[Technology] Wireless Thermostat help

[Shippers]

After some advice on what to buy...?

I have and Ideal combi boiler and a Boss wireless thermostat all fitted new about 5 years ago. The issue I have is it isn't smart as in use my phone via app to control heating and secondly despite the hallway control being less than 3 meters from boiler upstairs it's always losing connection so heating doesn't come on or doesn't turn off when you turn it down and this is driving me nuts, having to turn boiler from winter to summer mode to turn heating off sometimes.

So I would like to replace it and whilst I'm doing I might as well get one where I can control via my phone through the wifi.

I know there is Hive and Nest which look expansive to buy, couple hundred pounds and think there is also a monthly fee for app?

Any one on NSC use an alternative they can recommend, ideally with out a monthly fee?

 

[Goldstone1976]

After some advice on what to buy...?

I have and Ideal combi boiler and a Boss wireless thermostat all fitted new about 5 years ago. The issue I have is it isn't smart as in use my phone via app to control heating and secondly despite the hallway control being less than 3 meters from boiler upstairs it's always losing connection so heating doesn't come on or doesn't turn off when you turn it down and this is driving me nuts, having to turn boiler from winter to summer mode to turn heating off sometimes.

So I would like to replace it and whilst I'm doing I might as well get one where I can control via my phone through the wifi.

I know there is Hive and Nest which look expansive to buy, couple hundred pounds and think there is also a monthly fee for app?

Any one on NSC use an alternative they can recommend, ideally with out a monthly fee?

I’ve got Nest. Works perfectly - can change settings over wifi or a mobile signal. No monthly charge.

 

[Justice]

Yep go for nest, easy to install probably the best out there. Not sure you are going to get much change out of £200 for any system tbh.

 

[Chinman3000]

I’ve got Nest. Works perfectly - can change settings over wifi or a mobile signal. No monthly charge.

I have hive and would say exactly the same, never had an issue.

 

[mikeyjh]

After some advice on what to buy...?

I have and Ideal combi boiler and a Boss wireless thermostat all fitted new about 5 years ago. The issue I have is it isn't smart as in use my phone via app to control heating and secondly despite the hallway control being less than 3 meters from boiler upstairs it's always losing connection so heating doesn't come on or doesn't turn off when you turn it down and this is driving me nuts, having to turn boiler from winter to summer mode to turn heating off sometimes.

So I would like to replace it and whilst I'm doing I might as well get one where I can control via my phone through the wifi.

I know there is Hive and Nest which look expansive to buy, couple hundred pounds and think there is also a monthly fee for app?

Any one on NSC use an alternative they can recommend, ideally with out a monthly fee?

You don't need to pay for a Hive subscription, you can pay for the device and installation and then you're good to go, as they say. I'm not sure what else is out there so it may be expensive in comparison but it just works, never had a problem in the years I've had it.

 

[Curious Orange]

What are the advantages to being able to tinker with thermostat settings remotely? Surely if you have got your thermostat correctly positioned and set then it does the rest?

 

[BNthree]

We've got a Netamo smart wireless thermostat. Works fine. Has phone and Alexa app. Didn't look into the options to be honest, just went with what the fitter suggested.

 

[Shippers]

Thanks for the advice people,didn't relise no month fee with Hive or nest, assumed this was a must.
I see screw fix do a combi Hive kit for £135 https://www.screwfix.com/p/hive-active-heating-thermostat/4632j so think i will go down this route.
ta

 

[Nitram]

Another vote for Hive got one on a Black Friday deal a few years ago with installation. After that changed a lot of the bulbs in the house so they can be operated by Hive which is also compatible with Alexa. Useful being able to turn on lights if away from the house for security reasons. Or to adjust heating.

 

[Shippers]

What are the advantages to being able to tinker with thermostat settings remotely? Surely if you have got your thermostat correctly positioned and set then it does the rest?

My current thermostat keep losing connection, so heating runs on and on or doesn't work at all.
Also when at work and she puts the heating on, I can switch it off

 

[Chinman3000]

What are the advantages to being able to tinker with thermostat settings remotely? Surely if you have got your thermostat correctly positioned and set then it does the rest?

Surely there will always be a need to increase / decrease or turn it off or on, ad-hoc.

Would you heat the same in October as you do in late Feb? Would you heat your house while on holiday or away for the weekend? Getting home early unexpectedly and want it warm when you get home?

IMO lots of advantages but each to their own.

 

[beorhthelm]

Surely there will always be a need to increase / decrease or turn it off or on, ad-hoc.

Would you heat the same in October as you do in late Feb? Would you heat your house while on holiday or away for the weekend? Getting home early unexpectedly and want it warm when you get home?

step 1. stand up.
step 2. walk to thermostat.
step 3. adjust thermostat to control the on/off state.
step 3a. when away turn down and turn up on return.

how did we ever cope before smart phones?

the main advantage is to generate sales for the smart heating control industry.

 

[Chinman3000]

step 1. stand up.
step 2. walk to thermostat.
step 3. adjust thermostat to control the on/off state.
step 3a. when away turn down and turn up on return.

how did we ever cope before smart phones?

the main advantage is to generate sales for the smart heating control industry.

Well the advantages removes steps 1,2 and 3a from the above (and you return to a cold house) but as I said each to their own.

