Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

This Forum is the main messageboard to discuss all things Claret and Blue and beyond
Post Reply
No Ney Never
Posts: 2637
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 10:31 pm
Been Liked: 894 times
Has Liked: 328 times

Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

Post by No Ney Never » Wed Mar 08, 2023 7:33 pm

Recently fitted the Tado V3 starter kit and 4 smart radiator valves. Found the instructions and fitting a doddle, now just trying to suss out how to get the most from it.
Anyone else have this installed?

Polesworth
Posts: 55
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:25 am
Been Liked: 41 times
Has Liked: 19 times

Re: Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

Post by Polesworth » Wed Mar 08, 2023 9:41 pm

Hi NNN, I fitted the same back in October. I agree, the fitting is simple and the Tado guides are very good. There's also a good online user tech forum. Our house is open plan downstairs so I've set it up as one zone and the upstairs rooms are all separate zones configured with the Smart Schedule. The energyIQ component uses geofencing, open window detection, smart schedule, weather adaptation to tweak the heating. The app tells me the £££ savings for me were; November 0.5%, December 10%, January 9.5% and February 4.0% on gas usage. To verify this I'd have needed to do monthly readings and compare consumption with the same period 12 months ago which I haven't done. I'm pleased with the Tado system and the extra control it gives you is really convenient. The only potential flaw I've discovered is that your on/off schedule is stored with Tado. The system therefore relies on you having a constant internet connection. If your internet connection fails you have to adjust the system manually. Of course the claimed savings are a bit like the satnav advising you that rerouting will save you 10 minutes. You'll never know if it would as you can't take both routes. As I've said I'm very pleased with the system.

Clevedon Claret
Posts: 1270
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:53 pm
Been Liked: 243 times
Has Liked: 932 times
Location: Where Broadchurch is filmed or on the Orihuela Costa

Re: Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

Post by Clevedon Claret » Wed Mar 08, 2023 11:07 pm

A big thumbs up from me.
Fitted the tado V3 and 7 smart rad valves about 18 months ago. Total heating control.
Wi-fi connectivity has been faultless.
I love how this system gives you an air quality reading for each room. So you can adjust accordingly to get it juuuuuust right.

No Ney Never
Posts: 2637
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 10:31 pm
Been Liked: 894 times
Has Liked: 328 times

Re: Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

Post by No Ney Never » Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:18 pm

Where do you have your thermostat located?

Mine is currently in the hallway, not fixed in place as I'm not sure if it is going to stay there permanently.

Rick_Muller
Posts: 6092
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 8:53 am
Been Liked: 2619 times
Has Liked: 6419 times
Location: -90.000000, 0.000000

Re: Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

Post by Rick_Muller » Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:43 pm

always wondered how WiFi TRVs would work within a Hive deployment - I'm no expert but it seems having individually controlled radiators seems like a good idea, but I cant get my head around how they work with your house thermostat (in my case dual zone Hive) that also tries to control the temperature.

Any insight would be helpful for me as I like the idea

DCWat
Posts: 9296
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2016 11:04 am
Been Liked: 4131 times
Has Liked: 3599 times

Re: Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

Post by DCWat » Thu Mar 09, 2023 6:22 pm

I’ve got a Nest thermostat which is pretty decent as a stand-alone unit. Since getting it though, smart TRV’s have become more of a thing.

Annoyingly, there seems to be nothing on the roadmap for google to add smart TRV’s so I may look to switch to Hive or Tado. I could add other brand TRV’s to the Nest system but I would prefer all under the same system.

Does a Tado thermostat have two way communication with Tado TRVs?

Unless individual TRVs can call on the thermostat to provide heat, it’s not quite as smart as I’d want it to be.

Heat would only be provided to the rooms needing it if the thermostat was in a location with a temperature below that of the schedule.

Clevedon Claret
Posts: 1270
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:53 pm
Been Liked: 243 times
Has Liked: 932 times
Location: Where Broadchurch is filmed or on the Orihuela Costa

Re: Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

Post by Clevedon Claret » Thu Mar 09, 2023 8:29 pm

No Ney Never wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:18 pm
Where do you have your thermostat located?

Mine is currently in the hallway, not fixed in place as I'm not sure if it is going to stay there permanently.
The thermostat is there if you don't install the trv's I suppose.?
The trv's can be overridden by simply turning up or down if you don't have the app. So, every room is individually controllable. The thermostat becomes redundant.
Parents will know its been turned up. via the app.

