Help me choose a smart heating controller thing

I had a Tado system at the last house. It was great. Had location awareness so I rarely had to turn it off, we set a schedule and if no one was home when hearing or water was supposed to be on, it would just not come on.

Had a box to replace the programmer and a thermostat to replace the wall thermostat. Wiring was pretty straightforward - their support will help if you send them a load of pics and tell you what to wire where.

Now have a hive system as it was already in the new house. It’s fine I guess but the lack of location awareness is annoying (when I go out it prompts me to turn off the heating but I wish it just did it automatically).

I've got Wiser. If you've got a standard UK controller (which yours looks like) it has a standard back plate. You just take off the old front and put the new front on. Only other thing to do is to bridge the old room thermostat as permanently on if it's a wired one (the new thermostat is wireless). I've also got wireless thermostatic valves in a few rooms so can e.g. turn the heating on in my bedroom 15 minutes before I get up.

Really simple to use app too.

I've got Tado, primarily for the location awareness, which is great as we have irregular patterns of being at home. Have the controller and also a bunch of thermostatic valves so we can do cool stuff like not heat our office room at weekends or heat the bedrooms during the day when we're working from home in the winter.
Works really well, two niggles are the valves get through batteries in about 8 months, and the warning alert goes off after about 6 - so you can go for ages without them dying. The other quirk, depending on your phone, is making sure the app can run all the time and not be shut off to save phone power - if it does that, you lose the location awareness!

I've a netatmo heating controller. Doesn't do hot water though. Otherwise it works well.

Funny - i was literally just looking at this idea..

Our new house has TWO heating systems (and 2 thermostats)..
One is a combi, the other has a thermostat connected to a twin controller (with a heat only boiler, and hot water tank etc).

I THINK I'll be going Nest (the new E model) as can jsut replace the wall mounted thermostats - have the heating to 'always on', and use the nest to control each heating system.
I guess this means the hot water will stll run off the schedule of the controller unit, right?

DrP

Nest can't work with smart TRVs - which to me is the big plus of a smart heating controller. I went with Wiser because it's pretty cheap and doesn't require a monthly subscription.

Doesn't have native location - need to use IFTTT. And mine kept disconnecting from my Eero wifi so I put an old AP back on the network for it.

Apart from that works well for me. Great to be able to heat each room individually.

I settled on Wiser as, as above it can use smart TRVs but also I think it’s one of the only systems that has full local control (I.e. doesn’t rely on a cloud server/internet access)
Also as above, the WiFi seems a bit pants so you’ll want a decent mesh system or similar!! I also managed to kill/brick one of my TRVs by letting the battery go flat… so don’t do that! Might investigate ways to use mains adapters instead, at some stage.
It doesn’t have as many features as other systems, but depending on tech-savvyness there are ways around. (Mine is part of a full Home Assistant home automation setup). Also don’t think it plays nicely out-the-box with HomeKit but again, there are ways around that.
Overall happy with it, would recommend noting the above caveats. The app is pretty easy to use.
Haven’t used any other systems to compare but, looking at feature lists, every system (including Wiser) involves some compromises.
All the systems seem to be discounted on BF, if you can wait that long.

Hive user here. The standard backplate meant our install was as simple as removing one and replacing it with another, there was the usual faff with setting an app up but it wasn't exactly difficult.
The TRV's weren't too bad, the calibration can be a bit of a faff and would probably be impossible this weather (they need the heating to be on!), we needed some extra adaptors that weren't standard but they posted them out free.

Scheduling & remote operation all works fine, in a 'it just works' so no news is good news kinda way.

Another vote for Tado here, we’ve got a full setup with smart TRVs in every room. Installation was simple and you enter what your current setup is on their website and they tell you what you need, and how to wire it. It also works with home assistant if that is of interest, but isn’t full local control like the wiser system

Hive is actually one I wouldn’t personally recommend, not because it’s bad per se, just that as home automation gets more popular, the bigger companies (e.g. nest, owned by Google) will start to push out the smaller ones, and if they don’t get bought out will simply shut off their servers - which has already happened with Hive in North America! So anyone who invested in that system now has a very expensive manual one! Could potentially happen with any cloud-server reliant system, of course.

thinking about my system, I won't really use controlled TRVs as half the house is UFH.

