'User friendly' Central Heating Programmer?

[stuartpaul]

New house means getting used to new programmer but it's a tad carp when it comes to 'easy' changing.

Wife works shifts and this necessitates some early starts and for some reason she likes it to be warm when she gets up. This is obviously easy enough but it then means the heating comes on at sparrow fart which is a bit (lot!) of a waste of oil when she's not working.

I'm trying to find a programmer that allows for easy changing so I can pre-programme her shift pattern. It would be even easier if an app existed so I can do it sitting down instead of on my knees.

Any suggestions?

 

[sunnybob]

in the small print of the manual will be a "skip" function. 1 press and it will ignore that programme untill you press again.

 

[Dibs-h]

I changed over to the Honeywell Evohome system earlier this year and am impressed tbh. It allows each rad\room to come on individually and all of them are controlled from a wireless thingie, can do it from the phone if required.

Has a 7 day programme for each one, with multiple on & offs.

Just had to swap all the TRV heads (not the valves) on each rad (leaving one as a bypass - no TRV head) and wire the controller into the boiler where the old one went. About 30 mins for that and about 10 mins per TRV head swap.

 

[sunnybob]

The only problem with individual room thermostat valves, is it relies on all the doors being closed. :shock:
If your family does not shut doors, TRVs are a complete waste of money and time. :roll: :roll:

 

[Dibs-h]

The only problem with individual room thermostat valves, is it relies on all the doors being closed. :shock:
If your family does not shut doors, TRVs are a complete waste of money and time. :roll: :roll:

I know what you mean Bob but with this system - a particular valve is closed fully until\unless it's turned on by the controller. This way I'm not heating, say the upper floors during the day when the are mostly unoccupied. That to my mind is a big difference to before when either the whole house was on or off with a single thermostat say in the downstairs hallway or living room.

Your caveat about doors does apply to the lower floors (when they are on & also when the upper ones are) and we do on the whole keep doors closed.

 

[Rich C]

I have a Hive, it's nice - you get full programming from your phone and the ability to bump it on and off out of schedule from your phone as well. I have the timer set conservatively then just flick it on before leaving work for instance.

 

[sunnybob]

I fitted TRV's to all 9 rads and a towel rail, not understanding that 'er indoors had a phobia about closed off rooms. :roll: All the doors have to be open all the time. That was a 150 quid wasted. :roll: :roll: (hammer)

 

[Dibs-h]

I have a Hive, it's nice - you get full programming from your phone and the ability to bump it on and off out of schedule from your phone as well. I have the timer set conservatively then just flick it on before leaving work for instance.

I didn't realise that Hive did smart valves - thankfully about the same price as the Honeywell ones, so I don't feel too bad. Admittedly I do prefer having the central touch control panel of the Honeywell,

Bob - thankfully the Mrs & kids don't (quite) have that aversion to closed doors. :lol:

 

[HappyHacker]

I can't comment on the computer controlled programmers as I have never felt the need for one. But I have installed and used a number of the standalone controls and while some are less unfriendly than others I have not come across one I could describe as friendly. Probably the most friendly I come across are the ones with the revolving clock with pegs or on/off markers which can be easily moved. Very old fashioned but much easier to use than the which button do I press type.

I now have an intelligent thermostat and leave the CH on all the time with the thermostat calling for heat depending on the time and the temp with different temps setable per time and day but it is still a pain to program or to change the program.

 

[stuartpaul]

For me this is all about the programming rather than the ‘controlability’ of the overall system. Cost is, as always, also a factor.

Hive looks like it might do what I need and I’ll have a closer look at honeywell. Worcester also do some form of device which is worth a further look.

Oh, - I told my ‘intelligent thermostat’ to put another jumper on and she nearly thumped me!!

 

[TFrench]

When I had my heating system overhauled a couple of years ago the plumber fitted a wireless programmable stat (some sort of screwfix own brand thing). Great idea, until it decides that it needs to give you full blast heat in the middle of the night in summer. Or not come on in the winter. This year I invested in evohome and so far it has been fantastic. Doors don't need to be kept closed, you just leave it to do its thing, and it just works. App controlled as well, or just turn the ring on the TRV in the room to rapidly heat a room. It's brilliant.

