Best Wifi enabled thermostat
Discussion
kambites said:
What's the RF range of these systems like? We have a modern detached house with an extension (so there's an internal double-skinned wall). Wifi struggles to work end-to-end of the house so we have home plug based hot spots; will something like the Drayton wiser have similar signal issues?
I know Drayton do a plug-in range extender but I can't see any details on the price.
Read back a few pages for feedback on the Drayton setup, but it isn't great reading in general.I know Drayton do a plug-in range extender but I can't see any details on the price.
Oakey said:
My issue with paying a bit more for EvoHome is that I rent so I want something that isn't a major ballache to replace and put back to how it was previously if I have to move out!
My landlord's plumber can probably cope with the Drayton, I'm not so sure about the Honeywell stuff
Have you considered Tado? That should be somewhere in between the two in terms of cost, and they do a rental option as well, which might suit your situation. Installation is pretty straight forward - if you can't manage it yourself, a competent heating engineer should have no bother. Most of the setup is done in the app anyway.My landlord's plumber can probably cope with the Drayton, I'm not so sure about the Honeywell stuff
Trustmeimadoctor said:
Yeah I'm sure they do a wall mount for it
They do. We put it in the kitchen island post in our last place (not a great pic, but you can see the controller high up on the post). A useful trait of Evohome is that you don't need the controller in the coldest part of the house (unlike Nest etc), as each radiator TRV is its own room thermostat. So the controller can go anywhere you want - usefully here, it was the thermostat for the kitchen UFH.
In a traditional system, or Nest type system, you heat the coldest bit of the house up to the required temperature set by the stat. Your TRVs regulate the individual rooms. Good thing about Evohome (and I guess the Drayton thing when it works) is you don't waste heat heating the hallway. You just heat the rooms you want as each TRV can call for heat.
Untitled by baconrashers, on FlickrEdited by Harry Flashman on Wednesday 22 November 15:20
Adding to the previous post, Evohome allows you to have a different schedule for each zone. In my case, each zone is an individual room. Each room can be set to a different temperature up to 6 (I think) times a day.
I have the bedrooms warmer in the morning than the late evening, and off during the day and night. The bathroom is warm for the morning, warmer at shower time, low during the day off at night.
The lounge only gets heated in the evening. Kitchen diner warmer in the morning and late afternoon. Workshop warm during the day when I'm working at home, off at night and the days when I'm not at home.
Although a single 'stat and mechanical TRVs will control the max temp of each room, it's a waste if that room isn't being used.
I expect that my Evohome setup will pay for itself in 3 or 4 years (1 tank of oil per year, rather than 3 every 2 years).
I have the bedrooms warmer in the morning than the late evening, and off during the day and night. The bathroom is warm for the morning, warmer at shower time, low during the day off at night.
The lounge only gets heated in the evening. Kitchen diner warmer in the morning and late afternoon. Workshop warm during the day when I'm working at home, off at night and the days when I'm not at home.
Although a single 'stat and mechanical TRVs will control the max temp of each room, it's a waste if that room isn't being used.
I expect that my Evohome setup will pay for itself in 3 or 4 years (1 tank of oil per year, rather than 3 every 2 years).
kambites said:
The problem is, it's not "a bit more", it's nearly twice the price. Realistically if the Wiser doesn't work we'll stick with a conventional single stat and passive TRVs that we've got now.
The recent reviews of the Wiser seem fairly good. I wonder if they just released the thing before the firmware was ready rather than there being a fundamental issue with the hardware. I don't particularly want the internet connectivity side of it, I just want the cheapest way to a multi-zone, individually timed central heating system.
ETA: I know it's a minor thing, but I also don't like the Honeywell TRVs, having a screen on them looks utterly ridiculous to me.
Twice the price seems "good value"when it works properly. I had the wiser, and thought the exact same as you "cheap zone heating,great!" , Very quickly however cheap seems expensive when it doesn't work.The recent reviews of the Wiser seem fairly good. I wonder if they just released the thing before the firmware was ready rather than there being a fundamental issue with the hardware. I don't particularly want the internet connectivity side of it, I just want the cheapest way to a multi-zone, individually timed central heating system.
ETA: I know it's a minor thing, but I also don't like the Honeywell TRVs, having a screen on them looks utterly ridiculous to me.
Edited by kambites on Wednesday 22 November 13:33
I agree, wiser has been rushed to market more than likely by patent company Schneider, who want a peice of the ever growing smart home heating world.
As far as the Honeywell trvs, at first I thought that about the window. But you know what, after having the wiser and never really knowing what was happening unless phone was in hand the window is brilliant!
