Ala-Talkkari stoker monitoring
Ala-Talkkari Vetomat stoker remote monitoring and phone alerts
Flue gas and boiler water temperature, residual oxygen and feed status of your Vetomat stoker on your phone – with alerts to a WhatsApp or Telegram group when the fire goes out, the boiler cools down or the connection drops. The alerts are designed around the idle burn, so normal idling does not trigger an alert. We install a complete system on site, and the monitoring only reads the controller's data.
- Complete system installed on site for €1,500 excl. VAT – mini PC included
- Alerts to WhatsApp or Telegram that allow for the idle burn
- Read-only – the PLC program and settings are not touched
- Already installed on a Veto Greenline XS control unit – yours is checked from a photo before the quote
What you get: complete remote monitoring for a Vetomat stoker
Stoker boiler remote monitoring as a complete package: we install a small computer running Home Assistant in the boiler room. It reads the stoker controller's data, records history graphs and sends alerts to your phone. You get a complete system at a fixed price – nothing to build yourself.
- Dashboard and history graphs: flue gas, boiler water, residual oxygen and feed
- Alerts to a WhatsApp or Telegram group for the family or whoever looks after the heating
- Alert conditions designed around the idle burn – limits tuned to the site
- Status command in the group: the stoker's status in one message
- A message when the connection to the boiler drops
- Read-only: the PLC program and settings are not touched and the stoker is not controlled
What is monitored
- Flue gas temperature
- Boiler water temperature
- Residual oxygen, if the controller measures it (lambda)
- PLC inputs and outputs, for example the feed
- Connection status
Temperatures are calibrated on site against the readings on the PLC display, so your phone shows the same values as the stoker's controller.
Alerts that allow for the idle burn
When no heat is needed, the stoker does not go out – it switches to an idle burn (maintenance mode; kytö or viretuli in Finnish) and the flue gas temperature drops. The alerts are designed for this: normal idling does not trigger an alert, but a fire that has gone out does. Alerts go to a WhatsApp or Telegram group – add your family or whoever looks after the heating. Limits are tuned to the site.
Fire gone out
Flue gas temperature drops clearly below the idle level for a longer period.
Boiler cooling down
Boiler water temperature falls below the limit set for the site.
Boiler water too hot
Boiler water temperature rises above the upper limit set for the site.
Unusually hot flue gas
Flue gas temperature rises clearly above normal.
Connection to boiler lost
Data from the boiler stops arriving. This also tells you about a power or network outage at the site.
If the stoker has automatic ignition and the controller puts the fire out on purpose, the alert conditions are adapted to that operating mode.
Status command in the group – the stoker's status by message
Type the status command in the group (for example !tila, or /tila in Telegram) and the system replies with a snapshot of the boiler's status. You can check the situation during the day without anyone having to go to the boiler room.
Safe: read-only
The monitoring only reads data from the controller's PLC. The PLC program and settings are not touched and the stoker and boiler are not controlled – the stoker's own controls and safety functions work as before.
Dashboard and history graphs
The dashboard is built in Home Assistant around the site's data. We do not show pictures of customer systems on this page; screenshots of a similar dashboard are on the Gilles wood chip boiler page.
Status now
Flue gas and boiler water temperature, residual oxygen, feed and connection status at a glance.
History graphs
Temperature and residual oxygen graphs: see what happened before an alert – troubleshooting gets easier.
Inputs and outputs
The state of the PLC inputs and outputs, for example the feed – see whether the feed is running.
How the installation is done
The monitoring is connected to the stoker's controller read-only. Before installation we check how the data can be read from your stoker.
- 1
Check from photos
Tell us the control unit's name and software version (for example Veto Greenline XS) and send a photo of the control unit's display showing them. Before quoting, we check whether the data can be read from the controller's PLC over Modbus TCP.
- 2
Read-only connection
If the PLC's Modbus TCP is in use, the data is read through it, read-only. If not, separate sensors are used: temperature sensors and an alarm contact.
- 3
Mini PC and Home Assistant
A small computer running Home Assistant is installed in the boiler room, with the dashboard, history graphs and alerts.
- 4
Calibration and testing
Temperatures are calibrated against the PLC display, alert limits are tuned to the site and the alerts are tested in the group. Finally we show you how to use the system.
