Smart heating systems

[DaveTheTech]

If you already have a TRV, its a simple screw on / off job.

If not, then you'll need to drain the rad and swap it.

[mavhc]

Unless, as in my case, the existing one was rusted on.

 

You don't require a controller of course, each could run by itself, just turning on/off because of a timer. You can get bluetooth ones really cheap.

[Andrew_C]

Unless, as in my case, the existing one was rusted on.

 

You don't require a controller of course, each could run by itself, just turning on/off because of a timer. You can get bluetooth ones really cheap.

What is instructing the boiler to fire?

[caffrey]

This has peaked my interest, and quite fancy a Tado system. Any clues on what I need ? I've an Ideal vogue gen 2 boiler which I believe has opentherm, the boiler has a wireless heating controller with it (but it's a bit rubbish)

[jmak]

This has peaked my interest, and quite fancy a Tado system. Any clues on what I need ? I've an Ideal vogue gen 2 boiler which I believe has opentherm, the boiler has a wireless heating controller with it (but it's a bit rubbish)

Depends on what system you have. Most straightforward is if you have a combi boiler and a wired room thermostat. In that case you need a wired starter kit which has a wired "smart thermostat" and an "internet bridge".

 

If you have wireless room thermostat, you'll need the wireless starter kit which includes a wireless room thermostat and a wireless controller which connects to the boiler to tell it to fire when triggered by the thermostat.

 

I bought the wired starter kit for my >35 year old boiler and was amazed to find they had specific instructions for my model of boiler. As mine is not a combi boiler, that doesn't control the hot water - I had a separate programmer by the hot water tank in the airing cupboard, so I later added the wireless controller to replace that timer.

 

I've found their support service quick to respond to queries, despite the fact that the packet is covered in recommendations to employ an approved installer. Definitely nothing to be scared of for a self installation though - it's all logical. If you're not sure what to buy it might be worth contacting them before you purchase. If you give them the details of your existing system, they'll soon tell you what you need.

[mavhc]

What is instructing the boiler to fire?

 

Existing timer and temperature of the water. If all the TRVs close then the temp isn't going to drop much I suppose

[Katy]

I went with Hive so just have the thermostat in the living room, and the app on my phone. The heating system was only put in 3 years ago, just didn't have the money to do a proper smart system with sensors everywhere however for what I wanted from it - turn the heating on without having to go and alter the clock on the boiler - and for it to stop heating when it reaches temperature - it's been great.

[LeMarchand]

I went with Hive so just have the thermostat in the living room, and the app on my phone. The heating system was only put in 3 years ago, just didn't have the money to do a proper smart system with sensors everywhere however for what I wanted from it - turn the heating on without having to go and alter the clock on the boiler - and for it to stop heating when it reaches temperature - it's been great.

 

Ours is 2 years old and came with the boiler we had to buy as the old one died just before Xmas! Generally OK for what we need, but the thermostat does occasionally disconnect itself and it seems to take an age to get it to talk to the system again. This was regular when it was first set up, but seems rare these days. Anyone else with Hive experience this?

 

Wish there was a way to back up the settings, too as once in a while this requires a "start from scratch" approach.

[Katy]

Ours is 2 years old and came with the boiler we had to buy as the old one died just before Xmas! Generally OK for what we need, but the thermostat does occasionally disconnect itself and it seems to take an age to get it to talk to the system again. This was regular when it was first set up, but seems rare these days. Anyone else with Hive experience this?

 

Wish there was a way to back up the settings, too as once in a while this requires a "start from scratch" approach.

Not seen that with mine yet, it was installed the week before lockdown back in March this year. I've got the boiler with its box at the back of the kitchen, the hub thing at the front of the kitchen, and the thermostat in the living room so they're all pretty close to each other.

[LeMarchand]

Not seen that with mine yet, it was installed the week before lockdown back in March this year. I've got the boiler with its box at the back of the kitchen, the hub thing at the front of the kitchen, and the thermostat in the living room so they're all pretty close to each other.

