WiFi thermostat - yes or no?

Frances_B

Our thermostat must be upwards of 20 years old. The print is fading and we're keen to replace. I saw a Hive smart thermostat and we asked our gas service engineer to quote for installation but he said they never fit smart thermostats as they lose connection so often that heating is frequently cut and they get unnecessary call-outs. It's put me off a little and I wondered what modern thermostats other forum users would recommend? We are home most of the time but I do like the idea of controlling the temperature when we're out (or turning it on from bed!) With thanks in advance.

MoreProbs

In short, that's nonsence. The vast majority of CH controls - 'Smart', 'Prog Stat', or even just 'wall stats' fitted these days are wireless, and the vast majority of these work exactly as they should.

And there's even a 'wired' version of the Hive - the SLT5 - that would fit on to your existing wites. (I have one of these simply because I prefer wired to 'less, just as with my interweb, but I have BOTH (in Hive AND 'Web) with no issues from either.

(Having said that, there is a poster on here who does have connection issues with their wireless Hive).

What are the locations and distances of your WiFi hub, wall stat, and boiler? And does your house have 2' thick stone walls?!
With this we can hopefully advise more, and whether the Hive is the most future-proof model in any case. If your boiler is also old and will need replacing at some point, then consider the best forms of fine control feature such as 'Opentherm' and similar.

But, to answer your Q, most likely WiFi connection will be ok, and there are some wired versions if not.

There are other fixes too, such as using WiFi boosters, and see later post down there.

MoreProbs

Could you post a photo of your existing room stat? And your existing timer/programmer? And - if you have a hot cylinder - a photo of the wiring boxes in there. And make and model of boiler, please.

MoreProbs

If WiFi would genuinely be risky - if the wall stat location is far away from the boiler's wiring - another potential solution (if your existing wall stat is '3-wire') is to fit a normal WiFi Hive (or other make) but to mount the receiver where your wall stat is, and then your battery-powered controller can go anywhere, including next to it. 
This does work as a solution. It does mean you'll have an extra unit on your wall, tho', and it'll have bright green LEDs on it, but these can be taped over to dim them! 

Doozergirl

Have never had a problem with a smart thermostat dropping out.  On the contrary, they're hugely useful.  I've had one client who didn't seem to be able to grasp how to use their Nest but I think the issue was actually going from a Combi to a system boiler, and not setting it to their hot water needs.  

Gas engineers often don't fit them,   it's usually the electrician that does ours.  

There's such a massive culture of not wanting to fix or maintain things, which I understand when there's more work than workers, but it's unfair to put people off something that can help out massively with the bills just because you don't want to handhold.   

Frances_B

Thanks all! We don't have particularly thick walls. Our router is in the room next to the thermostat and we have a couple of boosters in other rooms also. This is the current thermostat - I can't photograph the boiler as it's built into a cabinet which is a pain to open but it's a Worcester Combi I think, 9 years old.

MoreProbs

And how close is the boiler to the wall stat?

Frances_B

MoreProbs said:

And how close is the boiler to the wall stat?

Two floors up - as the crow flies maybe 20 feet at a guess

chris_n

Not a Nest but the only issue I have come across was a wireless stat fitted at my mother in law's house. Because it was 'so complicated' she didn't notice the low battery warning. When the battery went flat the boiler lost communication and started up and carried on running. I was working in Austria at the time and got a call from my wife saying her mother's house was boiling. As I was away I had to arrange for someone to have a look, it was a very expensive battery replacement. 

grumbler

I am no expert, but I'm pretty sure that most (all?) wireless thermostats have nothing to do with WiFi. Yes, they connect wirelessly to a controller, but not via WiFi.

chrisw

I'd keep the one you have whilst it's working fine. It will probably clean up nicely with a damp cloth and at least you know what the buttons do.

You have a fully programmable thermostat but the buttons look well used manually. If it's programmed properly according to your lifestyle then it should rarely be necessary to touch any of the buttons.