Are there Sonoff users here?

[RichD1]

I'd like to make my central heating smart. Tried Wiser last year but after spending about two weeks talking to their Tech Support trying to get it set up I gave up and returned. The guy eventually admitted there there are some issues with their software/firmware with IoS devices.

I've now come across this company Sonoff which appears to have the devices which I think will do the job.

What I'm looking for is smart TRvs which will switch the boiler on and off when they require heat.

Looking at the products they have a TRV and external temperature sensors which I think can link together or link to several TRVs such as in our lounge where we have two rads. Then these communicate to a NS control panel which in turn talks to a dry contact switch unit located on the boiler?

Am I reading this correct and will the NS take up to 12 TRVs.

All help will be much appreciated.

 

[omega015]

Do you have any existing smart home solutions in place like alexa, google home, home assistant etc... using the sonoff in isolation could work but I am not sure on the flexibility they offer? geo location, multiple schedules and other automation etc.. there are other smart valves you could look at like aqara, tado, tp link, evohome (although thats a full blown solution itself and not cheap) so plenty of options and you dont really need to have the same brand as whatever you will ultimately have controlling the boiler (although care should be taken to consider boiler cycle rates, min run times etc..

I will give the NS panel points for looking not too bad but is there version for the UK (in terms of mounting) or just using the additional stand? Do you have the ns panel already?

 

[Mister Banks]

I'd like to make my central heating smart. Tried Wiser last year but after spending about two weeks talking to their Tech Support trying to get it set up I gave up and returned. The guy eventually admitted there there are some issues with their software/firmware with IoS devices.

I've now come across this company Sonoff which appears to have the devices which I think will do the job.

What I'm looking for is smart TRvs which will switch the boiler on and off when they require heat.

Looking at the products they have a TRV and external temperature sensors which I think can link together or link to several TRVs such as in our lounge where we have two rads. Then these communicate to a NS control panel which in turn talks to a dry contact switch unit located on the boiler?

Am I reading this correct and will the NS take up to 12 TRVs.

All help will be much appreciated.

There is a v2 Wiser hubr now that might be worth a look. I use the new v2 hubr without IOS issues but having said that I had no issues before when on the v1 hubr.

 

[RichD1]

Do you have any existing smart home solutions in place like alexa, google home, home assistant etc... using the sonoff in isolation could work but I am not sure on the flexibility they offer? geo location, multiple schedules and other automation etc.. there are other smart valves you could look at like aqara, tado, tp link, evohome (although thats a full blown solution itself and not cheap) so plenty of options and you dont really need to have the same brand as whatever you will ultimately have controlling the boiler (although care should be taken to consider boiler cycle rates, min run times etc..

I will give the NS panel points for looking not too bad but is there version for the UK (in terms of mounting) or just using the additional stand? Do you have the ns panel already?

No, I don’t have any existing smart devices so no experience with App controls.

I did scour the internet for suitable devices and read up on those you mention. Tado is too expensive at £76 a TRV, Evohome again expensive and in my mind is outdated. TP-Link is around the same price so could also be a possibility.

 

[ericmark]

Interesting. I have tried with my own house, and have ended up with a mixture which works of sorts, but not really what I wanted.

The main problem I have is the TRV is on a radiator next to the outside wall, so the start temperature and run temperature are not the same.

Ideal would be a wall thermostat controlling the TRV, but I have not found such a device.

Of the 12 heated areas, 3 are important, living room, my bedroom and wife's bedroom. The rest only need to be near enough. 4 makes of TRV head, energenie, Kasa, eQ-3 and Wiser. Each has plus and minus features, and non are perfect.

The Energenie the anti-hysteresis was OTT, and to change a rooms temperature from 17ºC overnight to 20ºC during the day, I had to cheat, set to 22ºC for an hour, then 20ºC which means geofencing will not work.

I tried geofencing with Nest gen3, there is no option to set distance. Both Energenie and Wiser use IFTTT, I have not tried to set geofencing with IFTTT. Not looked at Kasa, and eQ-3 is only bluetooth.

The setting of time on the TRV, relies on the boiler running, so for upper rooms or main house, there are 3 devices which can fire the boiler, down steps in flat a 4th wall thermostat rather basic and simple, used only when we have guests.

 

[RichD1]

Ideal would be a wall thermostat controlling the TRV, but I have not found such

Sonoff say their external temperature sensor will control the TRV via a gateway. I assume this must be their NS control panel device. Tapo Kasa also advertise the same ability.

 

[ericmark]

I got a Kasa, batteries short lived compared with others, and the thermostat had to be hard wired, had there been a wireless version would have stuck with Kasa. The Kasa and Tapo hubs were seprate although both TP-link but now software update and work together use the two as door bells.

Wiser is it seems zigbee, but will not work with my other zigbee stuff.

At moment waiting to see how it works this winter before spending more money.

 

[petebuiltit]

I have setup my own smart heating. I use so off and zwave switches. I use them to power a heating manifold motorised valve. I then use a wireless thermostat in each room and then use a short LUA script to switch the valves on depending on room temperature.

 

[petebuiltit]

I have setup my own smart heating. I use so off and zwave switches. I use them to power a heating manifold motorised valve. I then use a wireless thermostat in each room and then use a short LUA script to switch the valves on depending on room temperature

 

[Mister Banks]

I have setup my own smart heating. I use so off and zwave switches. I use them to power a heating manifold motorised valve. I then use a wireless thermostat in each room and then use a short LUA script to switch the valves on depending on room temperature

That’s not “smart” heating, it’s just remote control of a switch.

 

[petebuiltit]

Nope, it's smart. It's runs all by itself, no interaction from me. With a few microwave presence sensors even lowers the temperature when nobody is in a room. I've also added window sensors and if a window opens it shuts off the heating.

 

[RichD1]

Nope, it's smart. It's runs all by itself, no interaction from me. With a few microwave presence sensors even lowers the temperature when nobody is in a room. I've also added window sensors and if a window opens it shuts off the heating.

Are you controlling a UFH system? But I guess it’s the same whether it’s UFH or conventional radiators.

What Sonoff products are you using?

 

[petebuiltit]

Mines above floor radiators. Each connected to a manifold. I use so off mini R2 flashed with Tasmota. On some I use zwave fibaro relays but they are two expensive in my opinion.

 

[Mister Banks]

Nope, it's smart. It's runs all by itself, no interaction from me. With a few microwave presence sensors even lowers the temperature when nobody is in a room. I've also added window sensors and if a window opens it shuts off the heating.

I guess “smart” heating means different things to different folk.

 

[petebuiltit]

I guess “smart” heating means different things to different folk.

Yeah, I guess