🌬️ BRINK Heat Recovery Unit Integration

A comprehensive Home Assistant integration for BRINK Heat Recovery Ventilation units via Modbus RTU communication.

Supported Models:

• BRINK FLAIR 325
• BRINK FLAIR 325 Plus
• BRINK FLAIR 350
• BRINK FLAIR 400

Features

🔍 Comprehensive Monitoring

• Temperature Sensors: Supply air, exhaust air, outside temperature
• Pressure Sensors: Supply and exhaust pressure monitoring
• Flow Monitoring: Real-time air volume measurements and fan RPM
• Air Quality: CO2 sensors (if equipped)
• System Status: Bypass state, filter condition, preheater status
• Heat Recovery Efficiency: Calculated in real-time

⚙️ Full Control

• Bypass Control: Automatic, open, or closed modes
• Flow Control: Precise air volume setpoints (50-325 m³/h)
• Power Modes: Absence, low, normal, high
• Advanced Settings: Imbalance correction, geo heat exchanger
• Flow Levels: Configure speed for each power mode

🎛️ User-Friendly Interface

• Select Entities: Easy dropdown controls for modes
• Number Entities: Slider/input controls for flow rates
• Binary Sensors: Clear status indicators
• Switches: Toggle advanced features
• Template Sensors: Text descriptions for all states

🔧 Professional Features

• Device Reset: Remote restart capability
• Diagnostics: Complete register readout
• Services: Advanced automation support
• Error Handling: Robust Modbus communication
• Device Discovery: Automatic model detection
• Multi-language Support: English, Slovak, Czech, Polish translations

Installation

HACS (Recommended)

1. Open HACS in Home Assistant
2. Go to "Integrations"
3. Click the three dots in the top right corner
4. Select "Custom repositories"
5. Add this repository URL
6. Select "Integration" as category
7. Click "Add"
8. Find "BRINK Heat Recovery Unit" and install

Manual Installation

1. Download the brink_modbus folder from the latest release
2. Copy to your custom_components directory
3. Restart Home Assistant

Hardware Setup

Required Hardware

• BRINK HRU unit (FLAIR series)
• USB to RS485 converter
• Modbus RTU cable connection to BRINK unit

Modbus Configuration

• Baudrate: 19200 bps
• Data bits: 8
• Parity: Even
• Stop bits: 1
• Slave ID: 20 (default)

⚠️ Important Notes

• Disconnect the 4-position wall controller before activating Modbus control
• Both cannot operate simultaneously
• Boost functionality remains available

Configuration

Basic Setup

1. Go to Settings → Devices & Services
2. Click "Add Integration"
3. Search for "BRINK Heat Recovery Unit"
4. Configure your connection:
   • Port: /dev/ttyUSB0 or /dev/serial/by-id/... (stable device path recommended)
   • Slave ID: 20 (default, valid range: 1-247)
   • Baudrate: 19200 (default)
   • Model: Select your BRINK model

💡 Tip: Use /dev/serial/by-id/ paths for stable device identification across reboots instead of /dev/ttyUSB0 which may change.

Supported Languages

The integration provides full translations for:

• 🇺🇸 English (en)
• 🇸🇰 Slovak (sk)
• 🇨🇿 Czech (cs)
• 🇵🇱 Polish (pl)

All entity names, service descriptions, and configuration dialogs are localized.

