HomeKit Heating System with Heat Controllers

[Tworld 0]

Hi all,

 

I would like to make my heating system smart (HomeKit user). The questions is: if I install Heat Controllers on all my radiators, will I still need a smart thermostat?

[baskalex 17]

Hi. No, you don’t need thermostat, heat controller works by itself. However, you should double check if you radiators are compatible with the heat controllers. Because a lot of users on the forum are complaining about a lot of problems with them. There are very similar products available from Netatmo and Eve. You can also check them out. I myself don’t have heat controllers, so I can’t tell you anything about them. I have 4 netatmos thought and they work ok. 

[Tworld 0]

Hello baskalex,

 

Thanks for your answer. Ok, so you say that the smart thermostat is no longer needed.

 

Does this mean that I should leave the (standard) thermostat always on? 

 

Thanks!

[baskalex 17]

So you have a usual thermostat installed? Then you should consider smart thermostat without the heat controllers. It’s cheaper and easier. There are plenty of models out there. Check out Netatmo for example or other ones. Their only difference is design I suppose) Fibaro doesn’t have own thermostat unfortunately. 

[Tworld 0]

Can't you stop from offering alternative products? I know Netatmo's product line.

[akatar 207]

16 hours ago, Tworld said:

Hi all,

 

I would like to make my heating system smart (HomeKit user). The questions is: if I install Heat Controllers on all my radiators, will I still need a smart thermostat?

 

What are you trying to do?

heat controllers can only set the temp to an certain max temerature, no more no less

 

if you want to heat only a single room then it's a different story, the heatcontroller does not controll youre hvac system

 

And you Always need a thermostat, there must be a device to activate youre hvac system.

So have a look at:

plugwise adam and honeywell evosystem. so you can see what is needed to get the house real smart.

 

It takes a lot of programming to use heatcontroller and a smart thermostat to get the house real smart with a diy sollution

 

Example:

if only kitchen need a bit of heating

close all thmerostat valves exept kitchen, open thermostat kitchen valve

start hvac

etc

etc

 

[Tworld 0]

Hi, I have decided that I will move forward with Netatmo's Smart Thermostat.

 

Can someone tell me if Fibaro's Heat Controller will work fine with it? I would prefer using Fibaro's Heat Controller rather than Netatmo's ones because they can be recharged with the USB cable.

 

Thanks!

[wienog 107]

On 6/18/2020 at 4:52 PM, Tworld said:

Hi, I have decided that I will move forward with Netatmo's Smart Thermostat.

 

Can someone tell me if Fibaro's Heat Controller will work fine with it? I would prefer using Fibaro's Heat Controller rather than Netatmo's ones because they can be recharged with the USB cable.

 

Thanks!

The answer is 'NO' and I am tempted to add "Of course not, what did you expect ??". Netatmo and Fibaro are two completely different systems with their own ways of communicating. Fibaro is compatible with all z-wave radiator valves. There are several brands that offer these like Danfoss, Tado etc... all z-wave. Not Netatmo that company has it's own system with a smart thermostat and radiator valves. Of course you need both the valves and a thermostat or some kind of relais to start up the burner if heat is needed in one of your rooms.. How can you just heat one room if a thermostat somewhere doesn't tell the burner of your heating system to warm up the  water ? The advantage of systems like Netatmo, Honeywell Evohome etc is that it is exactly that what you can do: heat one or two rooms or more separately from the room where the thermostat is. The thermostat still tels the burner to fire up but keeps the valves in the thermostat's room closed once the set temperature is reached.

Problem is that not very many people are happy with the Fibaro valve thermostats. I have still six of them in a drawer somewhere, never got them working...Maybe with the newer firmware they're better. But I installed Honeywell Evohome in the meantime and am absolutely happy with it. By the way: the Honeywell valves need new batteries once every 13 or 14 months here...