: "off"
safety_delay_min: 60
safety_min_on_percent: 0.5
safety_default_on_percent: 0.1
is_auto_start_stop_configured: false
is_over_climate: true
start_hvac_action_date: null
underlying_entities:
  - climate.casa_p1_camera2_radiatore_valvola
is_regulated: true
regulated_target_temperature: null
auto_regulation_mode: auto_regulation_valve
regulation_accumulated_error: 0
auto_fan_mode: auto_fan_high
current_auto_fan_mode: auto_fan_high
auto_activated_fan_mode: null
auto_deactivated_fan_mode: null
auto_regulation_use_device_temp: false
follow_underlying_temp_change: true
friendly_name: casa_p1_camera2_termostato
supported_features: 401
underlyings_valve_regulation:
  - - number.casa_p1_camera2_radiatore_valvola_valve_opening_degree
    - number.casa_p1_camera2_radiatore_valvola_valve_closing_degree
    - number.casa_p1_camera2_radiatore_valvola_local_temperature_calibration
on_percent: 0.01
power_percent: 1
on_time_sec: 0
off_time_sec: 300
cycle_min: 5
function: tpi
tpi_coef_int: 0.9
tpi_coef_ext: 0.05
min_opening_degrees: ""
valve_open_percent: 1
auto_regulation_dpercent: 0.5
auto_regulation_period_min: 5
last_calculation_timestamp: "2025-03-16T11:53:44.248796+01:00"

and you think it is possible some screen copy when the issue occurs with the specific VTherm UI Card (https://github.com/jmcollin78/versatile-thermostat-ui-card). You will have native Vtherm feature in this card to see or interact with the thermostat.

Here is the card for the same VT. Few minutes have passed by since the last screenshot, now it is now in heating anymore but it is in heat

VTherm reacts to event like temperature changes, preset changes and so on but have also an internal cycle (for which you have a configuration parameter in minutes). You also have some threshold parameter to avoid sending too much commands to the TRV and drawn the battery.

Ok this is clear, there is an internal cycle to update the value every x minutes

A thermostat can be in heating hvac_mode (you want it to heat) but idle because the setpoint is reach.

Maybe I'm making confusion because previously I had a Netatmo thermostat, once the target temperature was reached the new value was "Idle" instead of "Heat"

[jmcollin78]

Hello,

I see some points:

• you have a very high value for coef_int and coef_ext. To be able to tune the coefs I will need the regulation curves as described here: https://github.com/jmcollin78/versatile_thermostat/blob/main/documentation/en/additions.md#regulation-curves-with-plotly-to-fine-tune-your-thermostat . With those values, the valve_open_percent will operate like a switch fully open / fully closed with is mostly not expected. In my opinion you should set it to the default values: 0.6 and 0.01.
• in the VTherm UI Card, you should remove the Auto hvac_mode. This is not supported by VTherm,
• the auto_regulation_dpercent: 0.5 is wrong. For valve it is exprimed in percent. You should set it to 5.

With those parameters you should have something better. Send me the regulation curves if it is still not the case.

[nicola-spreafico]

Thank you again,
I'm not sure how to read that graphic, but if you say that is perfect in terms of configuration, I trust you 😅.

Right now we are not in deep winter so the heat system is not struggling to keep the house in temperature, while during like december/january it basically stays on h24 just to maintain the temperature. With a decrease of external temperature I may need to adjust those parameters or because the formula already keep track of the external temperature I'm already fine for all the winter period?

These are the other rooms I finished configuring, are you seeing any major difference that may require different TPI coefficient instead of using the main one?

Please don't mind about the number 5 as I forgot to include the recorder and I don't have data to display

Thanks

[jmcollin78]

I'm not sure how to read that graphic, but if you say that is perfect in terms of configuration, I trust you 😅.

What is important, is to have a stable temperature, no oscillation and a percent in stable situation around 0.2 or 0.3. This is exactly hat I see with 0.1 oscillation around the target which is very good.

[nicola-spreafico]

Can I kindly ask you some tips and tricks on how to read those graphics?
I take this graphic as example:

On the Top I can see the metrics:

• Target/Current temp, ok, basic data when handling temperatures
• EMA not sure what this is
• On percent is when valve is open (anche when open, by which percentage from 0 to 100), so it's providing heat
• Slope should be the drop or increase of temperature by the unit of time, °C/hour in this case

Because the metrics are overlapping with different metrics I need some clarifications

On the Left i can see 2 scales:

• 20/20.2/20.4 is the temperature that is reference for the Target Temp and current Temp, those are 2 basics temperature.
• The other scale 0/0.5/1 referes to the valve percentage open, being a percentage goes from 0 to 1, I should never see values outside 0/1
  The bottom scale is the temporal one
  On the right the scale I can see the "°C/hour" scale, so I guess this is the slope, how the temperature goes up or down as the time pass.

The Target/Current temp are displayed as lines, simply tracing the changes in temperature
The On percent is set a area, the more the red area is high, the more the valve is open in percent
The Slope is also an area and I guess represents how the temperature goes up when heating or how goes down when idle.

Does this make sense to you?
Thank you

[jmcollin78]

Exactly !
What you need to see:

• is that the current_temp (orange) is around the target temp (blue),
• when on_percent is > 0 it is heating,
• on stable situation (target don't change), on_percent is below 20 or 30% (on normally isolated room) and the temps don't oscillate.

So your graph is very good before 18:00: +/-0.1° oscillations, on_pecent < 20% (don't know exaclty).

At 18:30 there is something curious: the temp increase but not the on_percent. So another heat source have been turned on.

[nicola-spreafico]

This is the bathroom where there is a clothes dryer, being a very small bathroom it take very little to increase the temperature

[jmcollin78]

This one is curious:

It is open à 100% but the room temp doesn't increase.

The others are very stable. You will save money I guess !

[nicola-spreafico]

This is the room where the entrance door to the house is, the other day I accidentally forgot the door open so the TRV stayed on heat on while the heat went out to the outside. 😅 I haven't finished configuring the window/door sensor so that the TRV automatically goes off when the door is open. Consider this particular case as false positive.

[jmcollin78]

It was heating but temperature is now going down. I think you have a misconfiguration for this VTherm.

[nicola-spreafico]

These are the last few hours, seems to be normalized now, is it not?

[jmcollin78]

See above. Exactly the same comments.