Croydon Claret
Posts: 4093
Joined: Sat Apr 02, 2016 4:03 pm
Been Liked: 1138 times
Has Liked: 756 times

Re: Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

Post by Croydon Claret » Thu Mar 09, 2023 9:05 pm

Always interested in technology like this. Don't currently have any TRVs though so I imagine that will make the job a lot tricker and involve either draining the system or freezing the pipes to change over the valves?

Just been reading some reviews about Tado and some have reported issues with the WiFi connecting to the bridge, and no way of extending the signal. Apparently it's a particular problem in older houses with thick walls, as you would expect.

Clevedon Claret
Posts: 1270
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:53 pm
Been Liked: 243 times
Has Liked: 932 times
Location: Where Broadchurch is filmed or on the Orihuela Costa

Re: Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

Post by Clevedon Claret » Thu Mar 09, 2023 9:25 pm

Croydon Claret wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 9:05 pm
Always interested in technology like this. Don't currently have any TRVs though so I imagine that will make the job a lot tricker and involve either draining the system or freezing the pipes to change over the valves?

Just been reading some reviews about Tado and some have reported issues with the WiFi connecting to the bridge, and no way of extending the signal. Apparently it's a particular problem in older houses with thick walls, as you would expect.

Trv's fit in 30 seconds. No draining or messing around. Just remove the old trv and replace with tado trv's.

I live in a 1950's house with thick walls. Touch wood. No issues at all..
This user liked this post: Croydon Claret

Croydon Claret
Posts: 4093
Joined: Sat Apr 02, 2016 4:03 pm
Been Liked: 1138 times
Has Liked: 756 times

Re: Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

Post by Croydon Claret » Thu Mar 09, 2023 9:27 pm

Clevedon Claret wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 9:25 pm
Trv's fit in 30 seconds. No draining or messing around. Just remove the old trv and replace with tado trv's.

I live in a 1950's house with thick walls. Touch wood. No issues at all..
I don't have trv's at the moment so don't think it would be a like for like swap?

No Ney Never
Posts: 2637
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 10:31 pm
Been Liked: 894 times
Has Liked: 328 times

Re: Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

Post by No Ney Never » Fri Mar 10, 2023 10:25 pm

Croydon Claret wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 9:27 pm
I don't have trv's at the moment so don't think it would be a like for like swap?
You are quite right, it is not a like for like swap. Valves on which you could fit a TRV are different to manual valves.

Unlike smart meters that simply tell you how much energy you are using, creating paranoia, this Tado system actually lets you do something about it, it gives you the ability to control your energy usage.

I'm sure that you would benefit from swapping your valves to accommodate TRV's, but like solar and other types of energy saving technologies, it's a consideration of the upfront cost V payback.

Croydon Claret
Posts: 4093
Joined: Sat Apr 02, 2016 4:03 pm
Been Liked: 1138 times
Has Liked: 756 times

Re: Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

Post by Croydon Claret » Sat Mar 11, 2023 7:15 am

No Ney Never wrote:
Fri Mar 10, 2023 10:25 pm
You are quite right, it is not a like for like swap. Valves on which you could fit a TRV are different to manual valves.

Unlike smart meters that simply tell you how much energy you are using, creating paranoia, this Tado system actually lets you do something about it, it gives you the ability to control your energy usage.

I'm sure that you would benefit from swapping your valves to accommodate TRV's, but like solar and other types of energy saving technologies, it's a consideration of the upfront cost V payback.
Cheers 👍

Changing the valve bodies is something I could do myself so I wouldn't have to spend big bucks paying someone.

Turns out I do have one TRV in the back bedroom so I could try that first before replacing the whole set

Croydon Claret
Posts: 4093
Joined: Sat Apr 02, 2016 4:03 pm
Been Liked: 1138 times
Has Liked: 756 times

Re: Tado Thermostat and radiator valves

Post by Croydon Claret » Fri Mar 24, 2023 8:34 pm

Finally got my whole house, mostly, onto Tado Trv's. A little bit scary changing over the manual radiator valves to TRVs but I've installed bathrooms/kitchens before so after a few You Tube guidance videos it was all done.

The difference is phenomenal. The coldest area of the house was always the hallway, where the thermostat was, so the heating was coming on regularly. I now have it set so that the main demand for heat during the day is from my "man cave", where I work, and during the evening from the living room. Both of which are naturally warmer than the cold hallway.

Seems like the heating is only on around 50% of the time it used to be 👍

Might pay for itself in less than a year at current rates

Post Reply