I've gone for a pair of the Nest E thermostat as I can just install the controller in place of the current thermostats, and have the screen/unit in the main rooms...

DrP

Thanks all. Have emailed Tado to see what's required 👍

Has anyone got experience of running a Tado set in a tall house? I'm wanting to use them in a property which is over 4 floors and I have heard tell that the central thermostat may struggle to communicate to both the top and bottom of the house.
So another way of asking the same question is what is the range of the central control unit.

As I’ve said on all these threads I would heartily recommend Tado. If you can stomach the annoying subscription model that they bought in for new users, then it seems to have none of the caveats that others have that would be showstoppers for me.

The other quirk, depending on your phone, is making sure the app can run all the time and not be shut off to save phone power – if it does that, you lose the location awareness!

Is that an Android thing? Sounds annoying!

Has anyone got experience of running a Tado set in a tall house?

I have the opposite - a very long house, which I think is worse as you’re going through brick walls not wooden floors. With the gateway centrally located it works fine. I think, either automatically or by contacting Tado, the power to the wireless receiver in each unit can be boosted (at the expense of battery life) if you have issues.

How long has there been a “standard” backplate? My system is over 20 years old, is it likely to have one?

Mine was newer than that, but didn’t have it. The wiring’s easy enough anyway though.

What's really interesting in reading up/YT vids on this, is the US and Euro/UK systems are SOOOOO different....

The US seems much simpler - the boiler controls AND POWER/LIVE FEED are from the 'head unit/thermostat', wheras in the UK, the thermostats just complete a circuit - no live power..
Hence the need for 'heat link' boxes etc

DrP

I've got two systems....

Tado in the house we live in. Great. smart TRV on every rad plus some thermostats that take control over bigger spaces. Big big money saving in the last 12 months plus making it more bearable to live in (biggish old poorly insulated house in rural northern Scotland on LPG).

I've put together a very simple system for the holiday home next door using zigbee components. This gives me the ability to have an element of control and monitor the temperatures in the house from my phone. It is not as smart but I figured with different people in every week many of the features of a smart system like Tado would be lost. Punters can still operate the TRVs in the bedrooms rooms and as I put the system over the top of the existing underfloor heating system can tweak the temperature a few degrees either way downstairs. But they can't take the piss. I can also tweak the hot water system from week to week depending on the number of guests etc without going in.

The Tado system was expensive - all in I bet it was not too far short of £1K but it saved that easily in the first year. The zigbee systems was buttons in comparison - maybe £150 tops....

As already said the biggest issue with Tado is the stupid connectivity functionality. Even my cheap as chips zigbee componentry mesh by default.

I’ve put together a very simple system for the holiday home next door using zigbee components.

Hive is actually one I wouldn’t personally recommend, not because it’s bad per se, just that as home automation gets more popular, the bigger companies (e.g. nest, owned by Google) will start to push out the smaller ones, and if they don’t get bought out will simply shut off their servers

Hive are Centrica, so hardly a small company and I wouldn't be concerned about them going anywhere.

Issues with North America possibly more likely to be related to the significant differences in the heating systems for each region, and a European company struggling to adapt their product.

Wundasmart is a Tado competitor and does the same thing but without a subscription. Thermostats are better too.

Wundasmart is a Tado competitor and does the same thing but without a subscription. Thermostats are better too.

Hive user here (*combi though - so heating only), works well, we originally bought when hive was new so got an introductory offer and we needed a new thermostat etc.

Works fine for heating (thermostat, schedule, holiday mode, remote access, boost is quite handy - heating on for set temp and amount of time)
Also now using
- motion sensor on garage door (could be linked to other stuff via actions facility)
- outdoor lights via bulbs ( on at sunset, off to a schedule)
- outdoor Xmas and tree lights (*outside plugs via schedule)

It just seems to work and adding bits is easy as they now seem to self register, also links to Alexa.

Hive are Centrica, so hardly a small company and I wouldn’t be concerned about them going anywhere.

Hive discontinuing some of their cloud serviced devices.

Following with interest. Currently using Nest but leaving it when we move. Nest hasn't changed in years, and want TRV controls next time to zone better for WFH. Also would want something using the Matter standard and HomeKit compatible.

