Understanding this integration - Some Fundamental Support Request

[Krzysztonek]

Dear @thomasgermain,

I have been using this integration for over two years, but I'm not able to fully understand its operational behavior due to very poor documentation or to lack of knowledge. Since then I have also been trying to automate my home central heating in Node-Red (I'm rather quite experienced in this field), but I haven't managed to reach the expected result so far.
That is why I would love to ask you kindly to clarify my doubts by answering the below questions (wondering if I'm alone here or there are others who also would need some guidance from your side):

After installing and configuring the Multimatic Integration from HACS, the following devices appeared in my HA instance:

• VR921 - a communication device
• Control SYS Multimatic - a pressure meter
• Control CC1 - heat zone controller
• Control DHW - hot water zone controller
• VC 25CS ecoTEC plus - main gas furnace
• 0376_Peec_PR_EBUS - energy utilization calculating device

Some new entities appeared also, but few of them are not understood. For example:
I've got two different entities from the climate domain:

• climate.control_dhw_212221002026096509xxxxxxxxn9
• climate.control_heat_212221002026096509xxxxxxxxn9
  My understanding is, that the first one (_dhw_) controls the hot water boiler zone, while the second one (_heat_) controls the heating zone in my house.
  If so, then why I've also got water_heater.control_dhw entity? I see, that there is rather no difference between those two entities: climate.control_dhw_212221002026096509xxxxxxxxn9 and water_heater.control_dhw, because both allow triggering similar actions. Are they somehow logically connected/dependent to each other? It confuses me much.

QUICK MODE:
In the multiMATIC VRC700 Manual the "quick mode" does NOT exist, it hasn't been treated at all. Therefore, one of the fundamental questions is: what is the "quick mode", which you expose in your integration? Is it a kind of "preset mode" or what?
Moreover, does this quick mode apply to central heating zone or to hot water zone? This is pretty unclear.

QUICK VETO:
What does this quick_veto do? Does it prevent something or allows something? What, if so?
It would be very very kind of you if you'd help me by answering the above questions/doubts... Also, some basic typical code examples would be warmly welcome:

• water heater: on/off, set target temperature, turn boost on/off
• heating: turn on/off, change preset mode, toggle time_controlled/manual mode, set night/day temperature

Many thanks in advance!

[thomasgermain]

Hello,

Let me try to reply all your questions :)

If so, then why I've also got water_heater.control_dhw entity?

See release note https://github.com/thomasgermain/vaillant-component/releases/tag/1.16.0 (and following 1.16.x). The water_heater implementation in HA is kind of poor, or somehow stick to the old fashioned way a water heater is working (ON - heating, OFF - not heating). Most of the time, DHW in vaillant is more advanced than that, you can set target temperature, timeprogram etc. Also, a lot of new features has been added in HA climate through time, so I choose to move vaillant DHW to a climate entity.

QUICK MODE:

According to the manual (https://elearning.vaillant.com/vrc700/ci/en/documents/uk/infopool/Operating_instructions.pdf), quick modes are explained in section 5.4. They named it Advanced functions, I'm using the more technical name (because this is what is used at API level).

QUICK VETO

You can the doc at section 4.2.1.1. Again, I'm using the technical name (in this case, this functionality has no name from their documentation).

water heater: on/off, set target temperature, turn boost on/off

This is more an HA question than a multimatic question, but you can find multimatic services here: https://github.com/thomasgermain/vaillant-component#provided-services. HA default water_heater services are documented here: https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/water_heater/#services

heating: turn on/off, change preset mode, toggle time_controlled/manual mode, set night/day temperature

Same, multimatic services doc is here
https://github.com/thomasgermain/vaillant-component#provided-services. HA default climate services are documented here: https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/climate/#services

All services (multimatic and HA) are documented directly in developper tools.

[Krzysztonek]

You have partly opened my eyes, @thomasgermain. Thank you so much for that!
However, I'd love to ask you for some concrete details, since they're still not clear.

