Controlling heating via smart thermostats and smart TRVs?

Controlling heating via smart thermostats and smart TRVs?

9:52 AM, 20th April 2016, About 8 years ago 25

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I have a property that I rent out with all bills included. However much like other landlords i find the heating is left on coupled with windows left open and hefty bills.smart

At the moment I’m sprucing the property up and have installed thermoboards to rooms where there are exterior facing walls, to help insulate the property and was looking in to standard Thermostatic Radiator Valves.

I’ve seen the Inspire Home Automation Wireless Thermostat @ £190 and this looks promising in that it gives tenants some flexibility and provides a boost function. I foresee this reducing my bills slightly.

Regarding windows left open and heating on, I’ve seen a product by Danfoss which is a Thermostatic Radiator Valve which also has an “open window sensor” which if senses a window open, closes the valve immediately. This costs around £50 per valve and I’d fit to the radiators in the bedrooms only.

Has anyone had experience of using this TRV? or any like it?

Should I invest in both solutions, or perhaps one of them?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Zee


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Ris Zee

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0:06 AM, 5th May 2016, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Ris Zee" at "05/05/2016 - 00:01":

Thank you John, Tim and Louise for your responses.

Louise regarding the electric radiators with window sensors, could you send me more details about these including how cost efficient they are say compared to standard non electric radiators?

John Frith

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8:57 AM, 5th May 2016, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Ris Zee" at "05/05/2016 - 00:01":

If you're not going for the zoned solution, then the logic behind the positioning of the thermostat is to put it in the room that's the most difficult to heat (often a hallway). In other, easier to heat rooms, then the thermostatic radiator valves (TRV's) can be turned down from the maximum. If you put the thermostat in the kitchen then if people are cooking, then the boiler will think the house is warm enough and not bother to come on.

Of course a zoned solution removes these issues.

From the smart heating systems I've looked at, if you currently have a wired thermostat, a new smart thermostat should be able to use the same wiring.

I searched for "Home Automation Wireless Thermostat" (which you mentioned in your original post), but from the results, I wasn't sure which manufacturer you were looking at.

Ris Zee

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10:15 AM, 5th May 2016, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "John Frith" at "05/05/2016 - 08:57":

Hi John,

Thanks for your perspective. This helps greatly.

On that note, what radiator would i be better off installing in the hall? A single panel radiator or a double panel and should the BTU exceed the space requirements?
I'm thinking single panel with moderate BTU to ensure this is not the warmest part of the property.
The hall location would be ideal as the router is located here too.

The solution i was referring to is:
Inspire Home Automation for landlords.

John Frith

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15:30 PM, 5th May 2016, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Robert Mellors" at "20/04/2016 - 12:15":

I've now looked at the Inspire system, and they definitely score in terms of catering for the landlord. It's an entry level system, so cheap and cheerful. Not sure how the geo-location facility would work in an HMO, but tamper proof is good.

Robert, you suggest the Inspire system can be made into a zoned system by buying more than one thermostat, but by my understanding that wouldn't be a true zoned system. Without smart TRV's, EVERY zone would still be heated whenever ANY ONE of the zones called for heat. In a true zoned system each zone is heated (or not) independently.

Ian Simpson

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19:22 PM, 14th May 2016, About 8 years ago

I have used the Heatmiser Neostat in one property, and a TADO system in another. On balance I prefer the Heatmiser... I am changing the TAdo over to the new Heatmiser AIR , out next week, which gives fiully wireless control of both heating and hot water through an App, or website control... It can be security locked with a code to prevent on site tampering and can also be screwed to a wall, as the current tado system has a moveable temperature sensor, which inevitably gets put in the garage or even in a fridge!! Yes , I found it in there once! So the system thinks it is really cold in there and then jacks up the heating... ANyway, those games are soon to be over..

The only problem with keeping your property at a sensible 19 degrees, is tenants then use fan heaters or plate heaters in the rooms which is a. A fire risk , and b. Cost a fortune in electricity... Dont worry, all ASTs already say they are forbidden, but you know what tenants are like! I may have to change all the bedroom socket CBs to 5A instead of 15A...!! The games continue./...!!

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