CN116940792A - Reducing water/energy consumption in water supply systems - Google Patents

Abstract

A heater arrangement system for a water supply system for controlling the water supply to a water outlet configured to provide hot water to a user, the heater arrangement system comprising: the water heating device is arranged far away from the water outlet; a control unit communicatively coupled to the water heating device, the control unit configured to a) upon detecting that the water outlet has been opened, set a timer to count from an initial time value, b) initiate a warning if the running time of the timer has exceeded a first time threshold.

Description

Reducing water/energy consumption in water supply systems

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to water flow/energy flow utility management in water supplies, such as heater arrangement systems for water supplies that supply hot water to multiple water outlets (faucets) in a building. In particular, the present disclosure relates to reducing waste of water and/or energy sources flowing to a water outlet in a water supply system to conserve water and/or energy.

Background

Hot water is required throughout the year, both in a commercial and a domestic environment. It goes without saying that providing hot water requires clean water and a heat source. To provide hot water, a heating system is provided to a conventional central water supply to heat the water to a predetermined temperature, for example set by a user, and the heat source used is typically one or more electrical heating elements or burning natural gas.

Clean water is currently receiving widespread attention as a utility. As the amount of clean water is smaller and smaller, there have been many efforts in educating the public to save clean water and developing systems and devices for reducing water consumption, such as inflatable showers and faucets for reducing water output, showers and faucets equipped with motion sensors that stop water output when no motion is detected, and the like. However, these systems and devices are limited to a single specific use and have limited impact on poor water usage habits.

With increasing attention to the impact of energy consumption on the environment, there has recently been an increasing interest in using heat pump technology as a means of providing domestic hot water. A heat pump is a device that transfers thermal energy from a heat source to a regenerator. Although the heat pump requires electricity to accomplish the transfer of thermal energy from the heat source to the regenerator, it is generally more efficient than a resistive heater (electrical heating element) because it generally has a coefficient of performance of at least 3 or 4. This means that at the same power usage, 3 or 4 times the heat can be provided to the user by the heat pump compared to the resistive heater.

The heat transfer medium carrying thermal energy is called a refrigerant. The heat receiving exchanger extracts thermal energy from air (e.g., outside air, or air of an indoor high temperature room) or a surface source (e.g., a surface loop or water injection borehole) and transfers it to contained refrigerant. The new generation of higher energy refrigerants are compressed, causing their temperatures to rise significantly, and this high temperature refrigerant exchanges heat energy with the water heating circuit through a heat exchanger. In the case of hot water supply, the heat extracted by the heat pump can be transferred to the water of the incubator for thermal energy storage, which can be used later on when required. The hot water may be directed to one or more outlets as desired, such as a faucet, shower, radiator, etc. However, heat pumps typically require more time to bring the water to the desired temperature than resistive heaters.

Because of the different demands and preferences of different households, workplaces and commercial spaces for the use of hot water, new hot water supply means are needed in order to make the heat pump a practical alternative to an electric heater. In addition, in order to save energy and water, it is desirable to detect that the water flow or energy flow is being wasted and take appropriate measures to try to avoid such waste.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a heater arrangement system for a water supply system for controlling the water supply to a water outlet, as claimed in claim 1.

The invention also provides a method of controlling the water supply to a water outlet in a water supply system, as claimed in claim 8.

The invention also provides a corresponding computer program product and a control module as claimed in claims 12 and 13.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a system overview schematic of an exemplary water supply system;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating steps involved in temporarily reducing energy and/or water flow in an exemplary water supply system.

Detailed Description

In view of the foregoing, the present disclosure provides various methods for controlling the use of utilities including water and energy in a domestic environment. According to one embodiment, when it is determined that there is no object below the water outlet, the flow rate and/or temperature of the hot water flowing from the water outlet may be reduced, so that the use of water (due to the lower flow rate of water) and/or energy (due to the lower temperature of water) may be reduced when not needed. According to a complementary embodiment, a warning, for example an audible or flashing light, is activated when it is determined that the water outlet has been continuously providing hot water for a first period of time; when it is determined that the water outlet has continuously supplied hot water for a longer second period of time, the supply of hot water is stopped, so that the use of water and/or energy can be reduced when deemed unnecessary, and overflow is further prevented. According to another complementary embodiment, a report may be generated based on the collected hot water usage data, for example for prompting the user to adjust his usage habits.