As you said, the quick mode service triggers some advanced functions (e.g. comfort, day, night, party, home, away, off).
Q1: What should be entered in the data field below to call (for example) the day mode?

service: multimatic.set_quick_mode_212221002026096509xxxxxxxxn9
data: {}

In the Developer Tools there is nothing more than the above. I didn't find any service documentation there... I can only choose and call the service:

The question mark from the above screen leads directly ...to your github. However, when calling a service with the wrong parameters, some hints are being displayed.

I believe, the concrete quick mode name should be given as a parameter in the above data field. However, I did many various rehearsals, but nothing has been working for me so far...
Even if I try this (as an example):

service: multimatic.set_quick_mode_212221002026096509xxxxxxxxn9
data:
  quick_mode: QM_PARTY

it does literally nothing (no attributes are being changed). However, no errors are also being reported.
Going further: even after calling this service successfully, should I also set the preset_mode accordingly or setting a quick mode only should be enough?

Q2: Are those quick modes somehow logically connected to preset modes?
Asking that because it's very confusing. Please, have a look at the attributes of my Vaillant climate entities:

climate.control_bojler = climate device which controls my DHW,
climate.control_ogrzewanie = climate device which controls the central heating in my house.
As you can see, there are some preset_modes available instead of quick_modes on the attributes list of both devices. However, their possible values (names) are almost the same as in the official documentation you've mentioned. Does it mean, that changing/choosing a preset_mode is the same as changing/choosing a quick_mode?

And what about the remaining modes not listed in the attributes list: day, night, party? Are they gone?

Q3: How to toggle time controlled vs manual modes of the climate.control_ogrzewanie?
Please, look again at the attributes list of the climate.control_ogrzewanie entity. We have the following hvac_modes there: auto and off. auto sets the time_controlled mode, while off mode simply turns the climate device off. So, how to set manual mode to omit time-controlled programs and not to turn off the climate device?

Q4: water_heater reference
You said, that "The water_heater implementation in HA is kind of poor, or somehow stick to the old fashioned way a water heater is working". Does it mean that, from now on, there is nothing to do with Vaillant water_heater device in the HA automations and - as a consequence - all the call-service occurrences should refer directly to climate_control_bojler device only?

Q5: climate.control_ogrzewanie (heating zone) vs climate.control_bojler (dhw zone)
I've observed that regardless the service I try to call for the climate.control_ogrzewanie, it brings no result or causes an API error. The only actions are being taken when calling a service for climate.control_bojler. It looks like I'm not able to control my home central heating, but I'm able to control only dhw zone. Is that possible?? What am I doing wrong? Why I'm not allowed to control my heating zone? Are they somehow dependent on each other? This is a strange behavior, I suppose.

Moreover, as you can see on the screenshot under my Q2, the climate.control_ogrzewanie has only two hvac_modes: off or auto. There are also four preset modes available: comfort, home, away and none. How to choose and to setup one of the following modes on climate.control_ogrzewanie:

• hvac mode: manual mode (to omit the time controlled settings)?
• preset mode: day, night, party
  Are those modes applicable for climate.control_bojler only?? It would be weird, if so,.. This is what I don't understand most.

[thomasgermain]

Q1: What should be entered in the data field below to call (for example) the day mode?

I think this is pretty obvious, I you go to service page, you can see either (in UI mode)

or in yaml mode:

Q2: Are those quick modes somehow logically connected to preset modes?

Yes, please have a look at the doc: https://github.com/thomasgermain/vaillant-component#expected-behavior

Q3: How to toggle time controlled vs manual modes of the climate.control_ogrzewanie?

Again, check the doc here: https://github.com/thomasgermain/vaillant-component#expected-behavior

Q4: water_heater reference

You can consider water_heater deprecated. So no more support, and it will be removed in next release. The nex climate entity should be used instead.

Q5: climate.control_ogrzewanie (heating zone) vs climate.control_bojler (dhw zone)

What error do you have ?
And once again, the doc is here https://github.com/thomasgermain/vaillant-component#expected-behavior :)

[lecocqe]

Dear ThomasGermain,

in my setup, "set_quick_mode" is called "set_quick_mode_" and doesn't show the parameters to fill in...
set_holiday does the same
"set quick veto" show parameters

HA version 2023.11.1
Multimatic version 1.16.3

best regards