If your Vetomat or other Ala-Talkkari stoker has a Veto Greenline XS control unit, the monitoring can most likely be installed the same way as at the first site. This is based on one control unit (software version from 2023), so the unit's type and software version are checked from a photo before we quote. For other control units, such as Veto Greenline S, AT Log and Veto Control, the connection is checked per site.
We are a Tukes-registered electrical contractor (S2 qualification in Finland), so we also wire the sensors and the alarm contact. More about our electrical work
Ala-Talkkari's GSM alarm and app – how this complements them
Ala-Talkkari offers a GSM alarm as an accessory for the Vetomat. According to the manufacturer, its text-message-based GSM alarm unit can be connected to all Veto control units and sends the heating system's most important alarms to your mobile phone. The Veto Greenline XS and S control units can also be fitted with the manufacturer's phone app for monitoring and supervision, and Veto remote management is available for certain control units.
Our service is a separate, read-only system that can be used alongside the manufacturer's solutions or to complement them. It suits you if you want:
- readings and history graphs on a dashboard
- alerts and status requests in a family WhatsApp or Telegram group
- alert conditions tuned to the site and the idle burn
- a message also when the connection to the boiler drops
Installation
First installation: Vetomat with Veto Greenline XS, November 2026
The first installation was carried out in November 2026 on an Ala-Talkkari Vetomat whose Veto Greenline XS control unit (software version from 2023) is based on an Eaton easyE4 PLC. The Modbus connection was already in use, so no changes to the control unit were needed. The monitoring only reads the data, and nothing is written to the PLC.
- Ala-Talkkari Vetomat, Veto Greenline XS control unit (Eaton easyE4 PLC)
- Modbus TCP already in use – no changes to the control unit, read-only
- Alerts that allow for the idle burn and a status command in the group
- Temperatures calibrated against the PLC display
On-site installation – a complete system
We come on site, make the connection and install a complete system. Everything needed is included, including the mini PC.
On-site installation
€1,500 excl. VAT
€1,882.50 incl. VAT 25.5 %
The price applies when the stoker controller's PLC provides the data over Modbus TCP. Otherwise separate sensors are used and the price is agreed per site.
Included
- A mini PC running Home Assistant, installed and set up
- Read-only Modbus TCP connection to the stoker's controller PLC
- Temperature calibration against the PLC display
- Dashboard and history graphs
- Alerts to WhatsApp or Telegram that allow for the idle burn, plus a status command
- Testing and a hand-over walkthrough
You provide
- An internet connection in the boiler room: cable, Wi-Fi or a 4G/5G router. We do everything else.
- For Telegram alerts, the Telegram app on your phone is enough. If you choose WhatsApp, a phone number is needed for the alerts – we recommend a separate number (agreed at installation).
In addition
- Travel according to our travel zones (below).
- A sensor-based solution if the PLC's Modbus TCP is not available, and other work, by agreement.
Travel
In Finland, travel is charged once per visit at our standard travel-zone prices; we start from Koski Tl, Southwest Finland. Outside Finland, travel, accommodation and travel time are quoted per job.
| Travel zone 1 (0–50 km) | €85 excl. VAT |
|---|---|
| Travel zone 2 (50–100 km) | €130 excl. VAT |
| Travel zone 3 (100–150 km) | €180 excl. VAT |
| Travel zone 4 (over 150 km) | case by case |
Enter a postal code to see the travel cost.
Good to know
- This is not an official Veljekset Ala-Talkkari Oy service. We are an independent company, not an Ala-Talkkari representative or partner. Ala-Talkkari and Vetomat are trademarks of their owner.
- What we know about the Veto Greenline XS control unit is based on one unit (software version from 2023). Other Greenline XS units may differ from it, for example in software version, and Modbus TCP is not necessarily in use on all of them, so the unit's type and software version are checked before we quote. For other control units, the connection is checked per site.
- Telegram alerts use Telegram's official bot API through Home Assistant's own integration. WhatsApp alerts use the unofficial WAHA bridge to a WhatsApp account, so we recommend a separate number for it.
- The system only reads data and does not control the stoker. The stoker's own safety functions work as before; the monitoring is no substitute for them, for smoke alarms or for servicing. We give no warranty on the operation of the stoker or boiler.
