Best Wifi enabled thermostat
Discussion
jinkster said:
The problem with lots of these internet based thermostats including Nest and Heatmiser they require 240v connection so if you don't have one that will involve hacking the plaster out to run wires and I didn't really want that having just painted.
The Salus IT500 is standalone and requires no mains to the thermostat on show.
The tado one doesn't from my understanding. The main unit goes with the boiler and there's a remote solar powered thermostat unit The Salus IT500 is standalone and requires no mains to the thermostat on show.
jinkster said:
The problem with lots of these internet based thermostats including Nest and Heatmiser they require 240v connection so if you don't have one that will involve hacking the plaster out to run wires and I didn't really want that having just painted.
The Salus IT500 is standalone and requires no mains to the thermostat on show.
The Nest doesn't http://support.nest.com/article/Power-Specificatio...The Salus IT500 is standalone and requires no mains to the thermostat on show.
pteron said:
jinkster said:
The problem with lots of these internet based thermostats including Nest and Heatmiser they require 240v connection so if you don't have one that will involve hacking the plaster out to run wires and I didn't really want that having just painted.
The Salus IT500 is standalone and requires no mains to the thermostat on show.
The Nest doesn't http://support.nest.com/article/Power-Specificatio...The Salus IT500 is standalone and requires no mains to the thermostat on show.
I did look a lot at the Nest, but was impatient and decided the Salus IT500 does everything I need; wireless remote thermostat/programmer and android/IOS app on phone for when you are away ....i dont need it to attempt to learn my patterns because there are none...im in and out at random
pteron said:
The Nest doesn't http://support.nest.com/article/Power-Specificatio...
Andy, do you know when UK consumers will be able to order the thermostat? I'm in the least 3 months of my self-build and would really like to use the product.SlidingSideways said:
Hideously expensive, use propitiatory fixings (You'll need to buy a special screwdriver) and it won't be compatible with anything else non-Apple.Dr Doofenshmirtz said:
SlidingSideways said:
Hideously expensive, use propitiatory fixings (You'll need to buy a special screwdriver) and it won't be compatible with anything else non-Apple.I have a Nest in the states. All I can say is it appears to be of extremely high quality, and a very nice screwdriver is included! (Along with a base plate if you require it to fix on the existing standard outlet).
Also the US uses a low voltage system and wiring up takes about 5 minutes as it seems the US has everything pretty standard (like not including a ground/earth on electrical outlet sockets)!
Also the US uses a low voltage system and wiring up takes about 5 minutes as it seems the US has everything pretty standard (like not including a ground/earth on electrical outlet sockets)!
I have a fairly bog standard internet connected thermostat supplied by British Gas. The main thing it does is allow me to control it from my phone and it's main use is when I am away I can switch the heating on before I get home so the house is warm when I get there. Beyond that I'm struggling to see what would be of use to me. Sure, I have it programmed with when to switch on and off on different days, but most normal thermostats do that.
Maybe we don't do it as others, I can't see us faffing about telling the heating that today I'm going to be home an hour later than usual and I really wouldn't want the heating system to be learning something from that, just because I did that today doesn't mean anything about our future pattern of behaviour.
The other issue we have is that the heating takes a long time to get the house up to temperature and it's doing that that costs money not so much keeping it there, so it coming on an hour later one day doesn't make a whole deal of difference cost wise.
Maybe I'm missing the point, but beyond being able to switch it on remotely when I've been away for a while I'm struggling with the point of this.
Maybe we don't do it as others, I can't see us faffing about telling the heating that today I'm going to be home an hour later than usual and I really wouldn't want the heating system to be learning something from that, just because I did that today doesn't mean anything about our future pattern of behaviour.
The other issue we have is that the heating takes a long time to get the house up to temperature and it's doing that that costs money not so much keeping it there, so it coming on an hour later one day doesn't make a whole deal of difference cost wise.
Maybe I'm missing the point, but beyond being able to switch it on remotely when I've been away for a while I'm struggling with the point of this.
Siscar said:
I have a fairly bog standard internet connected thermostat supplied by British Gas. The main thing it does is allow me to control it from my phone and it's main use is when I am away I can switch the heating on before I get home so the house is warm when I get there. Beyond that I'm struggling to see what would be of use to me. Sure, I have it programmed with when to switch on and off on different days, but most normal thermostats do that.
Maybe we don't do it as others, I can't see us faffing about telling the heating that today I'm going to be home an hour later than usual and I really wouldn't want the heating system to be learning something from that, just because I did that today doesn't mean anything about our future pattern of behaviour.
The other issue we have is that the heating takes a long time to get the house up to temperature and it's doing that that costs money not so much keeping it there, so it coming on an hour later one day doesn't make a whole deal of difference cost wise.
Maybe I'm missing the point, but beyond being able to switch it on remotely when I've been away for a while I'm struggling with the point of this.
Physic sayes otherwiseMaybe we don't do it as others, I can't see us faffing about telling the heating that today I'm going to be home an hour later than usual and I really wouldn't want the heating system to be learning something from that, just because I did that today doesn't mean anything about our future pattern of behaviour.
The other issue we have is that the heating takes a long time to get the house up to temperature and it's doing that that costs money not so much keeping it there, so it coming on an hour later one day doesn't make a whole deal of difference cost wise.
Maybe I'm missing the point, but beyond being able to switch it on remotely when I've been away for a while I'm struggling with the point of this.
If you are losing X amount of heat an hour then letting the house go cold reduces X
And once the house is cold then you can't lose anymore heat.
The Tado system lets you programme a zone around your house so that when your phone enters the area it turns the heating on, presumably you can sort that so that the heating comes on at the right time when you're on the way home. I can see the benefit in that. However it only works on Android or iOS, so my girlfriend with her WP8 phone will be left out in the cold when I'm not there. Literally.
