Tado/Nest/Hive thermostat & TRVs

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Sleepy said:
Started with Nest and then moved onto Tado.

Reason was, at the time, they were the only ones who offered individually controlled TRV's. Handy to control each room's temp individually.

BUT.....not sure they are the best design tbh as the thermostat is on the TRV (of course) so when the radiator blasts the heat out and it meets the temp, it turns off....but the other side of the room is not as warm. Probably needs to come with a little add-on that you stick across the room and it works out an average or something?
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I'm looking for: I want to be able to have multiple thermostats and multiple controllable valves. Hook them up to a raspberry pi (or an off the shelf product) that allows me to configure a load of different plans, invoke/schedule those plans, tweak the settings on the fly, etc. It sounds like such a simple concept but I don't know if anything exists out there. I'd happily write my own software if you could just get the individual items, including the interface to the boiler.
 


Got a tado with smart TRV's in every room. The TRV's call for the boiler to provide heat, rather than just allow warm water through when the boiler eventually decides to pump it round.

All rooms seem to get to the correct temperature even though the thermostat is on the rad.

App needs to be running all the time on our phones to ensure it knows when we are out. Not sure if that's a problem with the app or because we use cheap phones.
 
CollingwoodFTM said:
We already had a lot in place. We were able to remove the existing boiler control and replace it with the Hub. It was simple. Unscrew the first one and put the new one on the industry standard back plate. I wanted to do it, but my wife didn’t want me to do it. When the electrician came round he said my wife was right.

The TRVs are easy. Unscrew the current ones and replace. Links easy with our APP.
Click to expand...

The TRV's are easy but it was the relay box connecting to the boiler I wasn't sure how to do. Once set up Honeywell Evohome stuff is very easy I've changed a few TRV's to room sensors as they are behind radiator covers.
 
Patch said:
This is exactly what I'm looking for: I want to be able to have multiple thermostats and multiple controllable valves. Hook them up to a raspberry pi (or an off the shelf product) that allows me to configure a load of different plans, invoke/schedule those plans, tweak the settings on the fly, etc. It sounds like such a simple concept but I don't know if anything exists out there. I'd happily write my own software if you could just get the individual items, including the interface to the boiler.
Click to expand...
Have a look at Drayton Wiser. The app does all that.

Logon or register to see this image

Central control. Can boost all from here, or just 1.

Logon or register to see this image

And you can schedule each room for each day, or copy it across.
Might not be as much fun as configuring yourself, but quicker.
 
CollingwoodFTM said:
Have a look at Drayton Wiser. The app does all that.

Logon or register to see this image

Central control. Can boost all from here, or just 1.

Logon or register to see this image

And you can schedule each room for each day, or copy it across.
Might not be as much fun as configuring yourself, but quicker.
Click to expand...

Makes total sense mind. Our bedroom and dressing rooms - we know when we're in them, so they only need heating then. Bairns rooms are slightly different again. Then my study. Wish I'd gone with something like this now.
 
PTR said:
Makes total sense mind. Our bedroom and dressing rooms - we know when we're in them, so they only need heating then. Bairns rooms are slightly different again. Then my study. Wish I'd gone with something like this now.
Click to expand...
Could you not just add a few Smart TRVs even with the Nest?
 
Plank said:
Could you not just add a few Smart TRVs even with the Nest?
Click to expand...

Don't think so, that's why I swapped the Nest for Tado
The Onion Bag said:
Got a tado with smart TRV's in every room. The TRV's call for the boiler to provide heat, rather than just allow warm water through when the boiler eventually decides to pump it round.

All rooms seem to get to the correct temperature even though the thermostat is on the rad.

App needs to be running all the time on our phones to ensure it knows when we are out. Not sure if that's a problem with the app or because we use cheap phones.
Click to expand...

Have you checked the temp at other sides of the room? May sound daft, but try it and see. I found a canny difference and the rooms were not massive.
Patch said:
This is exactly what I'm looking for: I want to be able to have multiple thermostats and multiple controllable valves. Hook them up to a raspberry pi (or an off the shelf product) that allows me to configure a load of different plans, invoke/schedule those plans, tweak the settings on the fly, etc. It sounds like such a simple concept but I don't know if anything exists out there. I'd happily write my own software if you could just get the individual items, including the interface to the boiler.
Click to expand...

