Before I go ahead and buy a navilink module, does anyone know how this integration would work with 2 units running in cascade mode? Right now I’ve been trying to use a relay to control the hot button module but because there’s 2 units, things get a little funky.
the “commercial” version is supposed to be able to do that.
anyone figure out how to get data out of the unit without the navilink module? i see they’re out of stock pretty much everywhere and it looks like it’s just an ethernet cable with a special connector at one end.
i’d like to get some data out of it without having to use their cloud-based api.
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This integration is compatible with Atlantic Cozy touch Navilink 128 ?
When I try to connect I have “Invalid NaviLink user credentials”.
Thanks for making this. It works well with one Navien so far. I have a second Navien, not in cascade - if I add this one to my Navilink account, will the integration be able to add a second device?
I have a NPE-240A (not A2) and have a couple questions:
- Will this work if I connect via NaviLink Lite?
- Would I be able to control recirc since I do not have an A2?
(partially) Answering my own questions after a Navien field service call to look at my NPE-240A and install a NaviLink Conversion Kit (new PCB & Front Panel), turning it into what I would call an NPE-240A1.5. This was necessary for connecting to NaviLink.
- Will this work if I connect via NaviLink Lite?
Yes, the integration recognizes a NaviLink Lite.
- Would I be able to control recirc since I do not have an A2?
So far, I cannot seem to enable hot button as suggested in this comment (I think his unit was an A2), but I think it’s because I would also need to connect a hot button add-on controller (one of the features included on the A2, but not on A or the NaviLink Conversion Kit…boo!).
@ben1492 In reviewing your comment, I see that installing the add-on controller might still not get me hot button functionality in HA. Did you end up soldering #2 and how did it go?
Has anyone been able to trick an A original PCB (e.g. P12 or P20) or NaviLink Conversion Kit PCB (P23) to think it has hot button functionality without installing the hot button add-on controller?
I have the older A model, so I did indeed have to purchase the hot button add-on. It works great and I didn’t have return/replace or solder #2 dip switch. I set it up to to turn on as soon as a motion sensor detects I’m in the kitchen in the morning. Instead of having to wait 2 minutes for hot water, it’s now only 30 seconds. Honestly, it’s one of those automations I haven’t even thought about since setting up 6 months ago. The key was maxing out the furthest fixture setting…I believe mine’s set at 500 feet.
That’s great. I’m still curious if the main PCB where the add-on controller would plug in could be jumped somehow to where the main PCB thinks it’s connected enabling virtual control only.
I’m sure it could be done with a jumper and a Zigbee or Zwave relay, but that’s beyond my capability.
I got my Navien NPE-240A2 a little over a week ago, but I had been planning for it for a few weeks before that. I wrote to Navien to ask about a public API or SDK, and they wrote back that they do not have either. They suggested that I could monitor and control via the mobile app. Nobody on this forum is interested in that kind of closed-box solution. So, you people who were going to bug Navien to get them to provide an API, get busy! 
Not long after the installer walked out the door, I switched things over to being controlled by the HotButton feature. I didn’t want to run wires all the way to my upstairs bathrooms, and I wanted more functionality. So, I applied a little bit of IoT hardware and a little bit of HA glue. Now my family members can push a button in either upstairs bathroom (or on a wall panel HA dashboard in the kitchen) and have hot water in about 2 minutes. That’s way less time than some of them spend gazing at themselves in the mirror before hitting the shower, so it all works out.
I realize this is not the kind of jazzy monitoring and control being discussed in this thread. I want that, too, and maybe someday I’ll do something with that reverse engineered python library and integration.
If you want to see details of how I set up my remote HotButton operation, you can read about it here: Calling for hot water | Hackaday.io
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One of the things I haven’t gotten around to exploring, but I wonder if someone else has already figured it out: I’d like to be able to detect when the recirculation pump is actually running. For now, my HA automation includes a timed delay that I manually set to match the configuration on the water heater, which is a bit inelegant and only approximately correct.
I expect I can easily find wires running from the control board to the pump so that I can figure out if the pump has been commanded to run. When the bypass valve under the bathroom sink closes, I assume the pump detects that and maybe stops pumping. It would be pretty groovy if I could somehow or other detect that condition.
Has anybody already been down this path and figured it out? Mine is a Navien NPE-240A2, but it might be pretty similar for some of the other models.
I assume you have a NaviCirc valve which uses the cold water line as a return in lieu of a dedicated recirculation loop? Either way, as far as I can tell, the water heater seems to trigger off flow rate, so when that closes, the flow drops to 0 resulting in the recirc pump turning off.
By monitoring my unit for a while, I’m confident that a high flow rate (in my case >~3 gpm) is only caused by the recirculation pump. So, a template sensor could provide that sort of feedback. But, the switch entity already provided by this integration already turns on when recirc is on since it’s always a Hot Button actuation - whether manual or via automation.
@megaz555 @chiem @ben1492 Sorry for the direct ping, but I learned a lot by piecing together your posts. I tried to consolidate everything into an updated readme. If you have a few minutes, would you mind taking a look and letting me know if you have any recommendations for changes before I submit a PR to @nikshriv?
hass_navien_water_heater/Readme.md at main · GitHubGoody/hass_navien_water_heater
Ah, yes, after a brief perusal, I already assumed the integration would provide that. To clarify my question, I’m looking for a way to figure out if the pump is running without purchasing one of Navien’s add-on controllers. (Though I might eventually do that anyhow if nothing else pans out.)
Some things I’ve thought of but have yet to experiment with:
- Finding the wires from the control board to the pump, and either detecting something like on/off or taking a current measurement.
- Monitoring the pipes and NaviCirc valve to noise, temperature, or vibration.
I did plug the water heater into a smart outlet that reports power consumption, but there are other things going on that can consume a lot of power in addition to the recirculation pump being on.
PS:- You get 3 gpm from the recirculation pump, or is that from some other consumption that triggers the heater to turn on? When I press the HotButton, the A2 reports on the front panel a flow of 0.8 or 0.9 GPM. That’s with 3/4 inch copper pipes leaving the heater, but it goes down to 1/2 inch copper before it gets to the valve.
I was getting around the same flow rate with the recirc pump on, but was also getting occasional E438 error messages. We inspected and replaced this check valve which is a known common failure point. In my case, the plunger’s o-ring had dislodged and fused to the body so the plunger would stick to it periodically. Once we replaced the check valve, my flow rate went to the 3 gpm I’m seeing now and I haven’t had the error code. Definitely worth checking out and maybe replacing.
Based on your original post, I gather that you already are using this integration with the more capable A2 and a NaviLink controller. So, you should already have the flow_rate entity in Home Assistant. What additional add-on controller(s) are you trying to avoid purchasing?
Yes, I have the A2. But as far as I know, it doesn’t have any communications. I think I would have to add a NaviLink or NaviLink Lite. I’d be happy to find out otherwise.
I’m away from home right now, so I can’t poke around at the moment.
Yes, you need NaviLink or NaviLink Lite to use the integration that is the subject of this topic.
Anyone know what the heating_power sensor indicates exactly? Since it’s in %, is that relative to the max power draw possible?
Relative to your max power, ie. 199k btu.
My Navien is older CH-240 but likely same interfaces as newer.
Would like to understand pinout of RS485 port which has 5 pins.
Specifically RS485, is it full or half duplex.
Would like to understand 2 pin interface to wall mounted LCD display unit.
Two wires communicates with and powers the display unit.
I have a spares of both main controller board and LCD unit.