Smart Heating

[Chris]

Has anyone got a smart heating system? 

 

We are looking for a system where we can control all the radiators individually so need smart TRVs but there is such a wide variety of systems I'm looking for advice and reviews! 

 

Thanks in advance! 

[KenONeill]

4 hours ago, Chris said:

a system where we can control all the radiators individually

What's "smart" about that (other than marketing)? We've been able to do that since we installed separate thermostatic valves about 25 years ago.

[PetrolDave]

5 hours ago, Chris said:

 a system where we can control all the radiators individually

 

59 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

What's "smart" about that (other than marketing)? We've been able to do that since we installed separate thermostatic valves about 25 years ago.

The difference is that you can do them from an app, hopefully using someting like IFTTT, to adjust the TRV settings automatically (based on time, date, who's at home, etc.) rather than having to walk round to every radiator and adjust them manually.

[cheezemonkhai]

7 hours ago, Chris said:

Has anyone got a smart heating system? 

 

We are looking for a system where we can control all the radiators individually so need smart TRVs but there is such a wide variety of systems I'm looking for advice and reviews! 

 

Thanks in advance! 

 

I've got a honeywell EvoHome system, which is (IMHO) fantastic and has really saved a lot of money.

We do use smart TRV, such that each room is controllable, but the house is on a single circuit.

 

If you can controll each radiator or each room without them, you must have one heck of a complicated zoning setup

 

What sort of things are you interested in?

 

 

  

3 hours ago, KenONeill said:

What's "smart" about that (other than marketing)? We've been able to do that since we installed separate thermostatic valves about 25 years ago.

 

Yes you can using basic TRV, but the better smart ones give you the advantages of a programmable thermostat (6 temperature changes each day) and allow you to set them by the room. You can also turn off the heating and drop it into frost mode whilst you're out, or change temperatures up/down without having to go down to a central stat or TRV.

 

It's not always useful, but for us we had a single stat in the coldest room and a set of TRV that you set to what you'd want the room to be at when it was in use. The advantage of the smart system, was that we can now set the rooms to say 10 degrees when they're not in use and the appropriate temperature when they are. This means we are only heating the rooms you are using and this is automated, such that you don't need to adjust the TRV in the room when you go in.

 

It could be achieved manually, but it's far easier without.

Our system also has a stab at (but not true German style external stat) weather compensation, such that if a weather forcast says the house will heat up and the system thinks the house will gain heat quickly enough it won't heat. It can control the hot water temperature on 6 time times, not just on/off, which has additional savings.

 

It's horses for courses, but we think it's taken about 30-40% off out gas consumption over the last couple of years.

Edited 20 July, 2022 by cheezemonkhai