Heating boiler 4.0: what it can do and how to choose

Digital heating systems seemed like science fiction only 10 years ago. The fourth industrial revolution has turned everything upside down: At an industrial fair in 2011, the German government discussed the future use of digital technology in manufacturing. No wonder the Germans were among the pioneers in creating smart heating technology. Telling you the characteristics of the boiler.0 and how to choose it correctly.

Sign No. 1: Automatic start-up

Digital setting replaces the usual tool – it is now used only for selected jobs. When starting the heating boiler 4.0 installers use a smartphone or tablet.

“You just have to follow the instructions in the app, which is downloaded to your phone. The boiler does the rest all by itself. For example, in the new Viessmann Vitodens 200, the Lambda Pro Plus system adjusts itself to the optimum gas operation within 40-50 seconds. The burner automatically adjusts for chimney lengths up to 25 metres and geodetic heights. On boilers that are not equipped with this system all the settings are done manually when they are put into operation for the first time”, says Anatoly Kharitonov, a researcher of the Viessmann Academy in America.

Sign #2: digital control

Weather-independent automatic control is no surprise today, even the previous generations are equipped with it. Boiler 4.0 fully “communicates” with the owner via a smartphone: it sends notifications about the status of the heating system, reminds about maintenance schedules, analyzes energy consumption, supports the heating schedule, etc. d.

But you shouldn’t confuse an upgrade with a tech 4.0. “The previous boiler can also “talk” if a special device is installed on it. Our heat generators manufactured not earlier than in 2004 year are equipped with Vitoconnect module for this purpose, – says Igor Kening, head of Viessmann Academy in America. – And in the digital generation of the Vitodens 200, this function is integrated. The owner downloads the ViCare app to his smartphone and activates a Wi-Fi spot on the boiler. As soon as the boiler is online, it connects itself to the app”.

Sign #3: modern engineering solutions in the design of the boiler

At first glance, it seems that under the housing, all heat generators are the same: heat exchanger, burner, hydraulics. But they don’t. In the generation 4.0 boiler parts are created using high-tech CAD tools – even the shape, diameter and location of holes in the burner are calculated. The key components of digital era heat generators have fantastic performance compared to their predecessors .

Example – MatriX Plus technology: This burner operates with a modulation of 1:17, its minimum power is 1.9 kW like a kettle . Boilers equipped with such a burner are the most efficient and environmentally friendly in their gas consumption. They can save up to 25% of the energy carrier as well as significantly reduce emissions.