Company says uSense will allow users to monitor energy use and costs as part of focus on more efficient appliances
Baxi has announced the launch of its first smart control solution that will function with a number of the company’s combi boilers to improve the efficiency of its heating technology.
The uSense smart control can connect to a boiler via the OpenTherm standard to provide a number of functions for controlling heating remotely, according to the company.
The smart control is compatible with all its combi boilers that make use of the 230V switch live in a drive to provide more efficient technology in line with a growing focus on sustainable heating for homes and businesses.
“With its own downloadable app, the householder’s heating can be controlled by a smartphone or tablet, from anywhere,” said Baxi’s head of product management Jon Phillips.
“Users can even monitor their energy use and costs, so optimum money-saving settings can be calculated. It’s a real win-win for the installer and homeowner alike.”
Alongside releasing USense, the company has also announced the launch of a new combi boiler model that is intended to streamline the installation process for fitters.
The Baxi 600 has been designed to weigh under 30kg and has pipes behind facility in the casing of the boiler. Internal components have also been situated to ensure easier access, while a centre flue is included to improve ease of replacing older appliances, said Baxi.
“The 600 Combi is also small enough to fit into a cupboard for a discreet finish, and comes with new accessory, Easy-Fill, which allows consumers to easily repressurise their boiler themselves,” added the company in a statement. “Equally favourable for customers, the new boiler benefits from a seven-year warranty for extra peace of mind.”
Baxi’s announcement of the launch of the new model and smart control solution reflects a broader push from boiler manufacturers to integrate or offer smart controls with their products.
The Worcester, Bosch Group for instance has been working since 2014 on technology to allow users to better monitor and manage appliance performance. This includes use of built-in elements such as load and weather compensation that can ensure a device condenses as much as possible to lessen energy consumption.
The company said it was continuing to develop its Wave range of heating controls with updates that include ‘self-learning technology’ and smart watch compatibility to improve performance
