Installation advise
A. Adapter vs batteries
From Plugwise site; note behaviour of the device (router or enddevice) is determined based on the power option (battery or power supply) used during inclusion of the device to the Adam bridge:
The Lisa and Tom work with batteries (minimum service life 1 year), but can also be powered via a USB adapter. Depending on the choice of battery, upon inclusion to Adam, or adapter, it works differently within the ZigBee network.
Power supply via adapter
- Acts as a ZigBee router.
- Is always ‘online’ and continuously communicates with other ZigBee modules.
- Strengthens the signal and the quality of the ZigBee network.
- Sends signals to connected ZigBee end devices.
Power supply via batteries
- Acts as a ZigBee end device.
- Has an energy-saving sleep mode so the batteries last longer.
- Sends/receives signals to and from connected ZigBee router.
- ‘Wakes up’ every 7 seconds to receive radio signals.
- ‘Wakes up’ every 10 minutes to adjust the radiator.*
* If Tom is powered by a battery, it may take up to maximum 10 minutes for all the zones to be heated according to the required adjustments…
If you want to change the behavior, you need to remove the device from Adam, change the power option (e.g. install the power supply) and re-add the device to Adam. Simply adding a power supply to a device added as endDevice will not work.
B. Extending the power supply cable
Plugwise devices are supplied with a USB power adapter and micro USB power cable.
In fact the cable supplied is a 2-wire power cable, that can be easily extended.
Below example shows the extention of the power cable by WAGO 221-412 clamps and a 2-wire (0.8mm2 cable); where the clamps can be fitted inside the battery compartment of the Tom.
Plugwise (unofficially) indicated that the cable should be able to be extended up to 10-15m without issues for the included power supply.
C. Installation sequence
Plugwise Adam uses a Zigbee mesh network (not connected to Homey) to communicate to it’s devices (Tom / Floor / Lisa / Plug). The Zigbee mesh is created by the router devices (power supply); of which the battery powered endDevices can benefit from.
When setting up your Adam Zone control system:
- Think about the setup of the mesh first (!); positioning of the devices and possible power options.
- Install Adam HA, connect it to your network and update to the latest firmware version
- Start with installing your router (power supply powered) devices in order of distance to Adam
- Once all routers are added, start with installing your end-devices (battery powered) in order of distance to Adam
D. Setting up the Plugwise Adam app
The Plugwise Adam app is set-up in a modular approach allowing the user to chose which controls and insight need to be added to Homey.
Basic, but still full control over the Adam Zone control system, is provided when only the Zones and Adam (deviceS) are added to Homey. Adding the individual devices (e.g. valves), will add more insights into the functioning of the entire syste,
Below a summary of the implemented options:
- Adam HA (Central Heater device)
- Control over the Domestic Hot Water mode (comfort or normal)
- Showing the state of the Central Heater device (e.g. boiler state, boiler temperatures and error codes)
- Zone
- Control over the Thermostat setpoint, Preset of the Zone
- Showing the state of the Zone (e.g. zone temperature and power usage)
- Floor & Tom (valve devices)
- Control over the thermostat setpoint (linked to the Zone it is in)
- Showing state of the device (e.g. valve position, battery level)
- Lisa (room thermostat devices)
- Control over the thermostat setpoint (linked to the Zone it is in)
- Showing state of the device (e.g. valve position, battery level)
- Plug
- Control over onoff state
- Showing state of the device (e.g. power usage)