At a glance I can see the temp of the room,the battery life, signal and when you turn it up it's not just a "+3c boost for a hour" like the wiser, it's a actual temperature that you can see and set.
Each to their own, your kit may be great. I may of been unlucky.
You pay your money... etc
As far as I can see for our house I'd be looking at about £380 for Wiser or £650 for Evohome. So not double, but considerably more.
I think I'll probably just leave it for now and see if the Wiser thing improves with time and firmware updates because I can't justify £650 for something which at most is going to recoup about £100 a year.
ETA: Actually you seem to be able to get the four-zone TRV kits for about £195 for Evohome, so more like £580. A £200 difference isn't quite as bad as a near-£300 one I suppose. It's just a bit annoying that I don't actually want any of the extra features of the Honeywell setup, I just want something which works.
I think I'll probably just leave it for now and see if the Wiser thing improves with time and firmware updates because I can't justify £650 for something which at most is going to recoup about £100 a year.
ETA: Actually you seem to be able to get the four-zone TRV kits for about £195 for Evohome, so more like £580. A £200 difference isn't quite as bad as a near-£300 one I suppose. It's just a bit annoying that I don't actually want any of the extra features of the Honeywell setup, I just want something which works.
Edited by kambites on Wednesday 22 November 17:06
Harry Flashman said:
Look around for Evohome kit. I found the latest controller for £190 from an eBay seller, and four TRVs for 195. Hot water cylinder kit is 86.
That comes to a fair bit more than the £360 quoted above - I thought £360 sounded optimistic.My Wiser setup has been running quite happily since I last posted. While I have the range extender, I'm not currently using it because it's fine without. Interesting to read that the extenders create a mesh so you can cover a larger house using a number of them. I don't know how you acquire the range extender except direct from Drayton, which surely can't be free each time you ask for one.
I think Shady Lee is being a bit OTT with the negativity after only trying it for a week or so; there are a few of us guinea pigs willing to see how it works longer term
Jobbo said:
I think Shady Lee is being a bit OTT with the negativity after only trying it for a week or so; there are a few of us guinea pigs willing to see how it works longer term
Almost a month I had mine. like I keep saying, My kit, my house whatever it may of been but it didn't work for me full stop.Early push maybe. Good to hear it's working fine for you, I had a shoddy experience and I'm glad I changed.
Just "my" opinion, happy it seems to have sorted itself for others etc.
Re, range extender, hive charge for theirs so happy days if they are all still free with Drayton lol
Jobbo said:
Harry Flashman said:
Look around for Evohome kit. I found the latest controller for £190 from an eBay seller, and four TRVs for 195. Hot water cylinder kit is 86.
That comes to a fair bit more than the £360 quoted above - I thought £360 sounded optimistic.
Some advice please
We have a three bedroom semi with a small extension. It's wife, three year old and me who live there. It'll remain as is for at least two years but hoping to do a double storey side extension and back extension in a couple of years. And perhaps a 50m+ summerhouse at the back of the garden at the same time
We have the most basic heating controls at the moment. We have a combi boiler but this will be swapped for large tank(s) with the extension
Shall I get nest at £155 from Amazon plus £60 installation or evohome? Any evohome deals around?
What kit would I need for a three bedroom semi?
Does evohome require bits to be plumbed into radiators? What is the typical installation cost?
We have a three bedroom semi with a small extension. It's wife, three year old and me who live there. It'll remain as is for at least two years but hoping to do a double storey side extension and back extension in a couple of years. And perhaps a 50m+ summerhouse at the back of the garden at the same time
We have the most basic heating controls at the moment. We have a combi boiler but this will be swapped for large tank(s) with the extension
Shall I get nest at £155 from Amazon plus £60 installation or evohome? Any evohome deals around?
What kit would I need for a three bedroom semi?
Does evohome require bits to be plumbed into radiators? What is the typical installation cost?
Edited by MrJuice on Thursday 23 November 11:27
dmsims said:
Jobbo said:
Harry Flashman said:
Look around for Evohome kit. I found the latest controller for £190 from an eBay seller, and four TRVs for 195. Hot water cylinder kit is 86.
That comes to a fair bit more than the £360 quoted above - I thought £360 sounded optimistic.At £170 for four TRVs, they're down to £42.50 each. I wonder how much the Drayton Wiser TRVs (£34.99 each RRP) will become when bundled together and more widely available?
ETA: not exactly a standard price, looking on eBay; you can't really refer to a lucky snipe as being the usual price!
Edited by Jobbo on Thursday 23 November 12:32
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