TRV and heating advice

Does smartthings have good smart heating controls and any TRV that work well with it.

Got gas central heating.

Ideally would love to have a device that just connects to the boiler via a thermostat wire.

Many thanks Damien

What country are you in? The device selection does vary. While TRVs are more popular in the EU, they do exist in the US, but have quite different specifications. :thinking:

Also, in most cases, a TRV is a thermostat for that specific room, rather than for the central boiler. It has its own temperature sensor and controls the radiator valve that it attaches to. So I’m a little confused about what you’re looking for.

If you just want a smart thermostat for a central boiler, there are quite a few of those, but again it depends on the country you are in.

If you want a smart TRV that controls the valve setting on an individual radiator in an individual room based on the temperature in that room, those also exist, but they are a different device class.

If you want a system that combines both, there are a couple of those, but it’s more than just a boiler connection: you need to add the TRV to each individual radiator that you want to control.

In any case, here’s a recent discussion that might be of interest. Again, note that the country does matter.

Smart Thermostatic Radiator Valves TRV with Edge driver? (EU)

While having my boiler serviced the subject of smart TRVs came up. I was told that a number of manufacturers have been pulling them from the market because too many users don’t really understand how a TRV should be used and having smart ones was doing more harm than good.

Interesting. I haven’t seen that anywhere else, but I can see how that might be possible. :thinking:

I know that they are still recommended by a number of EU power companies, but with the caveat that most people don’t understand how they work.

  1. you should never use them in the room where the main wall thermostat is, which is typically called the “reference room“

  2. many people assume that TRVs make the radiator hotter, but in fact what they do is turn off the incoming hot water when the room is at the correct temperature. So they pause the heating in that specific space. I think this is the source of much of the confusion by people who try to use smart home platforms to automate them. So you set the heat at the central boiler using the thermostat in the reference room. Then you use the TRVs to keep other rooms, typically small spaces, from getting too hot.

Energuide in Brussels has a good explainer page

Is it worth fitting thermostatic valves in addition to my room thermostat? – Energuide!

Used in combination with a room thermostat , they adjust your heating perfectly, and you won’t end up with some rooms being overheated.

My own feeling is if that someone truly understands how they work, they can be useful.

I use a really good heating system in the UK called Genius Hub, though sadly I cannot get it to integrate with smart things. There is no longer a house thermostat or reference room, every room is its own zone in the system with its own Danfoss Z-Wave TRV. There are motion sensors to turn the heating on and off in reception rooms which have variable occupancy. Saved around 30% off my gas bill, payback period about three years.
Everything talks to a separate Genius hub though. There was once a great community integration but it sadly died with the Groovy platform. Heat Genius Hub integration? - #7 by cumpstey

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Problem is if you don’t have a bypass or a radiator without controls you can damage your boiler.

Don’t understand why people get confused only difference between smart trv and a standard trv is that you can remotely control them and that they send temperature back to a control hub

True, we used to have that restriction on one radiator but recently had a new boiler and the central heating engineer said this was no longer necessary and fitted a valve. The old rules about it depends on the system and to consult an expert apply. And as @Damien455 says, the TRVs themselves are pretty simple and are just one component of a system. Combining them with motion sensors and a good control hub is what brings them to life and saves energy.

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For your ideal setup, you can eplore devices that connect to the boiler via a thermostat wire, providing you with precise control over your heating system.

Absolutely, SmartThings offers some fantastic options for smart heating controls that can help you manage your gas central heating system more efficiently. Many TRVs (Thermostatic Radiator Valves) are compatible with SmartThings, giving you the ability to control individual radiators or zones in your home.
Moreover, if you’re looking to optimize your heating system further and potentially save on heating costs, you might want to consider Cheap Radiators. These can be a cost-effective addition to your home, offering efficient heating solutions.

No they don’t