Entities Created

Entity Type	Entity ID	Description	Unit	Values
Temperature Sensors
Sensor	sensor.brink_supply_air_temperature	Supply air temperature	°C	Temperature reading
Sensor	sensor.brink_exhaust_air_temperature	Exhaust air temperature	°C	Temperature reading
Sensor	sensor.brink_outside_temperature	Outside temperature	°C	Temperature reading
Pressure Sensors
Sensor	sensor.brink_supply_pressure	Supply air pressure	Pa	Pressure reading
Sensor	sensor.brink_exhaust_pressure	Exhaust air pressure	Pa	Pressure reading
Flow Sensors
Sensor	sensor.brink_supply_volume_actual	Actual supply volume	m³/h	0-325
Sensor	sensor.brink_exhaust_volume_actual	Actual exhaust volume	m³/h	0-325
Sensor	sensor.brink_supply_fan_rpm	Supply fan RPM	RPM	0-3000
Sensor	sensor.brink_exhaust_fan_rpm	Exhaust fan RPM	RPM	0-3000
System Sensors
Sensor	sensor.brink_heat_recovery_efficiency	Heat recovery efficiency	%	0-100
Sensor	sensor.brink_filter_usage_hours	Filter usage hours	h	Hours count
Sensor	sensor.brink_device_type	Device type identifier	-	Device code
Sensor	sensor.brink_software_version	Software version	-	Version number
CO2 Sensors
Sensor	sensor.brink_co2_sensor_1	CO2 sensor 1	ppm	0-5000
Sensor	sensor.brink_co2_sensor_2	CO2 sensor 2	ppm	0-5000
Sensor	sensor.brink_co2_sensor_3	CO2 sensor 3	ppm	0-5000
Sensor	sensor.brink_co2_sensor_4	CO2 sensor 4	ppm	0-5000
Status Text Sensors
Sensor	sensor.brink_bypass_state	Bypass state text	-	Open/Closed/Error
Sensor	sensor.brink_filter_state	Filter state text	-	Clean/Dirty
Sensor	sensor.brink_preheater_state	Preheater state text	-	Off/Starting/Active
Sensor	sensor.brink_bypass_mode	Bypass mode text	-	Automatic/Closed/Open
Sensor	sensor.brink_power_switch_position	Power switch text	-	Absence/Low/Normal/High
Binary Sensors
Binary Sensor	binary_sensor.brink_filter_dirty	Filter dirty indicator	-	on/off
Binary Sensor	binary_sensor.brink_preheater_active	Preheater active	-	on/off
Binary Sensor	binary_sensor.brink_modbus_control_active	Modbus control active	-	on/off
Binary Sensor	binary_sensor.brink_imbalance_allowed	Imbalance allowed	-	on/off
Binary Sensor	binary_sensor.brink_geo_heat_exchanger	Geo heat exchanger	-	on/off
Binary Sensor	binary_sensor.brink_co2_sensor_active	CO2 sensor mode	-	on/off
Select Controls
Select	select.brink_flair_325_plus_bypass_mode	Bypass mode control	-	Automatic/Closed/Open
Select	select.brink_flair_325_plus_power_switch_position	Power switch control	-	Absence/Low/Normal/High
Select	select.brink_flair_325_plus_modbus_control_mode	Modbus control mode	-	Disabled/Switch/Flow
Number Controls
Number	number.brink_flow_setpoint	Target flow speed	m³/h	50-325
Number	number.brink_flow_level_0_absence	Flow level 0 (absence)	m³/h	0-325
Number	number.brink_flow_level_1_low	Flow level 1 (low)	m³/h	0-325
Number	number.brink_flow_level_2_normal	Flow level 2 (normal)	m³/h	0-325
Number	number.brink_flow_level_3_high	Flow level 3 (high)	m³/h	0-325
Number	number.brink_supply_imbalance_offset	Supply imbalance offset	%	-15 to +15
Number	number.brink_exhaust_imbalance_offset	Exhaust imbalance offset	%	-15 to +15
Number	number.brink_geo_min_temperature	Geo min temperature	°C	0-100
Number	number.brink_geo_max_temperature	Geo max temperature	°C	150-400
Switch Controls
Switch	switch.brink_imbalance_allowed	Allow imbalance	-	on/off
Switch	switch.brink_co2_sensor_mode	CO2 sensor mode	-	on/off
Switch	switch.brink_geo_heat_exchanger	Geo heat exchanger	-	on/off
Switch	switch.brink_device_reset	Device reset trigger	-	Momentary action

