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Willem edited this page Apr 7, 2026 · 3 revisions

Zones

Zone-based ventilation control for multi-room systems.

What are Zones?

Zones let you control ventilation for individual rooms or areas independently. Instead of treating your entire home as one big space, you can:

  • Monitor conditions per room (humidity, CO2, temperature)
  • Open or close airflow to specific areas
  • Prioritize ventilation where it's needed most
  • Balance comfort and energy efficiency

Zone Types

Ramses Extras supports two types of zones:

ORCON Native Zones

Built-in zones from ORCON ventilation systems:

  • Already configured in your FAN device
  • Read-only monitoring (no direct control)
  • Automatic operation based on built-in sensors

Custom Valves (e.g., Shelly 2PM Gen3)

Add-on hardware valves for rooms not covered by native zones:

  • Physical valves installed in ventilation ducts
  • Full control (open/close/position)
  • Connects via Home Assistant entities

How Zones Work

Zone-Driven Ventilation

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     Your FAN Device                          │
│                                                              │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │           Fan Speed Increased by Demand               │  │
│  │                   (High Speed)                        │  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                           │                                  │
│            ┌──────────────┼──────────────┐                  │
│            │              │              │                  │
│            ▼              ▼              ▼                  │
│  ┌──────────────┐  ┌──────────────┐  ┌──────────────┐      │
│  │   Bedroom    │  │   Bathroom   │  │    Office    │      │
│  │    Valve     │  │    Valve     │  │    Valve     │      │
│  │ (closed 50%) │  │  (open 100%) │  │ (closed 50%) │      │
│  └──────────────┘  └──────────────┘  └──────────────┘      │
│                                                              │
│         Normal      High Humidity       Normal             │
│                                                              │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

When a zone has demand (high humidity, high CO2, etc.):

  1. The fan speed increases first (based on control priority)
  2. The demanding zone's valve opens to allow more airflow
  3. Other zones may close slightly to direct airflow where needed
  4. When conditions normalize, fan speed returns to normal, then valves return to default

Demand-Based Control

Zones automatically respond to fan speed changes:

  • Fan speed increases first – Based on Humidity/CO2 Control demands
  • Demanding zones open – Valves open to max position (e.g., 100%) to allow airflow
  • Other zones may close – To direct airflow where needed, depending on their demand and current fan speed
  • Priority system – If multiple zones demand airflow, priority determines response order

Safety Limits

For controllable valves, you can set:

  • Min position – Valve never fully closes (protects the FAN from backpressure)
  • Max position – Valve maximum opening (use 100% on normal systems to reduce resistance)

Example values:

  • min_position: 15 – Always allows 15% airflow
  • max_position: 100 – Full opening for normal systems

⚠️ WARNING: Never set min_position to 0%!

A minimum position of 0% would allow the valve to fully close, cutting off all airflow to that zone. This can cause:

  • FAN backpressure damage – The FAN must push air somewhere; blocking all outlets strains the motor
  • Overheating – Restricted airflow can cause the FAN to overheat
  • Premature wear – Operating against closed valves damages the ventilation system

Always set min_position to at least 10-15% to ensure minimal airflow and protect your FAN.

Valve Homing Configuration

For custom valves (paired_valves type), you can configure advanced homing behavior via extra_config in the UI or YAML:

Available Parameters

Parameter Type Default Description
home_mode string always When to home: always (every demand change), on_demand (only when needed), never
home_position int 0 Position to home to (0-100%)
home_tolerance int 2 Tolerance in % for considering valve "at position"
home_timeout_s float 90 Maximum seconds to wait for home operation
home_poll_s float 0.5 Seconds between position checks during homing
home_interval_s float 0 Seconds to wait between home and set operations
invert_logic bool false Invert valve position logic (0=100%, 100%=0%)