In the following embodiments, hot water is provided to a plurality of water outlets, including faucets, showers, radiators, etc., by a central water heating system in a building, such as a private home or commercial space. The water heating system may comprise one or more electrical heating elements for heating cold water directly to a temperature controlled by the energy supplied to the one or more electrical heating devices. The water heating system may also comprise a less direct, slower acting but cost-effective and environmentally friendly heat source for heating water, for example in the form of a heat pump, for extracting thermal energy from the surrounding environment and/or a thermal energy storage, for example comprising a phase change material for storing thermal energy for later extraction, heating cold water to a temperature determined by the heat stored in the thermal energy storage. The water heating system is controlled by a control module communicatively coupled to the water heating system, e.g., the control module is configured to regulate power provided to one or more electrical heating elements to activate or otherwise control and regulate power supplied to the heat pump.

Water supply system

In an embodiment of the invention, cold and hot water is provided by a central water supply to a plurality of outlets of a building in a domestic or commercial environment, including faucets, showers, radiators, and the like.

As an exemplary water supply for the embodiment shown in fig. 1. In this embodiment, the water supply 100 includes a control module 110, and the control module 110 may include a machine learning algorithm 120. The control module 110 is communicatively coupled to various elements of the water supply system and is configured to control the elements, including a flow controller 130, for example in the form of one or more valves to control the flow of water inside and outside the system; a (ground source or air source) heat pump 140 configured to extract heat from the ambient environment and store the extracted heat in a thermal energy store 150 for heating water; and one or more electrical heating elements 160 configured to directly heat the cold water to a desired temperature by controlling the energy provided to the electrical heating elements 160. Whether water heated by the thermal energy store 150 or by the electrical heating element 160, is directed to one or more water outlets as needed. In this embodiment, the heat pump 140 extracts heat from the ambient environment into the thermal energy storage medium in the thermal energy storage 150. In addition, the thermal energy storage medium may also be heated by other heat sources. The thermal energy storage medium is heated to a desired operating temperature, and then the thermal energy storage medium may heat chilled water (e.g., chilled water from a water mains) to a desired temperature. The heated water may then be supplied to individual water outlets in the system.

In this embodiment, the control module 110 is configured to receive input from a plurality of sensors 170-1, 170-2, 170-3. For example, the plurality of sensors 170-1, 170-2, 170-3, 170-n may include one or more air temperature sensors, one or more water pressure sensors, one or more timers, one or more movement sensors disposed indoors and/or outdoors, and may include other sensors not directly connected to the water supply 100, such as a GPS signal receiver, a calendar on a smart phone carried by an occupant, a weather forecast application, and communicate with the control module via a communication channel. In this embodiment, the control module 110 is configured to perform various control functions using the received inputs, such as controlling water flow through the flow controller 130 to the thermal energy storage 150 or the electrical heating element 160 to heat the water.

Although heat pumps are generally more energy efficient at heating water than resistive heaters, the heat pump requires time to transfer enough heat into the thermal energy storage medium to reach the desired operating temperature before heating water; therefore, the heat pump requires a longer time to heat the same amount of water to the same temperature as compared to the resistance heater. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the heat pump 140 may use a Phase Change Material (PCM) as the thermal energy storage medium that changes from a solid state to a liquid state upon heating. Thus, the heat pump may require additional time to first transfer enough heat to change the PCM from solid to liquid (if it is allowed to solidify) before further increasing the temperature of the liquefied thermal energy storage medium. Although this method of heating water is slow, it consumes less energy than an electric heating element, and thus overall, energy can be saved and the cost of providing hot water reduced.