Good call on RPi I bet there's a way, just want some TRV's that support IFTTT or something maybe?
 
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Sleepy said:
Have you checked the temp at other sides of the room? May sound daft, but try it and see. I found a canny difference and the rooms were not massive.
Click to expand...
I was having this argument with someone about 3 years ago on here about the benefits/downsides of blown air heating. I said one benefit is the blown air moves around the room really well, and the other person kept screaching that convection was perfect and much better.

Convection is pretty good, but its not perfect. Some sort of air movement does a much better job, which is why some people have those little fan things on the rads, just to get a breeze going. A ceiling fan on reverse also does a great job.
 
Sleepy said:
Have you checked the temp at other sides of the room? May sound daft, but try it and see. I found a canny difference and the rooms were not masmassive
Click to expand...
I've had it in place for around 2 years now and not found an issue. Not moved a thermometer about in the room though.
 
Plank said:
How does that work? Does it use TRVs or does it all just work from the hub?
Click to expand...

Its danfoss trvs controlled from a zwave hub (which was a raspberry pi, not sure if that is still the case) and a horstmann switch to demand the boiler on and off as required.

There are addons such as multiple temperature sensors, motion detectors etc, but I have never found any need for them.

The hub and app basically programs the trvs as required and controls switching the boiler on and off.

The initial setup of any zoned system won’t be cheap.

However, especially so now the way energy prices are going, the payback will be quite quick as you avoid heating rooms you aren’t using at a particular time of day. Even more so with more people working from home.
 
Just looking at Tado now:

Does this seem a good deal?

www.costco.co.uk

tado° Whole Home Bundle - Wireless Starter Kit with 8 x U...

tado° is your Climate Assistant that ensures a comfortable & healthy climate, whilst considerably reducing your energy consumption. This bundle includes a tado° Starter Kit (V3+) with an Internet Bridge and 8 tado° Smart Radiator Thermostats. The basis of your setup is a tado° Starter Kit (V3+)...
www.costco.co.uk www.costco.co.uk

I've had nest and hive in two previous houses. Like the idea of being able to control individual radiators.

Anyone noticed they save money and are they worth the investment?

Do they also need installing by a professional?
 
We’ve got hive, along with the cctv cameras - front and back.

It’s canny enough apart from having to frequently change batteries on the thermostats.
 
What about Smart plugs, are you guys using them?

If so what type and do you think you are able to make meaningful reductions on your electricity use with them?

Cheers
 
CollingwoodFTM said:
Our Wiser system reckons 17% saving over the last three months. I can’t tell as the prices are so volatile. I will be installing the next 4 TRVs over the next couple of weeks. I’ll check gas usage after that.
Click to expand...
@CollingwoodFTM, did you install those TRVs and has your gas usage gone down much?

Looking at the price of gas when we come off our fixed tariff in October and starting to think I need to start using less heating. We’re literally heating a five bed house for two rooms when we’re working from home.

We got a smart meter installed in December and it’s made me OCD about how much energy we’re using.
 
HellsBells said:
@CollingwoodFTM, did you install those TRVs and has your gas usage gone down much?

Looking at the price of gas when we come off our fixed tariff in October and starting to think I need to start using less heating. We’re literally heating a five bed house for two rooms when we’re working from home.

We got a smart meter installed in December and it’s made me OCD about how much energy we’re using.
Click to expand...
Hard to tell at the minute. They went in last spring. We only have 2 going at the minute. The rest will be going on the next couple of months. It is certainly noticeable that the rooms which are controlled are colder than the rest of the house. We have to get the valves changed to fit the TRVs. They are 28mm but the Wiser TRVs are 30mm.

The app suggests a 24% saving. But I don’t know about how it works this out.
 
CollingwoodFTM said:
Hard to tell at the minute. They went in last spring. We only have 2 going at the minute. The rest will be going on the next couple of months. It is certainly noticeable that the rooms which are controlled are colder than the rest of the house. We have to get the valves changed to fit the TRVs. They are 28mm but the Wiser TRVs are 30mm.

The app suggests a 24% saving. But I don’t know about how it works this out.
Click to expand...
I’ve just looked at my gas is going up from 2.6p to 8.5p per kWh. I’d probably make the cost back in a winter at that rate.
 
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