Interesting, didn’t even know about that! And to be pedantic, Hive [i]aren’t[/i] Centrica - they’re a (relatively small) subsidiary, I.e. ideal to be sold off or quietly wound up if they prove not to be worthwhile.

Mmmm no I didn’t know that either, mind you it does seem to impact what I use, but not good news I’d say.

OK, I work for British Gas and have installed hundreds of Hive systems. It's fine. Do I have it at home? No. I have Honeywell's EvoHome which allows me to control each radiator or room independently from a touch panel in the kitchen. I fitted it because at the time Hive TRVs weren't available, but I still prefer the touch screen interface instead of having to use my phone/ipad or whatever. The downside to EvoHome is that it gets spendy quite quickly. However in my opinion it's the best there is. You get the full range of smart features plus endless options and solutions for underfloor, big rooms, little rooms, multi radiator rooms, Alexa integration etc.

Hive is relatively cheap and you can add TRVs (not cheap) but there's no seperate control interface for all your rooms other than your app.

For the record, Hive used to be a seperate company but has been bought by British Gas and as such is unlikely to be wound up or sold off, they have poured a huge amount of money into the whole smart home thing.

Was surprised to see no other EVOHomme users until the last post.

I’ve been using EvoHome for a number of years now. All radiators in the house have smart TRV’s. It’s pricy to setup but IMO worth the cost.

It’s not been trouble free with some odd behaviour issues ie random switching on etc at times, but EvoHome did a lot of system updates last year and it’s been very stable ever since

Re 4 floors comms - that’s the bit that all of these systems appear a bit of a lottery. EvoHome doesn’t use wifi to communicate with TRV’s and some providers sell equipment to let you test signal strength (bit pricey). However in our house our wifi router wouldn’t reach in to the old part of the house and certainly not through 2 solid walls. Installing a mesh network I now just about get signal through the 2nd wall. EvoHome doesn’t use the wifi, whatever frequency it does use has no issues communicating with the TRV 2 walls through and the signal strength is still reasonably strong

I love being able to control my heating from my phone, and indeed each room.

It was mega spendy, at leat £70 per room plus the initial controller cost and hot water controller unit. Over time I have also added wall thermostats to some rooms as the TRV temperature control can be a little inconsistent, but that will be the same for any smart TRV that is behind a sofa, near a bed etc

Every home I ever buy though will now have EvoHome fitted or a similar solution

I have a combi and used to have a programmable stat and usual TRVs. Working from home so heating the whole house or doing the rounds every day to adjust TRVs then remember to reset then later on.

We had the choice of heat the whole house or not. Some rooms got hotter than others and some never really warm enough despite balancing rads and TRVs. Gas bill was high. Frequent winter weekend away meant come home to a cold house on Sunday night.

I picked up Tado in an Amazon sale. £300 for a wired thermostat and 6 TRVs. To get the most of it it need a TRV on every room/zone that you want to control individually.

Tado is working brilliantly for us.

Central smart stat allows much better control on timing, plus remote control.
Want to go away for the weekend or just out for the day? Turn it off then back on during the drive home.
Temperature graphs let you work out how the house heats and cools so you can go away for a winter weekend, then turn it on before the journey home and come back to a warm house.

Since each TRV can call for heat so the rooms that used to be coldest are warmer and the ones we are not in are turned down so you get both savings and increased comfort.
The savings are real and clearly visible in kWH consumption from the meter readings. I reckon their app estimate of 25% average is fairly close to actual, if not pessimistic. With current gas prices it'll pay back in a year from install.

Control of possible in the hardware itself, by app and through voice.

It's not very automated outside of the very detailed and easy programming but it's great if you don't mind a bit of manual intervention from a nicely built app or Google Voice i.e. turning down rooms when not in use. Just think of it like turning off light switches.

Another aside, each TRV reports room temp to the app. This was great during the heatwave as you can see the hot rooms and by using an outside thermometer easy to work out when to open doors and windows only when the room hotter than outside.

We're running subscription free so the geofencing is not automatic but you do get a popup on your phone so easy enough to manage manually. I'd prefer this as in winter we want heating on in advance of return, well before the geofencing would pick up we're coming back (i.e turn it on from the motorway, easy enough since me and the Mrs often travel together).