Phase change material

In this embodiment, the phase change material may be used as a heat storage medium for a heat pump. One suitable class of phase change materials is paraffin waxes, which have a solid-liquid phase change at the temperatures required for domestic hot water supply and use in conjunction with a heat pump. Of particular concern are paraffin waxes having melting temperatures between 40 and 60 degrees celsius (°c), in which range paraffin waxes that melt at different temperatures can be found to suit a particular application. Typical latent heat is between Rong Yaozai kJ/kg and 230kJ/kg, and the specific heat capacity in the liquid phase may be 2.27Jg ^-1 K ^-1 In the solid phase, the specific heat capacity may be 2.1Jg ^-1 K ^-1 . It follows that a large amount of energy can be stored using fusion latent heat. By heating the phase change liquid above the melting point, more energy can also be stored. For example, when the cost of electricity is relatively low during off-peak periods, the heat pump may be operated to "charge" the thermal energy storage above normal temperature, causing the thermal energy storage to "overheat".

Suitable waxes may be waxes having a melting point of around 48 ℃, such as n-tricosane C ₂₃ (n-tricosane C ₂₃ ) Or paraffin (Paraffin C) ₂₀ -C ₃₃ ) The waxes described above require that the heat pump operates at a temperature of around 51 ℃ and can heat water to a satisfactory temperature of around 45 ℃ required for a typical domestic hot water, sufficient for use in e.g. kitchen water taps, shower/bath water taps. If desired, cold water may be added to the water stream to reduce the water temperature. Taking into account the effect on the temperature performance of the heat pump. In general, the maximum temperature difference between the input and output temperatures of the fluid heated by the heat pump is preferably maintained in the range of 5 ℃ to 7 ℃, although the temperature difference may be as high as 10.

While paraffin is the preferred material for use as the thermal energy storage medium, other suitable materials may be used. For example, salt hydrates are also suitable for use in latent heat storage systems such as the present invention. In this case, the salt hydrate is a mixture of inorganic salt and water, and all or most of the water is lost during the phase change. During the phase change, the hydrate crystals are separated into anhydrous (or less water containing) salts and water. The advantage of salt hydrates is that theyHas a much higher thermal conductivity (2 to 5 times higher) than paraffin and also has a much smaller volume change upon phase change. Salt hydrates suitable for current use include Na ₂ S ₂ O ₃ ·5H ₂ O, the melting point of which is about 48 ℃ to 49 ℃, and the latent heat capacity of which is 200-220kJ/kg.

Overview of machine learning algorithm

There are many different types of machine learning algorithms (Machine Learning Algorithms, MLA) currently known in the art. Broadly, there are three types of MLAs: MLA based on supervised learning, MLA based on unsupervised learning, and MLA based on reinforcement learning.

The supervised learning MLA process is based on target outcome variables (or dependent variables) that need to be predicted by a given set of predictors (independent variables). Using the variable set described above, the MLA (during training) generates a function that maps the input to the desired output. The training process continues until the MLA achieves the desired accuracy in the validation data. For example, supervised learning-based MLAs include regression, decision trees, random forests, logistic regression, and the like.

Unsupervised learning MLA itself does not involve prediction targets or outcome variables. Such MLAs are used to cluster a set of values into different arrays that are widely used to subdivide customers into different populations for specific interventions. For example, an unsupervised learning MLA may include: a priori algorithm (Apriori algorithm), K-means algorithm.

The reinforcement learning MLA may be trained to make specific decisions. During training, the MLA is exposed to a training environment in which the MLA is constantly self-training by trial and error. The MLA learns from past experience and attempts to acquire optimal knowledge to make accurate decisions. As a specific example, the reinforcement learning MLA may be a Markov decision process.

It will be appreciated that different types of MLAs have different structures or topologies and may be used for a variety of tasks. One particular type of MLA includes artificial Neural Networks (Artificial Neural Networks, ANN), also known as Neural Networks (NN).

