Options for replacing a Worc. Digistat with something smarter

[Mrdini]

Am not "competent" so this is more just knowing my options before I go asking gas engineers once things are more back to usual..

I have a Worcester 28i Junior with a wireless Digistat (similar to this one but not the Optimiser version).

My biggest bugbear, and from what I can gather, a fairly common one(!) is lack of a 1 hour boost and the fact it's just generally a bit dumb & limited From what I can tell, wireless thermostats/programmers are not so common - most solutions out there rely on wired thermostats and/or programmers. But otherwise, it does work well enough so at the moment so more just wanting to know what's possible.

If I wanted to go with something more modern and more user-friendly, what are broadly my options without any extensive (re)wiring. Are smart stuff like Nest or Hive an option?

Thanks!

 

[muggles]

Yes, Nest will work with your boiler, or a Honeywell T6 which is a great smart thermostat and often a bit cheaper than Nest.

 

[JBR]

We had Hive installed recently and this works perfectly with our WB boiler. It has a one hour boost, as you mentioned and longer options too.

 

[Mrdini]

But would these fit inside where the current receiver is (inset in boiler) - or would the gas engineer need to blank the location of the old receiver and wire up a separate thermostat elsewhere in flat? I see the Honeywell T6R is wireless but I'm guessing the receiver unit still has to be wired up to the boiler?

 

[ianmcd]

Im sorry and I dont mean to sound rude, but you havent a clue what you are doing, buy a hive with install included from BG or a nest from Amazon with install included, or contact someone who knows how to do it ,

 

[JBR]

But would these fit inside where the current receiver is (inset in boiler) - or would the gas engineer need to blank the location of the old receiver and wire up a separate thermostat elsewhere in flat? I see the Honeywell T6R is wireless but I'm guessing the receiver unit still has to be wired up to the boiler?

The Hive equipment replaces the receiver and the thermostat.
As IanMcD said, perhaps you should pay for it doing. I did.

 

[Mrdini]

I am not sure where I have implied I wanted to do the work myself - my very first line of my post was clear that I would be asking someone to carry out the work.

Is it so bad or wrong that I want to be informed and educated of what kind of work and holes in the wall I would be seeing an engineer make in my own house ahead of making enquiries?

 

[JBR]

The old receiver is removed and a blanking plate put in its place. The new receiver is wired in in its place and, in our case anyway, is fixed to the wall adjacent to the boiler.
I'd recommend the Amazon option which includes an optional extra of a BG engineer doing the fitting.

 

[Mrdini]

Thanks! That sorta answers what I was wondering. There isn't much space around the boiler (it's inside a custom cabinet thingy) but its good to know it's not necessarily a significant wiring job - with wires all the way across the flat to a traditional "in the middle of the flat" location.

I'd heard about Amazon offering professional services, but I'd likely want to go direct with a local engineer if I did decide to get it done than a faceless engineer booked via the internet!

 

[JBR]

I'd heard about Amazon offering professional services, but I'd likely want to go direct with a local engineer if I did decide to get it done than a faceless engineer booked via the internet!

I know we hear a lot of criticism of British Gas engineers, but the chap who did ours was excellent.
I think I posted elsewhere that he warned us that our boiler flue really should have a restraining bracket, but said he'd fit the Hive components regardless.
When he'd finished, he casually added that he'd fitted a bracket f.o.c., for which I was very grateful.

 

[Captain Nemesis]

a Honeywell T6 which is a great smart thermostat.

Apart from the mind-bogglingly not-great fact that it is mains powered. Ive not seen any wireless mains electricity systems yet, so the T6 isnt wireless.