 

[Tight shorts]

We have been using Lightwave. Got individually controlled radiators, which works for us as other half works from home. Don't want to heat all the house when just using one or two rooms and don't want to run round the house turning rads on and off.Gas bill reduced massively after setting it up and can set on a schedule as well as turning on with phone app or asking Alexa to turn on heating to a specific temperature in a specific room.I think you need to be quite techy to get it up and running in the first place, but works well.

 

[Blue&WhiteSea]

Our plumber installed a Honeywell wireless thermostat, has an app and works with Alexa. Pretty happy with it, especially as it still works after spilling a pint over the controller!

 

[Curious Orange]

Surely there will always be a need to increase / decrease or turn it off or on, ad-hoc.

Would you heat the same in October as you do in late Feb? Would you heat your house while on holiday or away for the weekend? Getting home early unexpectedly and want it warm when you get home?

IMO lots of advantages but each to their own.

Okay, I can see where you are coming from, but does the tinkering happen enough to warrant hooking your heating system up to the internet?

In answer to your first question, room temperature is room temperature irrespective of the time of year, most people are comfortable in the 19 to 22 degree range and will be happy if their house is that temperture even in depths of winter. The thermostat in combination with carefully selected operating times will look after that for you.

In answer to your second question about holidays, it depends on when I'm away, in winter yes the house would most definitely be heated (though maybe knocked down a degree or two) as nobody likes burst pipes, and in summer it is unlikely that the thermostat would request the central heating to come on anyway. In both cases the thermostat quietly goes about doing it's job.

So the last question you pose, getting home early, is probably the only actual advantage I could see, but I suppose it depends on how early as certainly we have our central heating times to be operational about an hour before anyone is due home.

Interesting topic.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I've got Tado smart thermostats that work well with Tado smart TRVs/

For those wondering what the advantages are of smart thermostats:
They can make adjustments automatically depending on the weather outside. i.e. a suprise hot day they will turn down the demand to get to a set temperature because they know it will be reached. A conventional stat will demand the heating so you can heat the house to 20 deg, the stat will switch off but because of the burst of heat and outside temp. you're likely to rise to 25 deg plus.

They can turn off automatically if you leave the house, turn on automatically when they detect you within a radius you can set returning to the house.

You can programme different stats for week days / weekends / different parts of the house.

They learn how quickly it takes to raise the temperature of the house. Rather than just full demand or not, they learn that it might take an hour to raise the temperature 3 degs linked to outside conditions. Rather than you setting your heating to come on an hour before you need the house at say 20 deg, you can set the stat to be 20 deg at 07.00 and it will know when to come on to achieve that.

Yes, fundamentally there are no different to a manual turn stat and a manual programmer. But they can do a lot more besides.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Okay, I can see where you are coming from, but does the tinkering happen enough to warrant hooking your heating system up to the internet?

In answer to your first question, room temperature is room temperature irrespective of the time of year, most people are comfortable in the 19 to 22 degree range and will be happy if their house is that temperture even in depths of winter. The thermostat in combination with carefully selected operating times will look after that for you.

In answer to your second question about holidays, it depends on when I'm away, in winter yes the house would most definitely be heated (though maybe knocked down a degree or two) as nobody likes burst pipes, and in summer it is unlikely that the thermostat would request the central heating to come on anyway. In both cases the thermostat quietly goes about doing it's job.

So the last question you pose, getting home early, is probably the only actual advantage I could see, but I suppose it depends on how early as certainly we have our central heating times to be operational about an hour before anyone is due home.

Interesting topic.

Currently looking at the installation of a wireless thermostat/timer as son is on shift work and the times for hot water etc vary every two days in addition to the norm (plus the programmer by the boiler is complicated for me to change)..however there is a limit to how much I would pay for this luxury

 

[marcos3263]

I have Alexa controlled lights and sockets, Neos smarthome cameras and a hive thermostat.

That way I can spy on the family when I am at work and turn off the heating, lights and TV whenever they stop cleaning or cooking my tea. I can remotely scream insults at them in almost every room all from the comfort of my desk.

 

[Chinman3000]

Okay, I can see where you are coming from, but does the tinkering happen enough to warrant hooking your heating system up to the internet?

In answer to your first question, room temperature is room temperature irrespective of the time of year, most people are comfortable in the 19 to 22 degree range and will be happy if their house is that temperture even in depths of winter. The thermostat in combination with carefully selected operating times will look after that for you.

In answer to your second question about holidays, it depends on when I'm away, in winter yes the house would most definitely be heated (though maybe knocked down a degree or two) as nobody likes burst pipes, and in summer it is unlikely that the thermostat would request the central heating to come on anyway. In both cases the thermostat quietly goes about doing it's job.

So the last question you pose, getting home early, is probably the only actual advantage I could see, but I suppose it depends on how early as certainly we have our central heating times to be operational about an hour before anyone is due home.

Interesting topic.

Admittedly I moved into a house where Hive was in place, had it not been, I probably would have been in your camp.

However every other non-smart thermostat I've used other the years has been very difficult to programme, and use. With a very user friendly Hive app its very easy. Even if you don't use the app the thermostat itself is easy to use. Also (and i'm not an expert on heating/wiring of thermostats) but our boiler is in the loft and so having wireless connectivity makes sense to me.

I do find I tweak it a lot for general timing changes for work etc, and use the 'boost' feature (short increase in temp). You do also regularly get some useful analysis about the average temperature of your home compared to others nearby and can connect other smart items (lights, plugs, cameras, sensors etc) through the same hub/app as well.

Very interesting and subjective topic!