 

It's only happened once or twice to us it that time period, so I suspect they've automatically improved the firmware on one or more of the 3 devices. Was quite annoying when it was every couple of weeks at the beginning.

[Andrew_C]

Existing timer and temperature of the water. If all the TRVs close then the temp isn't going to drop much I suppose

 

Yeee HAH... Where shall I hitch my horse?

 

Let's do it right shall we?

[PyROm]

Please remember most systems need you to leave a radiator without a trv (ie. Always on) or have a bypass valve fitted to avoid locking up the pump and possibly damaging it, also allowing boiler to cool during run on. Some newer boilers have a bypass valve built in, but usually the manual says you need an external one (or radiator without trv) as well.

 

Opentherm is a communication protocol. The connector will power and communicate with a compatible controller. The only opentherm thermostat system I know of is Honeywell evohome, but there must be others out there.

[Andrew_C]

Drayton Wiser is OpenTherm capable out of the box. My boiler however, would need a 'grey import' interface.

 

A towel rail is often used as a NON-TRV radiator.

Edited November 12, 2020 by Andrew_C

[caffrey]

Seems like :-

 

Tado is opentherm and has TRVs

Hive isn't opentherm and has TRVs

Nest is opentherm but doesn't have TRVs

Drayton is opentherm and has TRVs

Honeywell is opentherm and has TRVs

 

Depends what smart ecosystem you want to buy into

[XiJ]

I was an early adopter of Tado and it’s been awesome. Easy enough to fit for a complete novice with bridge and wireless Thermostat (once we’d realised the new build builders had wired the zones the wrong way around!)

 

I also use the geo fencing with other systems as part of Ifttt etc.

 

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend tado now purely because of the subscription model. I don’t pay anything now as I have v2. I originally rented it but became a bit annoyed after they a) forgot to charge me a year then back dates it and b) didn’t provide the promised hw updates - the original perk of renting.

 

But as a system it works wonderfully well.

[mavhc]

Yeee HAH... Where shall I hitch my horse?

 

Let's do it right shall we?

 

It's exactly how non smart systems work, but you can control the TRV without reaching behind all those things in the way

[jmak]

It's exactly how non smart systems work, but you can control the TRV without reaching behind all those things in the way

And hopefully they'd come with an app so that you could automate it a bit.

 

Sounds like a worthwhile half way house if you either don't want to be bothered with wiring in new kit or want some automation without sharing stuff "across the internet".

[mavhc]

Eventually you intercept the link from the thermostat to the boiler and put your computer logic there. Once you've gathered temp, humidity, occupancy etc data for each room, along with the current price of fuel and the predicted weather.

[Andrew_C]

It's exactly how non smart systems work,

No, it isn't. There is a controller for the boiler (may be contained within the boiler). The boiler does NOT run all day if it senses the water in the system is cold. It is controlled by a clock, and a room stat or sensor.

[woodham]

I went hive a few years ago , not too bad i would say there kit is a little more expensive than some of the others especially the lighting but you can now get the ikea bulbs to work on hive so its getting better , link it to the web and IOT and you can set up geo-fencing to turn it on and off as you come home from work which is cool (or nice and warm depending on the settings you pick )

[caffrey]

Think I might go Nest, Tado tech support was a bit rubbish - they couldn't tell me exactly what I needed

[mavhc]

No, it isn't. There is a controller for the boiler (may be contained within the boiler). The boiler does NOT run all day if it senses the water in the system is cold. It is controlled by a clock, and a room stat or sensor.

 

Originally Posted by mavhc:

Existing timer

[mavhc]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/deal/776c27cc 40% discount

[jmak]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/deal/776c27cc 40% discount

Cracking deal.

 

To be aware of: if the internet connection fails, the programme doesn't apply. Woke up to cold house and no hot water this morning. Nothing wrong with the Tado, but BT Broadband connection had dropped. I did manage to remember how to turn it on manually without turning the lights on our putting my glasses on.

[DaveTheTech]

Surely there should be a backup if the internet fails?