Neural network

In general, a given NN is made up of a set of interconnected artificial "neurons" that process information using a connection-oriented computing method. Neural networks are used to model complex relationships between inputs and outputs (where the relationships are not actually known) or to find patterns in the data. The neural network is first tuned during a training phase, in which it obtains a set of known "inputs" and information for tuning the neural network to generate the appropriate outputs (for a given situation in which modeling is attempted). In this training phase, a given neural network will adapt to the situation being learned and change its structure so that it can provide a reasonable prediction output for a given input in a new situation (based on the content learned). Thus, the purpose of a given neural network is not to attempt to determine a complex statistical arrangement or mathematical algorithm for a given situation, but rather to provide an "intuitive" answer based on "perception" of the given situation. Thus, a given neural network is considered a trained "black box" that can be used to determine the reasonable answer for a given set of inputs for a particular situation, at which time what happens in the "box" is not important.

Neural networks are commonly used in many cases where only the output result based on a given input needs to be known, and the exact derivation of the output result is less important or unimportant. For example, neural networks are often used to optimize network traffic distribution among servers and during data processing, including filtering, clustering, signal separation, compression, vector generation, and the like.

Deep neural network

In some non-limiting embodiments of the invention, the neural network is a deep neural network. It is understood that neural networks can be divided into various types, one of which includes recurrent neural networks (Recurrent Neural Networks, RNN).

Circulating neural network

The recurrent neural network is adapted to process the input sequence using its "internal state" (memory storage). This makes the recurrent neural network very suitable for the tasks of segmentation-free handwritten text recognition and speech recognition. The internal state of the recurrent neural network may be controlled, referred to as a "gating" state or "gating" memory. It should also be noted that the recurrent neural network itself may also be divided into various subclasses of recurrent neural networks. For example, recurrent neural networks include Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, gated recurrent units (Gated Recurrent Units, GRUs), bi-directional recurrent neural networks (BRNNs), and the like.

LSTM networks are deep learning systems that can learn tasks that require "memorizing" events that occur in a short discrete time step in a manner. The topology of an LSTM network may vary depending on the particular task it "learns" to perform. For example, an LSTM network may learn to perform tasks where relatively long delays occur between events or where events occur at both low and high frequencies. A round-robin RNN with a specific gating mechanism is called a GRU. Unlike LSTM networks, GRUs have no "output gates" and therefore have a smaller number of parameters than LSTM networks. BRNN may include a "hidden layer" with neurons connected in opposite directions, so that information of past and future states may be used.

Residual neural network

Another example of a neural network that may be used to implement non-limiting embodiments of the present invention is the residual neural network (Residual neural network, resNet).

Depth networks naturally integrate low/medium/high level features and classifiers in an end-to-end multi-layer fashion, the "hierarchy" of features can be enriched by the number of stacked layers (depth).

In summary, in the context of the present invention, the implementation of at least a portion of one or more machine learning algorithms may be roughly divided into two phases—a training phase and an operational phase. First, in a training phase, a given machine learning algorithm is trained using one or more appropriate training data sets. Then, once a given machine learning algorithm learns which data can be the ideal input and which data is provided as output, the given machine learning algorithm will run at run-time based on the run-time data.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a method of controlling utility usage in a home environment. The method begins at step S2001 when a user activates or opens a water outlet (e.g., a faucet of a bathroom sink) to receive heated water provided by a water heating system located remotely from the water outlet, the water heating system being controlled by a control module 110 shown in fig. 1, located remotely from the water outlet and in communication with a sensor (e.g., one of sensors 170-n shown in fig. 1) located at or near the water outlet, for sensing whether an object (e.g., a hand of a person washing hands) is present below the water outlet. In step S2002, the control module 110 receives the signal from the sensor and determines in step S2003 whether an object is present below the nozzle. If the control module determines that an object is present, the method returns to step S2002 where the control module continues to monitor signals from the sensors. If the control module determines that there is no object under the water outlet, the control module controls the water heating system to decrease the temperature of the hot water supplied to the water outlet and/or to decrease the flow rate of the hot water supplied to the water outlet at step S2004. The method then returns to step S2002 where the control module continues to monitor the signal from the sensor. During this process, the hot water may continue to be supplied to the water outlet, but the energy consumption and/or the water consumption is reduced. For example, during a user washing his hand with hot water under the faucet, when the user removes his handle from under the faucet to take soap, the control module may reduce the temperature and flow of hot water to conserve energy and water, and then once the user returns the handle to the faucet, the temperature and flow of hot water may return to the original levels.