I've been looking at these systems for over a year now and would like to jack off my existing thermostat as it's crap (room boiling, but still not up to temperature, followed by freezing room at "18 degrees"), but I've not seen anything that ticks all the boxes and is affordable.
The LightwaveRF system looked promising, but reading around the internet the kit basically didn't work and it's unlikely to ever be release. Is it even on their website these days?
The only thing I've found that ticked all the boxes, was £70 a room for the TRVs but lacked internet control etc and required 240v running to the thermostat, so was a lot of money for half a system. For me I thought that the big saving in heating costs would come from being able to control the TRV temperature in each room individually, so no heat in the living room in the morning etc. But there's no cheap electronic TRVs that can control boiler demand, which removes the energy saving potential.
I'm leaning towards the Tado system and having higher energy costs and a warm house as now I'm living here I'm not sure trying to automate the rooms wouldn't leave me sitting in cold rooms unexpectedly. Especially as I tend to use the cheap smokeless fuel from up the road a lot anyway.
I've been looking at these systems for over a year now and would like to jack off my existing thermostat as it's crap (room boiling, but still not up to temperature, followed by freezing room at "18 degrees"), but I've not seen anything that ticks all the boxes and is affordable.
The LightwaveRF system looked promising, but reading around the internet the kit basically didn't work and it's unlikely to ever be release. Is it even on their website these days?
The only thing I've found that ticked all the boxes, was £70 a room for the TRVs but lacked internet control etc and required 240v running to the thermostat, so was a lot of money for half a system. For me I thought that the big saving in heating costs would come from being able to control the TRV temperature in each room individually, so no heat in the living room in the morning etc. But there's no cheap electronic TRVs that can control boiler demand, which removes the energy saving potential.
I'm leaning towards the Tado system and having higher energy costs and a warm house as now I'm living here I'm not sure trying to automate the rooms wouldn't leave me sitting in cold rooms unexpectedly. Especially as I tend to use the cheap smokeless fuel from up the road a lot anyway.
McWigglebum4th said:
Siscar said:
I have a fairly bog standard internet connected thermostat supplied by British Gas. The main thing it does is allow me to control it from my phone and it's main use is when I am away I can switch the heating on before I get home so the house is warm when I get there. Beyond that I'm struggling to see what would be of use to me. Sure, I have it programmed with when to switch on and off on different days, but most normal thermostats do that.
Maybe we don't do it as others, I can't see us faffing about telling the heating that today I'm going to be home an hour later than usual and I really wouldn't want the heating system to be learning something from that, just because I did that today doesn't mean anything about our future pattern of behaviour.
The other issue we have is that the heating takes a long time to get the house up to temperature and it's doing that that costs money not so much keeping it there, so it coming on an hour later one day doesn't make a whole deal of difference cost wise.
Maybe I'm missing the point, but beyond being able to switch it on remotely when I've been away for a while I'm struggling with the point of this.
Physic sayes otherwiseMaybe we don't do it as others, I can't see us faffing about telling the heating that today I'm going to be home an hour later than usual and I really wouldn't want the heating system to be learning something from that, just because I did that today doesn't mean anything about our future pattern of behaviour.
The other issue we have is that the heating takes a long time to get the house up to temperature and it's doing that that costs money not so much keeping it there, so it coming on an hour later one day doesn't make a whole deal of difference cost wise.
Maybe I'm missing the point, but beyond being able to switch it on remotely when I've been away for a while I'm struggling with the point of this.
If you are losing X amount of heat an hour then letting the house go cold reduces X
And once the house is cold then you can't lose anymore heat.
The issue with my house may differ from usual, it's got 22 inch thick stone walls and if it's got cold it takes 24 hours to get back up to temperature in winter but I guess most houses aren't like that.
My issue is that we are a household of 2, and may be in or out daily at random so often the programmed heating could be coming on/off each day for a week at a time with no-one home. If you did switch it off when you went out, you came home and its freezing
So an internet connected box with app on the phone control works fine to switch on/off remotely. The wireless thermostat is nice to have so you have have it in the room you are using, rather than the hallway etc
I couldn't quite understand how a box like the Nest can learn the patterns you use, if the patterns are truly random...i guess its ok if you have a set routine, but then so is a programmable system......
All this is just a mid way step to full automation and connectivity...the "internet of things" is happening and in 10 years time pretty much everything will be connected
...i cant wait for the automated shopping to arrive in the fridge and the robot to wash and iron my clothes
So an internet connected box with app on the phone control works fine to switch on/off remotely. The wireless thermostat is nice to have so you have have it in the room you are using, rather than the hallway etc
I couldn't quite understand how a box like the Nest can learn the patterns you use, if the patterns are truly random...i guess its ok if you have a set routine, but then so is a programmable system......
All this is just a mid way step to full automation and connectivity...the "internet of things" is happening and in 10 years time pretty much everything will be connected
...i cant wait for the automated shopping to arrive in the fridge and the robot to wash and iron my clothes
The devil is in the detail with things like the Nest. If it takes your mobile phone location data into account it could learn the 'randomness' of your routine. Eg, if my phone appears in the Lake District on a Friday evening I'm probably at my parents for the weekend. When it arrives in Carlisle again it's safe to say I'm on my way home and the heating should be turned on.
Does it do that, or does it just save you working out your own routine?
Does it do that, or does it just save you working out your own routine?
I had the British Gas Hive controller installed just after it came out a couple of months ago. £200 including installation and allows you to control the hot water and central heating independently. It has a free app available to allow control from the phone whilst on the move.
I have been very pleased with it so far and it works well. I can definitely recommend.
I have been very pleased with it so far and it works well. I can definitely recommend.
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