Example Configuration

zones:
  FANs:
    "32:153289":
      - zone_id: "bedroom"
        type: "paired_valves"
        enabled: true
        inlet_valve_entity: "cover.bedroom_inlet"
        outlet_valve_entity: "cover.bedroom_outlet"
        min_position: 10
        max_position: 100
        extra_config:
          home_mode: "always"
          home_position: 0
          home_tolerance: 2
          home_timeout_s: 90
          home_poll_s: 0.5
          invert_logic: false

Home Modes Explained

  • always: Valve homes to home_position before every demand change (safest, ensures known starting point)
  • on_demand: Only homes when valve needs to move significantly (based on home_tolerance)
  • never: Skip homing entirely (fastest but may drift over time)

Use Cases

  • Shelly 2PM Gen3 valves: Use home_mode: always for reliable position tracking
  • Faster response: Use on_demand with home_tolerance: 5 to skip homing for small adjustments
  • Testing/debugging: Use never temporarily to isolate valve behavior
  • Inverted valves: Set invert_logic: true if your valve reports 0% when fully open

Configuration

Setting Up Zones

Zones are configured as part of the zones feature section:

  1. Go to Settings → Devices & Services → Ramses Extras
  2. Click Configure
  3. Enable the zones feature for your FAN device
  4. Configure zones in the zones feature section

Adding ORCON Native Zones

In the zones configuration:

zones:
  FANs:
    "32:153289":
      - zone_id: "bathroom"
        label: "Bathroom"
        source_type: "orcon_native"
        enabled: true
        sensors:
          temperature_entity: "sensor.bathroom_temp"
          humidity_entity: "sensor.bathroom_humidity"
        capabilities:
          reports_position: true
          controllable: false

Adding Custom Valves (Shelly 2PM Gen3)

In the zones configuration:

zones:
  FANs:
    "32:153289":
      - zone_id: "bedroom"
        label: "Bedroom"
        source_type: "custom_valve"
        enabled: true
        sensors:
          temperature_entity: "sensor.bedroom_temp"
          humidity_entity: "sensor.bedroom_humidity"
          co2_entity: "sensor.bedroom_co2"
        actuator:
          kind: "shelly_2pm_gen3"
          open_entity: "button.bedroom_valve_open"
          close_entity: "button.bedroom_valve_close"
          position_entity: "sensor.bedroom_valve_position"
          min_position: 15  # Never set to 0! Protects FAN from backpressure
          max_position: 100  # Use 100% on normal systems to reduce resistance
        capabilities:
          reports_position: true
          controllable: true

Zone Priority

When multiple zones demand airflow, priority determines which zones open first (when max_open_zones is limited):

actuator:
  actuation_priority: 100  # Higher = more likely to be selected (default 100)

Typical priority values:

  • 100 (default) - Normal priority
  • 150+ - High priority (bathrooms, critical areas)
  • 50-99 - Lower priority (storage, less critical spaces)

Maximum Open Zones

To prevent overloading your FAN, limit how many zones can open simultaneously:

zones:
  FANs:
    "32:153289":
      max_open_zones: 3  # Only 3 zones can be open at once
      # ... zones ...

When more zones demand than the limit, the highest-priority zones (by actuation_priority) are selected.

Entities

Zones create diagnostic entities for monitoring:

Entity Type Purpose
sensor.zone_{zone_id}_position_{device_id} Sensor Current valve position (%)
binary_sensor.zone_{zone_id}_demand_{device_id} Binary Sensor Whether zone has active demand
sensor.zone_{zone_id}_status_{device_id} Sensor Zone state (open/closed/pending)

HVAC Fan Card Integration

The HVAC Fan Card shows zone information:

Zone Status Display

┌─────────────────────────┐
│  Zones:                 │
│  ● Bathroom: Open 85%   │ ← Active demand
│  ○ Bedroom: Closed 15%  │
│  ● Office: Open 90%     │ ← Active demand
│  ○ Kitchen: Closed 15%  │
└─────────────────────────┘
  • ● – Zone is open with active demand
  • ○ – Zone is closed or at minimum position
  • Percentage shows current valve position

Demand Highlighting

When Humidity or CO2 Control activates:

  • The triggering zone is highlighted
  • You can see which room caused the ventilation demand