There may be a case where the user forgets to turn off the faucet. Thus, in another embodiment, or in addition to the previous embodiment, a timer in communication with the control module is also started to record the run time when the water outlet is started to supply hot water. In step S2005, the control module receives a signal from the timer to determine an operating time T for continuously supplying hot water from the water outlet. If the control module determines in step S2006 that the run time T does not exceed the preset first threshold T1, the method returns to step S2005 where the control module continues to monitor for a signal from a timer. If the control module determines at step S2006 that the run time T exceeds the first threshold T1, the control module initiates a warning sequence at step S2007, which may include sounding or activating a light signal at or near the water outlet to alert the user that the water outlet has been continuously on for a period of time T1, prompting the user to close the water outlet in the event that hot water is no longer needed. In step S2008, the control module determines whether the running time T exceeds a preset second threshold T2, where the second threshold T2 is higher than the first threshold T1. If it is determined that the run time T does not exceed the second threshold T2, the method returns to step S2005 where the control module continues to monitor for signals from a timer. If the control module determines in step S2008 that the operation time T exceeds the second threshold T2, then the control module controls the water heating system such that the water outlet is completely closed, thereby stopping the supply of hot water to the water outlet in step S2009. Thus, when hot water is no longer needed, energy and water are not wasted. For example, if a user forgets to turn off the faucet after washing his hands, or if a child forgets to turn off the faucet while playing, the supply of hot water may be automatically stopped to save energy and water. In addition to the preset values, the values of the two thresholds T1 and T2 may also be determined by deriving predicted values based on artificial intelligence algorithms (e.g., deep learning or other MLA) that have been trained based on past use of water flow in a particular building, and thus will not generate a warning or shut down the water supply in the case of normal water usage in a particular household or commercial building.

In one embodiment, over time, the collected hot water usage data (S2010) may be used to generate usage reports (S2011) as a tool to prompt the user to review and possibly adjust their usage habits to reduce energy and water usage.

The control module 110 implements the above functions by software programming and is illustrated in the steps of fig. 2. Alternatively, the control module performs the functions described above by being directly connected to hardware logic.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of entirely hardware, entirely software, or a combination of both.

Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in a computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. For example, a computer-readable medium includes, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language and conventional procedural programming languages.

For example, program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may include source code, object code, or executable code in a conventional programming language such as the C language (interpreted or compiled), or assembly code, code for creating or controlling an application specific integrated circuit (Application Specific Integrated Circuit, ASIC) or field programmable gate array (Field Programmable Gate Array, FPGA), or code for a hardware description language such as verilog (tm) or Very high-speed integrated circuit hardware description language (VHDL).

Code components may be embodied as programs, methods, and the like, and may also include subcomponents, which may be in the form of instructions or sequences of instructions at any level of abstraction, from direct machine instructions of a native instruction set into a high-level compiled or interpreted language structure.

It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that all or part of the logic methods according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention may be suitably embodied in a logic apparatus comprising logic elements for performing the steps of the methods, which may be comprised of logic gate components in a programmable logic array or an application specific integrated circuit. The above-described logic arrangement may further be embodied in an enabling element for temporarily or permanently establishing a logic structure in such an array or circuit, e.g., virtual hardware description language, which may be stored and transmitted using fixed or transmittable carrier media.

The exemplifications and conditional language recited herein are intended to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to those specifically recited examples and conditions. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included within its scope as defined by the following claims.

Furthermore, the foregoing description may describe relatively simplified embodiments of the invention in order to facilitate understanding. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, various embodiments of the present invention may be more complex.

