Replacing wired Vaillant VRC400 thermostat - VRC470, vSmart or something else?

[Searcher2]

My mum has a Vaillant Ecotech boiler controlled by a wired VRC400 stat with weather compensation. It's started playing up with temperatures in the house when it's supposed to be 'off' being too high and the heating bill has shot through the roof. We could never work out how to use the thing anyway so I am happy to be replacing it. Our friendly Vaillant man suggested a VRC470 as a local stockist is clearing old (new) stock at £100 and he reckons it's more or less a straight swap and will be easier to use. However, I've been looking on the internet (and here) and there are suggestions that the Vaillant vSmart may be a better option - can more the thermostat into any room and can control it via a mobile phone. Then I saw someone selling a vSmart to replace it with a Drayton Wiser so they could control the radiators independently. Looking further I saw the Vaillant sensoHOME VRT380 which looks reasonably user friendly and would use the existing weather compensation wire.

I'm pondering which would be the best replacement considering ease of use and energy efficiency (thinking of weather comp possibly) so was looking for a bit of advice. I was thinking going with a Vaillant solution should mean it is more integrated.

 

[Searcher2]

Since posting the above question I have decided to have a moveable thermostat so that means a vSmart or a non Vaillant one such as the Drayton Wiser. Is there any advantage to using the vSmart over (for example) the Drayton in terms of efficiency or wear on the Vaillant boiler?

 

[Deleted member 281264]

Drayton cannot communicate on ebus, Vaillant boilers are best controlled with their own controls. They can't modulate with 3rd party controls, only turn on and off.

 

[Searcher2]

Thanks. I thought that might be the case. So it's a vSmart or a Vaillant wireless thermostat I think. Probably vSmart

 

[Deleted member 281264]

Thanks. I thought that might be the case. So it's a vSmart or a Vaillant wireless thermostat I think. Probably vSmart

Go for sensocomfort or sensohome

 

[ScottishGasMan]

sensoHOME. Wired version will also be able to make use of the outdoor sensor. (assuming this is a combi boiler)

If your moving your stat about the house then your using it wrong.

 

[Searcher2]

No love for the vSmart then. Is that because it relies on internet? Or maybe because the wired weather compensator is better on the Sensohome/comfort. Personally I have a Honeywell Evohome and like being able to switch on my heating remotely before I set off home from wherever I have been (don't have a regular pattern of being at home) which was why I was thinking the vSmart would be good.

Currently the VRC400 is in the hallway. I would have thought a replacement
would be better in the room my mum lives in - hence me thinking that a wireless control in the living room would work better. But maybe I am understanding it wrong.

Oh .. and it is a combi boiler

 

[ScottishGasMan]

No issue with the VSmart, the senso range are better controllers imo but vsmart does the job. And I do think there's an advantage to Internet controls by the fact you can have access on your phone aswell to make sure there ok.

I'm planning on doing same with my folks so I can keep an eye on heating if they do get confused with anything and will also get alerts if likes of water pressure goes low etc

No harm in having the control in the main living space, as long its in a fixed position, when folk start carrying them about with them (which they do) then the info the boiler gets is wild and erratic, controls get broken or sat in sunlight or onto of radiators etc which causes all manner of problems.

The VSmart is certainly easy to use, the in home control has only plus or minus, all timed settings and configuration is done via the app

 

[Deleted member 281264]

No issue with the VSmart, the senso range are better controllers imo but vsmart does the job. And I do think there's an advantage to Internet controls by the fact you can have access on your phone aswell to make sure there ok.

I'm planning on doing same with my folks so I can keep an eye on heating if they do get confused with anything and will also get alerts if likes of water pressure goes low etc

No harm in having the control in the main living space, as long its in a fixed position, when folk start carrying them about with them (which they do) then the info the boiler gets is wild and erratic, controls get broken or sat in sunlight or onto of radiators etc which causes all manner of problems.

The VSmart is certainly easy to use, the in home control has only plus or minus, all timed settings and configuration is done via the app

I've been taking my sensocomfort RF around the house with me a lot lol

Where would you suggest the best place to put the thermostat?

 

[ScottishGasMan]

just somewhere central thats not affected by sunlight/cooking heat etc too much or the living room.