I purchased a Rinnai tankless water heater a couple of years ago with their “Control-R” WiFi module. The integration with the module and mobile app ended up being horrid so I aborted using it completely and the hub became a $200 paperweight. I’m now wondering if it can be integrated with HA and become a useful tool in my smart home. Instead of using “dumb” timers I’d like to integrate with things like my home security system and other sensors to control when recirculating starts & stops.
A quick Google search came up empty for integrations with the Rinnai and I’m wondering if this is anywhere on the horizon for integration with HA?
I currently have my Control-R module juiced into Google Assistant for connectivity, but it would be nice to bring that into home assistant and not have to ask Google to get Rinnai and then go through their list of options to verbally enable the recirculator or up the temperature.
Wouldn’t this be a custom component and like the Lyric integration? That component goes to the Internet to query the service, like MyQ does. It doesn’t directly talk to the thermos…most likely that would break the Honeywell app for the thermos.
I have recently integrated into my Rinnai Gas Water heater control panel using an ESP32. This connects the heater to HA via MQTT. This is not using a wifi control panel but rather patching to the data communication lines inside the panel.
Once all is complete I will write an article but the project requires electronics knowledge, soldering, etc. If somebody is interested in this and knows to work a logic analyzer I am happy to cooperate.
I’m about to purchase and install a new Rinnai RU99iN tankless water heater. I’m debating whether it is worth it to also purchase a Rinnai Control-R WiFI module. Their mobile app seems poorly designed and Rinnai not opening up the API really limits the functionality of this WiFi module to be integrated with home automation technologies. However, the usage stats page available in the mobile app looks interesting.
Most of the previous reverse engineering work done by the HA community seems to be on controlling Rinnai’s HVAC heating/cooling systems. Has anyone yet been able to integrate the Control-R WiFi module with Home Assistant to display simple usage statistics from the water heater as a set of sensor entities within HA?
Thanks for your reply. I read through your wonderfully detailed article on how you reverse engineered the Rinnai control protocol and build a custom ESP32 interface. Fascinating! Though I have a background in programing and networking, I’m not well versed in electronics. So I felt your method was a little beyond my abilities (and my available time). Interfacing with the Rinnai Control-R via its API seems a little easier. I just didn’t know if anyone had yet implemented it for the Rinnai water heaters.
Arik, would you be interested in selling custom control modules for Rinnai water heaters which work with a more standard protocol, such as MQTT?
Definitely easier, but AFAIK there is no API and the homebridge integration might not have this data. Frankly I didn’t try this route so I am not a source on this matter. If you find any information on how this can be done this way please share.
That wasn’t my plan but if there is enough demand I might consider that. At least for read-only functionality.
What model of Rinnai do you have?
The challenge here is supporting this from remote and what to do if things don’t work.
You asked for the water heater model. I have a plumber installing a new Rinnai RUR199iN next week (I’m located in Colorado, US). Please do let me know if you decide to start selling a custom control module for these units!
I have 3 Rinnai Tankless water heaters that I would love to integrated into HA. I’m using the Control-R WiFi modules now, but the app sucks, and would prefer to use occupancy sensors to enable the circ pump on these units, or outside temperature settings.
I have electronics experience, but not programming and unfortunately, no time. I would buy a product if made to do this – so add my name to the hat.
I too would love a built-in integration, but for now I’m controlling mine through my old Smartthings account. The hub isn’t even plugged in, so maybe you all could create an account, add the Rinnai integration to ST, then add the ST integration to HA? That gives you a power switch that turns on and off recirculation (if equipped) and a sensor to see but not change the set point. It’s not everything, but it’s something.
were you able to actually get the thing to recirculate with ST? i can increase and decrease temperature but can only enable recirc in the control-r app.
There is someone trying to connect to the control-R API here:
I was able to install via HACS, but I’m only able to see the temp setpoint, I’m hoping some more folks with programming knowledge can jump on and try to keep this moving along.
I have updated, and all is working now! I’m very excited to be able to call the start recirculation service when the motion sensor is activated in my bathrooms!
I have a Rinnai tankless water heater and would love to integrate it into my HA instance. My understanding is that the mobile app & Wifi module would still require connectivity to “the cloud” to communicate and not have a local option. Is this also true for the communication between Rinnai’s push button and the control-R module requiring a round-trip through the cloud? If not I’d be tempted to connect an ESP32 to one of those buttons to trigger it.