In some cases, advantageous examples which are considered to be modifications of the invention may also be set forth. This is done merely to aid in understanding and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention or to define the limits of the invention. These modifications are not an exhaustive list and other modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, where modified examples are not listed, no modification is to be construed as being possible and/or the only way to implement the original of the present invention is described.

Furthermore, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof, whether presently known or later developed. Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams in the specification are conceptual views of illustrative circuitry embodying the principles of the invention. Likewise, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, operation program diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable media and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

The functions of the various elements shown in the figures may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor or control module, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared. Furthermore, explicit use of the term "processor" or "controller" should not be construed to refer to hardware solely capable of executing software, and may implicitly include, without limitation, digital signal processor (Digital Signal Processor, DSP) hardware, network processor, application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), read-only Memory (ROM) for storing software, random access Memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), and non-volatile storage. In addition, other hardware, conventional and/or custom, may also be included.

A software module, or a simple module that is self-evident to be software, may be represented in this specification as any combination of flowchart elements or other elements indicating flow steps and/or literally described capabilities. The modules may be executed by hardware, either explicitly shown or implicitly.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many adaptations and modifications of the just described exemplary embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (13)

1. A heater arrangement system for a water supply system for controlling the water supply to a water outlet configured to provide hot water to a user, the heater arrangement system comprising:

the water heating device is arranged far away from the water outlet; and a control unit communicatively coupled to the water heating device, the control unit configured to a) upon detecting that the water outlet has been opened, set a timer to count from an initial time value, b) initiate a warning if an operation time of the timer has exceeded a first time threshold, wherein the control unit is further configured to c) stop a water flow supplied to the water outlet if the operation time of the timer has exceeded a second time threshold, the second time threshold being higher than the first time threshold; wherein the first time threshold and the second time threshold are set by an artificial intelligence algorithm executed by the control unit; the artificial intelligence algorithm predicts values of the first time threshold and the second time threshold based on past usage of the water supply.

2. A heater arrangement system according to claim 1, wherein the water heating means comprises a heat pump and a thermal energy storage means.

3. The heater arrangement system of claim 2, wherein the thermal energy storage device is a phase change material device.

4. A heater arrangement system according to claim 3, wherein the phase change material is paraffin.

5. The heater arrangement system of claim 4, wherein the paraffin melts at a temperature of 40 ℃ to 60 ℃.

6. The heater arrangement system of claim 3,4 or 5, wherein the latent heat of the phase change material is between Rong Yaozai kJ/kg and 230kJ/kg, the specific heat capacity in the liquid phase being likely to be 2.27Jg ^-1 K ^-1 In the solid phase, the specific heat capacity may be 2.1Jg ^-1 K ^-1 。

7. A heater arrangement system according to any preceding claim, wherein the control unit is further configured to c) collect water usage data and generate a water usage report accordingly.

8. A method of controlling the water supply to a water outlet in a water supply system, the water outlet being configured to provide hot water from a water heating device to a user, the method comprising the steps of:

a) When the water outlet is detected to be opened, a timer is set to start counting from an initial time value; and

b) If the running time of the timer has exceeded a first time threshold, a warning is initiated; which is higher than the first time threshold, stopping the water flow supplied to the water outlet; wherein the first time threshold and the second time threshold are set by an artificial intelligence algorithm executed by the control unit; and

wherein the artificial intelligence algorithm predicts values of the first time threshold and the second time threshold based on past usage of the water supply.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the water heating device comprises a heat pump and a thermal energy storage device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the thermal energy storage device is a phase change material device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the phase change material is paraffin wax.

12. A computer readable medium comprising machine readable code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method of any of the preceding method claims.

13. A control module configured to control operation of a water supply system based on a communication channel, the water supply system comprising a heating system configured to heat water from a mains and controlled by the control module, the water supply system configured to provide water heated by the heating system to a user at one or more water outlets, the control module comprising a processor having software executing thereon, or having preconfigured hardware logic components, the processor configured to perform the method of any of the preceding method claims.