WiFi thermostat - yes or no?

BlueTeal

We've had a wireless Hive thermostat since August, and the receiver that's wired to the boiler has a button for manually turning the heating on and off. So even in the absolute worst case scenario, WiFi down/connection lost/ thermostat out of batteries, you won't be forced to sit in a cold house. You only need WiFi for the app anyway, if that's down, just use it manually like a dumb thermostat. I've yet to have any issues though, except for one time there was some apparent server issue going on for maybe an hour (Googled the error message on the app and other people were moaning about it on Twitter). Can't say I've missed our old dial Honeywell for even a second.

Filklore

I've had a Hive controller for 4.5 years. Never a problem. 

Losing your internet connection means that the online functions are temporarily unavailable (such as setting a temperature with Alexa), but the actual controller will still work.

pcpaul22

Sorry to hijack the thread but if I want a hive or nest setup do I need an electrician or a gas engineer?

macman

An installer who can do heating controls. Most RGI's don't do electrics, most sparkies will know how to.
But you don't need to be either.

FaceHead

pcpaul22 said:

Sorry to hijack the thread but if I want a hive or nest setup do I need an electrician or a gas engineer?

As above it's a specialist area. Installing a single smart thermostat is a doddle for a professional (and DIYable) but clearly heating controls can get complicated. 

If you are stuck contact a gas engineer you trust, they should decline the job, but tell you who they regularly work with.

benson1980

pcpaul22 said:

Sorry to hijack the thread but if I want a hive or nest setup do I need an electrician or a gas engineer?

For the nest at least if you purchase through Amazon there's an option to include installation which is currently £120. A couple of years ago I paid a heating engineer £80 to install it having already purchased it separately. I can't remember what the cost via Amazon was back then but £120 at todays rather expensive prices doesn't seem too far off what it is likely to be independently.

BUFF

Drayton Wiser have a list of accredited installers & they extend their warranty to 5 years if you go down that route.
https://wiser.draytoncontrols.co.uk/find-an-installer

Tbf most companies have similar schemes.

cjulien

I have used a warmworld controller (dataterm) for many years in 3 houses.  Nobody has had issues fitting it.  Here is the website https://www.warmworld.co.uk/product/heating-controls-dataterm-ihc-heating-hot-water-controller

pcpaul22

Thank you guys

katejo

Frances_B said:

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.

I had a new boiler fitted in April and have a Smart Hive thermostat. I have only just started using the remote control options but it is so much better than only adjusting when at home myself.