Wireless thermostat

[CD85]

Evening all,

I am looking for a wireless thermostat which can replace the timer in an ideal exclusive combi boiler.

I know Salus do one which is suited for replacing the timer, RXBC605. My understanding is this would be a direct replacement but looking at the wiring diagram it doesn't have a netural?

The current setup is just a wired thermostat in the wrong location, main reason for wanting a wireless unit with the receiver to replace the timer is the boiler is boxed in with no space to fit the wireless receiver easily.

The boiler is just a basic on off, no opentherm.

I am open to other brands if anyone knows of one, also does anyone have any feedback on Salus? I would be looking at getting the RT510BC+

Thanks.

 

[CBW]

Salus are usually garbage. Not sure I know of a direct replacement.

 

[ericmark]

The only wireless thermostat I know of which does not require a neutral is the Nest e. No a lover of Nest as it does not link to TRV heads, but that is only base I know of with does not require a neutral.

It seems unlikely the timer did not have a neutral, if there is a neutral then you want a replacement which has some sort of fail safe, the one I got for my mother seemed to tick all the boxes, but did not fail safe, it left the central heating running when it lost contact with the base, the other one I got had a built in anti-hysteresis software, which worked by as it approached target temperature it started to cycle on/off (called mark/space ratio) so it would not over shoot, seems good idea, however the boiler was a modulating type (it turns down output) and the switching on/off messed up the boilers control system and stopped it gaining the latent heat from flue gases.

So to get a wireless thermostat one is looking at £100 plus, wired there are loads of programmable thermostats for around £35, but wireless the cheap versions are no good. About the cheapest is likely Hive.

The problem with Hive is it stops getting a demand for heat over 22°C which is great when mounted in the hall which is unlikely to reach that temperature, but in the living room it can mean other rooms with linked TRV's get cool. But this is only a problem when using linked TRV heads.

In real terms most modulating gas boilers don't need a wall thermostat, we are able to manually judge when we need central heating, and the TRV's adjust output to each room, so an on/off switch/timer is really enough.

I have a Nest Gen 3 thermostat in my hall, and we are continually altering the dial to turn heating on/off as the hall does not really reflect the heat of whole house. It may be a thermostat, but we use it more as a timer, turning on heating in the morning, and off when we retire.

What I need is a thermostat in the living room rather than the hall, but living room has an open fire, which if lit, would cause rest of house to cool down. So the answer is multi sensors so if any room is cool, the boiler turns on, Nest USA has sensors, but not Nest Europe, so in the main it means a thermostat which can link to the TRV's.

Hive, Drayton Wiser, Honeywell Evohome, Tado, and the like do allow linking to the wall thermostat of the electronic TRV head. We were told in error Nest did this, with Energenie, but it don't work. The point is once the TRV heads are linked to the wall thermostat it does not need the wall thermostat to be wireless.

I used electronic TRV heads in late mothers house with gas (I have oil here) with the intention of adding a linked wall thermostat, however found once the TRV's were set up, it did not need a linked wall thermostat, the thermostat in hall was ample. Plus a timer (programmer).

 

[ianmcd]

Anything except Salus they are garbage, if you really cant get a receiver near the boiler but a pair with the receiver that replaces the on board timer, there are many that do it

 

[CD85]

The current thermostat is only wired in 2 core flex. I was hoping it was in 4 core so I could replace the wired thermostat with a wireless receiver.

Do any other brands do a wireless thermostat where the receiver can replace the timer?

I have heard good and bad things about Salus so I'd rather have a good all rounder.

 

[CD85]

If I can get a wireless receiver which fits in space of the timer I can get a netural no problems.

 

[ericmark]

It is against the rules to borrow a neutral.

 

[CD85]

Looking at the wiring diagram there is a netural there so I'm not borrowing one anyhow.

 

[ericmark]

The rules and recommendations are a little vague, manufactures will use words like same supply, when I am sure they mean same circuit, and with products like Nest where the power supply is not built into the thermostat, it is common not to be supplied from same circuit.

So some common sense is required.

 

[ianmcd]

looking at the wiring diagram it doesn't have a netural?

It does have a neutral, if your existing room thermostat only has 2 wires you can use any battery powered thermostat there are many on the market, doesnt need any receiver, try looking at the ESI range they are a decent price and reliable