- Alerts require a working internet connection in the boiler room, arranged by the customer.
Have a different boiler?
Similar remote monitoring and alerts can be built by agreement for other stokers, wood chip and pellet boilers, oil boilers and boiler houses – using Modbus, a manufacturer's interface, an alarm output or added sensors. There is a separate fixed-price package for Gilles wood chip boilers.
Ala-Talkkari stoker monitoring
Request installation for a Vetomat stoker
On-site installation for €1,500 excl. VAT includes everything needed, including the mini PC. Tell us your stoker model, the control unit's name and software version (for example Veto Greenline XS) and your location. The form does not take attachments – you can email a photo of the control unit's display when we get in touch.
+358 43 211 0516Frequently asked questions
Will this work with my Ala-Talkkari stoker?
If the stoker has a Veto Greenline XS control unit, most likely yes: the first installation was carried out on a Vetomat whose Greenline XS control unit is based on an Eaton easyE4 PLC and where Modbus TCP was already in use. Ala-Talkkari has also used other control units in its stokers (for example Veto Greenline S, AT Log and Veto Control), so we check the connection before quoting: tell us the control unit's name and software version. If the data cannot be read over Modbus TCP, the monitoring can be built with separate sensors (temperatures and an alarm contact), and the price is then agreed per site.
Does the remote monitoring work with a Veto Greenline XS control unit?
Most likely yes. The first installation was carried out on a Vetomat whose Veto Greenline XS control unit (software version from 2023) is based on an Eaton easyE4 PLC. The Modbus connection was already in use, so no changes to the control unit were needed. This is based on one control unit, so we check the unit's type and software version before quoting: take a photo of the control unit's display showing its name and software version. The quote form does not take attachments, so write the name and software version in your message – you can email the photo when we get in touch.
How is this different from Ala-Talkkari's GSM alarm or phone app?
According to the manufacturer, Ala-Talkkari's text-message-based GSM alarm unit sends the heating system's most important alarms to your mobile phone, and the manufacturer's phone app is an accessory for the Veto Greenline XS and S control units for monitoring and supervision. Our monitoring is a separate, read-only system: readings and history graphs on a dashboard, alerts and a status command in a WhatsApp or Telegram group, and alert conditions tuned to the site. It can be used alongside the manufacturer's solutions. For the manufacturer's accessories, please contact Ala-Talkkari.
Why is there no alert when the stoker switches to the idle burn?
When no heat is needed, the stoker does not go out – it switches to an idle burn (maintenance mode) and the flue gas temperature drops. The alerts are designed for this: the fire-gone-out alert is sent when the flue gas temperature drops clearly below the idle level for a longer period. Limits are tuned to the site.
Can the system control or adjust the stoker?
No. The system only reads data. The PLC program and settings are not touched and the stoker is not controlled. Settings are changed on the stoker's own controller as before, and the safety functions work as before.
What does installation cost?
On-site installation costs €1,500 excl. VAT (€1,882.50 incl. 25.5 % Finnish VAT) when the controller's PLC provides the data over Modbus TCP. Everything needed is included, including the mini PC running Home Assistant. Travel is charged according to our travel zones in Finland; abroad, travel, accommodation and travel time are quoted per job. A sensor-based solution and other work by agreement.
What do I need to arrange myself?
An internet connection in the boiler room – cable, Wi-Fi or a 4G/5G router. Nothing else is needed for Telegram alerts; WhatsApp alerts need a phone number, preferably a separate one. We do everything else.
Does the system notice a power or network outage?
The connection-lost alert is sent when data from the boiler stops arriving. It also tells you about a power or network outage at the site.
Telegram or WhatsApp – which should I choose?
Either works. Telegram uses Telegram's official bot API through Home Assistant's own integration and needs no extra phone number or SIM card. WhatsApp suits families who already use it; it goes through the unofficial WAHA bridge and needs its own WhatsApp number, preferably a separate one.
Is this an official Ala-Talkkari service?
No. Laitehuolto Tiensuu Oy is an independent company. This is not an official Veljekset Ala-Talkkari Oy service. For servicing, spare parts and the manufacturer's own accessories, please contact Ala-Talkkari or its dealer.