Vericon Systems has launched BCM:Connect, an intelligent universal device which monitors a boiler’s health and status in real time and predicts when it might fail to allow preventative maintenance.
Targeted at housing providers and those with responsibility for tenants’ welfare, the device records and sends intelligent performance data to the cloud or an internal management system, such as Vericon’s VS:Connect portal, where it can be interrogated and analysed to predict and identify common failures such as low pressure, loss of gas and even a frozen condensate pipe. Through integration with external sensors, the device can also report environmental concerns such as damp and mould.
Utilising a sophisticated, anonymised community learning system, as the amount of data collected and interrogated increases, for example from multiple clients, the machine learning algorithms within VS:Connect highlight correlations between boiler sensor fluctuations and potential faults. These correlations can then be flagged by the system, allowing resources to be proactively scheduled or in the event of a failure, a far greater likelihood of a first-time fix being achieved.
BCM:Connect enables the boiler to be tested and managed remotely, without the cost of an engineer attending on-site. Boilers can also be deactivated and reset remotely, and there is also the ability to remotely alter the heating temperature and domestic hot water temperature.
The cellular device can be fitted within 10 minutes and is simply mounted adjacent to the boiler so not affecting any boiler warranties or safety qualifications. It connects in the same way as a traditional smart thermostat, without any dependence on an occupant’s wi-fi network.
Bernard Cook, managing director, Vericon Systems, said, “Making sure boilers are working efficiently and at optimum capacity, along with predicting when they may fail, can be a real challenge.
“Interfacing directly with the boiler’s control bus allows our devices to perform a range of actions not possible with a read-only smart thermostat. Preventative maintenance programmes can be put in place that not only save money in the long term, but also ensure that legal and regulatory compliance is consistently maintained.”
