Heating Control for Newbie

I’m am new to Smartthings and still trying to figure it all out. I’ve only had it a week.
I’m trying to figure out the most suitable heating control as I need to replace mine. I’d like to make it work with Smartthings but it need to be simple enough for me to figure it out. The obvious systems are Hive and Nest but how hard are they to integrate with Smartthings? Are they other systems which I should be considering? I only need 1 zone but it would be nice if the system could be expanded.

Any advice or recommendations welcome.

I am using the Honeywell system with the home brew device created [RELEASE] Honeywell Evohome Integration . It seems to work ok though doesn’t control Hot Water. Seems the official version lost traction and I assume has now unfortunately been dropped. Incredible how in so many cases the community can do so much better than the paid developers…
I have not fully exploited the ST version and only really use it to boost/reduce temp. I am sure however it is good.

There is a Hive custom Smart App which is fairly easy to install. It must be, because I managed it! All my radiators have mains operated valves attached, which I control from SmartThings, switching the heating between Off And Scheduled as required. Works well for me.

Thanks for the advice everyone.
Andy, I like the sound of easy to install. What valves have you used?

I used Honeywell MT4-230-NO valves from Amazon at about twenty five quid each. Connected them to a smart socket, and control them via the standard Virtual Thermostat Smart App. I used Normally Open valves (you can get normally closed versions as well - suffix NC instead of NO) so I have them as coolers, so they switch on when up to temperature to close the valve! It also means the heating will still work if ST fails…

I use a pair of Fibaro Relays, my plumber wired them into the existing clock/programmer, so I have the “old” style setup as a backup, and use ST/CoRE to control the heating and hot water, it has been working pretty well so far.

Happy to elaborate more if people are interested as it took me a long while to figure out how to do this, and to find someone that would spend the time/effort to help.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about this. My conclusion is that I’d be better sticking with the existing clock and have the facility to override with a Fibaro relay as Mr mcdermott.st has done. I can always add a smart thermostat.
Mr mcdermott.st, how does your system work. Does the relay allow you to override the clock, ie turn off when the clock is on as well as turn on when the clock is off?

Having gone the Evohome route. I would strongly recommend McDernotts route. You may later wish to go the fully automated route later but in the meantime its a great way to start and likely will be all you need. I guess, as he suggests, its getting a plumber to understand and do what you need.

I’ve now got a Fibaro dual relay to play with. I’ve managed to get it working (thought the 2 relays appear as 1 thing). I’m trying to figure out the logic. I figure I want to be able to override the clock to either turn on or off but the way the relay works out of the box isn’t suitable. I haven’t figured out the parameters yet but I guess there are ones which will make it work the way I want.
Any advice will be gratefully received.

I don’t use the clock at all any more, it is just there if needed for the future.

is it the wiring you need help with, or the setup in ST? I didn’t do the wiring myself, but i can take a look tonight and send some pictures if that helps.

The relays relay should appear as 2 separate switches. so one for each zone or one for heating and one for hot water depending on your setup.

Also take a look at this

I think the problem is that I am using a (borrowed) Fibaro FGS 221 relay and I can’t find a device handler which makes the two switches separate. I might just buy myself an FGS 222 or 223.
Regarding the wiring I can probably figure that out, its the technical stuff I struggle with.
Cheers for the help.

Only just came across this thread and it looks like you have already decided the route you are going to take, but have you looked at Tado.
Fully programmable through its own app and can be integrated into ST to be controlled that way.
Can also integrate into Google Home fo contol.
Probably too late with this post.

Nothing is decided yet, I’m open to ideas. But as I want to keep it simple, basically replacing the timer and having control via Smartthings, just putting a Fibaro relay in seems like the simplest and cheapest option.

By the way mcdermott.st, can you elaborate on the control you use? I’m not sure what CoRE is. I’m basically after something to work as a timer and incorporate a thermostat. I’ve no hot water to control.

See here:

It is essentially just a flexible rules engine, send some s/shots in a separate post about how I use it.

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I should add, I also use action tiles, but that just helps to give you a window as to whether the heating is on and to allow anyone at home to boost the heating

Here is a screenshot of a CoRE piston that sets my Tado Thermostat.
You could use something like this to turn on/off the Fibaro relay.
Use a temperature sensor to turn the relay on and off and also set up away modes so that your heating only heats up to, say, 5 degrees. (Frost protection).

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