Adding Multiple HVAC's

[tangerine912]

Hi All, Does Control4 limit the number of HVACs that can be added to the system?    Currently have 3 systems connected through an EA5 controller with these wireless thermostats: https://c4smartsolution.com/control4-wireless-thermostat-by-aprilaire-8644c4/    To add another HVAC system is a huge step up in cost, is this something imposed by Control4 or dealer specific?    Any feedback greatly appreciated!

[msgreenf]

6 minutes ago, tangerine912 said:

Hi All, Does Control4 limit the number of HVACs that can be added to the system?    Currently have 3 systems connected through an EA5 controller with these wireless thermostats: https://c4smartsolution.com/control4-wireless-thermostat-by-aprilaire-8644c4/    To add another HVAC system is a huge step up in cost, is this something imposed by Control4 or dealer specific?    Any feedback greatly appreciated!

no limitations - not sure what you mean by cost.  HVAC cost has nothing to do with c4...

[tangerine912]

17 minutes ago, msgreenf said:

no limitations - not sure what you mean by cost.  HVAC cost has nothing to do with c4...

Thanks @msgreenf    Question is whether Control4 require some special licensing cost or driver cost to add beyond 3 HVAC units to the system.   Assuming its just adding another "device" to the system which would require programming, since there are already 3 AprilAire thermostats in the system with an existing driver, it would be adding an additional AprilAire unit and adding it to a room.   Sounds like its a local dealer thing where they markup support costs at a certain threshold of HVAC units.   Thoughts?

[RAV]

Besides equipment, there is only 1 Control4 direct cost. 4sight.

You can have as many widgits and dohickeys as your processor can manage.
Whether it's 3 thermostats or 30, it's add to room in composer, 4 taps to identify, refresh navigators.

Perhaps you have some global set points, or vacation programming, or something else, that would take extra time.
Other wise, it took longer to type this reply.

[msgreenf]

unless you are over the zigbee limits for a mesh, there should be no additional cost...

[tangerine912]

Thanks so much @RAVand @msgreenf, you have both been super helpful!

[South Africa C4 user]

A lot depends on what you mean by HVAC system.  Do you mean you have 3 HVAC zones with these thermostats or do you mean you have 3 different systems (each with x zones).  
 

If you are simply adding a new thermostat to an existing setup then there would be no cost as mentioned above.

If you are adding a complete new system with multiple thermostats then C4 cost would depend on a number of things:

1. any new driver required.

2. if the system connects via IP, all good.  If it connects by RS232, do you have a spare RS232 port.  If not you will have a hardware cost etc.

 

I have 4 systems at my one house (covering between 1 and 10 zones per system). The 1 zone system was by far the most expensive to integrate (as I was controlling an HVAC unit that did not integrate with C4 natively so I needed extra hardware and wiring).

Edited September 7, 2022 by South Africa C4 user

[tangerine912]

Hi @South Africa C4 user I have 4 HVAC systems (not zones), 3 systems are already connected via zigbee thermostats to the EA controller, one per system.     Planning on adding another zigbee thermostat for the 4th system.    All thermostats are the same (https://c4smartsolution.com/control4-wireless-thermostat-by-aprilaire-8644c4/), hence assuming no new driver needed.

[msgreenf]

New driver is needed for each device. 

[tangerine912]

Is there a cost per driver license or is it mainly the cost of install time?

[msgreenf]

Driver is free.  It’s labor - like 15 minutes

[South Africa C4 user]

Agree, this should be a cheap / easy change.

[cnicholson]

I have six "outside units" (compressors) driving ~20 zones.   When I added the 6th outside unit, there was zero additional cost (from automation perspective)-- other than integrator time, which was minimal.  I'm using CoolMasterNet to control Mitsubishi VRF systems.   It's a pricey "brain box," but it eliminates the need to have a thermostat on the wall in each zone (you just bury a temperature probe in the wall and paint over it.   Depending on the number of zones you have, the price of all those smart thermostats can start to add up (plus some people don't like the wall wart proliferation).

The only "max units" limit I am aware of is that Mitsubishi wants you to buy an enterprise license if you have more than 50 (!) zones.  Other brands may have similar policies.  I don't think Control4 cares how many zones you have.