Services

Control zones via Home Assistant services (provided by Default Feature):

Set Zone Demand (Testing)

service: ramses_extras.set_zone_demand
data:
  device_id: "32:153289"
  zone_id: "bedroom"
  has_demand: true  # or false

Clear Zone Demand

service: ramses_extras.clear_zone_demand
data:
  device_id: "32:153289"
  zone_id: "bedroom"  # optional - omit to clear all zones

Run Zone Actuation

service: ramses_extras.run_zone_actuation
data:
  device_id: "32:153289"

Force Zone Ventilation

Directly control valve position (bypasses demand system):

service: ramses_extras.force_zone_ventilation
data:
  device_id: "32:153289"
  zone_id: "bedroom"
  state: "on"  # or "off", "open", "closed"

Hardware Requirements

ORCON Native Zones

  • ORCON ventilation system with zone support
  • No additional hardware needed

Custom Valves (Shelly 2PM Gen3)

Per valve installation:

  • Shelly 2PM Gen3 – Smart relay module
  • Motorized damper – 24V or mains voltage duct valve
  • Power supply – Appropriate for your damper
  • Duct modification – Professional installation recommended

Note: Installation involves modifying ventilation ducts. Consult a professional if unsure.

Use Cases

Multi-Bedroom Homes

Each bedroom has independent control:

  • High CO2 in one bedroom → Fan speed increases, that valve opens to 100%, others may close to compensate
  • Humidity in bathroom → Fan speed increases, bathroom valve opens, bedroom valves adjust
  • Energy savings – Only ventilate rooms that need it, directed by valve positioning

Home Office + Living Areas

Different needs throughout the day:

  • Morning: Office zone open for CO2 control
  • Evening: Living room zone prioritised
  • Night: All bedroom zones monitored

Mixed-Use Spaces

Areas with different requirements:

  • Kitchen – High humidity tolerance, separate zone
  • Bedrooms – Strict CO2 limits
  • Storage – Minimal ventilation needs

Best Practices

Zone Naming

Use consistent, descriptive zone IDs:

  • bedroom_master – Master bedroom
  • bedroom_guest – Guest bedroom
  • bathroom_main – Main bathroom
  • office – Home office
  • kitchen – Kitchen area

Safety Configuration

Always set minimum positions for custom valves:

  • Protects your FAN from backpressure
  • Ensures some airflow even when "closed"
  • Required minimum: 10-15% (never set to 0%)

⚠️ CRITICAL: min_position: 0 will damage your FAN!

Never allow valves to fully close. The FAN needs at least one path for air to flow, even when all zones are "closed." Without this safety margin, you risk motor damage and system failure.

Sensor Mapping

Map the right sensors to each zone:

  • Room sensors give accurate readings
  • Don't use hallway sensors for bedroom zones
  • Consider multiple sensors per zone for large rooms

Testing

After setup:

  1. Manually open/close each zone via services
  2. Verify valve responds correctly
  3. Check position reporting accuracy
  4. Test demand-driven actuation

Troubleshooting

"Zone doesn't respond to commands"

Check:

  • Actuator entities are correctly mapped
  • Shelly device is online in Home Assistant
  • Valve has power and is not mechanically stuck

"Zone position shows unavailable"

Check:

  • Position sensor entity exists (for custom valves)
  • Entity is reporting valid values (0-100%)
  • If using ORCON native zones: position may not be available (read-only)

"Too many zones open at once"

Check:

  • max_open_zones setting in configuration
  • Zone priorities are set appropriately
  • Consider lowering the max if your FAN seems overloaded

"Zone demand not detected"

Check:

  • Area sensors are mapped to the zone
  • Humidity/CO2 Control thresholds are set correctly
  • Zone has zone_id matching the area sensor configuration

Future Enhancements

Planned zone improvements:

  • Occupancy-aware control – Open zones only when rooms are occupied
  • Manual zone override – Temporary manual control per zone
  • Learned weighting – Optimize airflow based on actual performance
  • Zone scheduling – Different behavior at different times of day

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