And yes, I took great pleasure in putting a very large hammer through the old programmer. That'll learn it. (hammer)

 

[Dibs-h]

For me this is all about the programming rather than the ‘controlability’ of the overall system. Cost is, as always, also a factor.

With the Honeywell, you can have umpteen on&offs per radiator valve (zone) and something like 12 zones (rooms). It takes care of maintaining temps etc. You can also override it using the control panel (touch screen) by selecting something like "day off" and it will (I think) ask what day's schedule to use.

What you can't do is have multiple versions of a schedule for a day and pick one - or at least I've not seen it. You can just "activate" individual valves\zones\rooms and they'll come on - and stay that way until you "turn-off" the override. Takes longer to say\type it than it does doing the few clicks\button presses to achieve it.

That's from the panel & I guess the same from a phone - I don't use the phone.

Feel free to ask any questions about it. :wink:

Oh, - I told my ‘intelligent thermostat’ to put another jumper on and she nearly thumped me!!

Rather you than me. :lol: :lol:

 

[MusicMan]

I have the netAtmo thermostat/controller, with app and internet capability and a straightforward programming method. Haven't got the individually controllable valves yet but they do sell them. It's been fine and has a good weather-link predictive switching method.

 

[Duncan A]

Some of the latest RF (radio controlled) controls are remarkably simple to install and to operate.
Your boiler manufacturer may have one specifically designed to work with your boiler.
One that I've used: https://idealboilers.com/products/touch-combi, but this may only work with Ideal boilers.
However, I'm sure others are doing similar, and I can honestly say that it is so simple that the manul ais redundant.
Not a specific recommendation for you, but may help your researches.
Duncan

 

[nev]

In the house when we moved in.
Simples to operate on a daily basis.
Slider - clock = clock, a1 = on time, a2= off, a3=on, a4=off, temp day, temp night and run. Big spinney wheel to adjust times.

 

[stuartpaul]

Thank you for all the thoughts and comments, some further research required.

These things are never easy as I’ve now found that some of the programmers don’t do water (it’s an oil fired combi).

At the heart of this is the ability to easily change programme times to match an irregular shift pattern.

 

[Gerry]

I have a nest which is as simple as you can get. It will even create a schedule depending on when your in the house. I have an opentherm boiler and it works with nest, The boilers literally just idling most of the day. The nest has paid for itself over the last three years in savings but the best thing has been the constant comfort level, No hot - cold swings just a steady level temperature.

Gerry

 

[RogerS]

I have a nest which is as simple as you can get. It will even create a schedule depending on when your in the house. I have an opentherm boiler and it works with nest, The boilers literally just idling most of the day. The nest has paid for itself over the last three years in savings but the best thing has been the constant comfort level, No hot - cold swings just a steady level temperature.

Gerry

Just hope that you never need Nest support which is dire . I've got one of their cameras and ever since Google absorbed them into the Google Hive, I often get alerts up to 8 hours after the alert. Support is non-existent.

 

[Dibs-h]

Thank you for all the thoughts and comments, some further research required.

These things are never easy as I’ve now found that some of the programmers don’t do water (it’s an oil fired combi).

At the heart of this is the ability to easily change programme times to match an irregular shift pattern.

The Honeywell can do water - it's an add-on widget I think. About 50 quid or so.

Changing programmes - i.e. the on-offs for a day takes a minute or less.

Not sure if it helps - swapping over to it was dead easy for me. Swap 3 wires over from the existing clock at the boiler to the receiver, swap the TRV heads over and about 30 mins or less configuring the touch screen control panel.

What would be cool is if you could have say a couple of patterns (His & Hers) for a day\zone and switch between them at the flick of a button. Sadly the Honeywell (and I suspect others) doesn't do it. More a case of altering the existing one\s (which is easy enough).

Be interesting to hear if a system does do that - multiple patterns to switch in & out.

 

[Rich C]

Hive does water as long as you buy the correct version, there's a version with just heating and a version with both heating and water.