Services

brink_modbus.set_bypass_mode

Set the bypass mode for optimal temperature control.

service: brink_modbus.set_bypass_mode
target:
  device_id: <device_id>
data:
  mode: "automatic"  # automatic, closed, open

brink_modbus.set_flow_speed

Set precise flow speed for ventilation control.

service: brink_modbus.set_flow_speed
target:
  device_id: <device_id>
data:
  speed: 120  # 50-325 m³/h

brink_modbus.set_power_mode

Set the power mode for different occupancy scenarios.

service: brink_modbus.set_power_mode
target:
  device_id: <device_id>
data:
  mode: "normal"  # absence, low, normal, high

Automation Examples

Smart Temperature Control

automation:
  - alias: "Summer Night Cooling"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.brink_outside_temperature
        below: 22
    condition:
      - condition: time
        after: "20:00"
        before: "08:00"
    action:
      - service: brink_modbus.set_bypass_mode
        data:
          mode: "open"
      - service: brink_modbus.set_flow_speed
        data:
          speed: 150

Filter Maintenance Alert

automation:
  - alias: "BRINK Filter Maintenance"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.brink_filter_dirty
        to: "on"
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          title: "🔧 BRINK Maintenance Required"
          message: "Filter needs replacement after {{ states('sensor.brink_filter_usage_hours') }} hours"

Heat Recovery Optimization

automation:
  - alias: "Heat Recovery Efficiency Monitor"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.brink_heat_recovery_efficiency
        below: 80
    action:
      - service: brink_modbus.set_bypass_mode
        data:
          mode: "automatic"
      - service: notify.homeassistant
        data:
          message: "Heat recovery efficiency low: {{ states('sensor.brink_heat_recovery_efficiency') }}%"

Dashboard Cards

Entity Card

type: entity
entity: sensor.brink_heat_recovery_efficiency
name: "Heat Recovery Efficiency"
icon: mdi:heat-pump

Controls Card

type: entities
title: "BRINK HRU Controls"
entities:
  - select.brink_flair_325_plus_bypass_mode
  - select.brink_flair_325_plus_power_switch_position
  - number.brink_flair_325_plus_flow_setpoint
  - binary_sensor.brink_flair_325_plus_filter_dirty

Gauge Card

type: gauge
entity: number.brink_flow_setpoint
name: "Flow Speed"
min: 50
max: 325
severity:
  green: 50
  yellow: 200
  red: 280

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

1. Check USB to RS485 converter connection
2. Verify serial port path exists:

   ls -l /dev/serial/by-id/
   # or
   ls -l /dev/ttyUSB*

3. Check Home Assistant logs for detailed error messages
4. Ensure wall controller is disconnected
5. Verify Modbus settings match BRINK configuration (slave ID, baudrate)

Port Lock Errors

If you see [Errno 11] Could not exclusively lock port errors:

1. The integration now properly releases the serial port on reload
2. Restart Home Assistant if changing port configuration
3. Ensure no other process is using the serial port

Entity Not Updating

1. Check logs for Modbus errors
2. Verify slave ID matches BRINK setting
3. Restart integration if needed

Register Access Errors

Some holding registers may be read-only depending on BRINK firmware version.

Technical Details

Modbus Register Map

Complete register documentation available in MODBUS_BRINK.md

Update Intervals

• Fast sensors (temperatures, flows): 10 seconds
• Slow sensors (settings, diagnostics): 60 seconds

Error Handling

• Automatic reconnection on communication errors
• Graceful degradation when registers are unavailable
• Comprehensive logging for diagnostics

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read our Contributing Guidelines for details.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

• Create an issue for bug reports
• Join the Home Assistant Community for discussions
• Check the documentation for detailed guides

Acknowledgments

• BRINK for excellent ventilation hardware
• Home Assistant community for integration framework
• pymodbus library for reliable Modbus communication

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Made with ❤️ for the Home Assistant community