Here at Tailored Heat, we always recommend upgrading to smart boiler controls if your existing controls are outdated, or you’re having a new boiler installed. Our trained and qualified Gas Safe engineers have wide experience of installing a range of smart controls for homeowners and tenanted properties in Plymouth and other parts of west Devon and south Cornwall.
But what exactly are smart controls and what benefits do they offer? Let’s take a look.
What are smart controls for your boiler?
Smart boiler controls are Internet-enabled devices that let you control your boiler remotely using an app on your smartphone, tablet or computer. This means you can control your central heating and hot water from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection! They can be used with any type of boiler, including mains gas, LPG and oil-fired.
Smart controls typically consist of a wireless hub that connects to your boiler, plus a wireless thermostat controller we can install anywhere in your home (although certain models are wired). Some of the brands we recommend at Tailored Heat include Worcester Bosch, Hive, Nest, Neomitis and Honeywell.
What are the benefits of smart controls?
Smart boiler controls offer all kinds of advantages over traditional heating controls such as mechanical timers (although these are still available from Tailored Heat). Whilst features will vary by individual make and model of smart control, key benefits include:
Lower energy bills: Smart controls can help you save energy by heating your home and water more efficiently. For example, if you’re unexpectedly delayed in getting home from work or other activities, you can programme your boiler to switch on later than usual, or not at all. This means your central heating and hot water won’t be switched on when they’re not needed, or you can turn the temperature down, so you’ll use less gas or oil – cutting your energy bills as a result.
Weather compensation: Leading on from the above, one of the features we like most about smart controls is they can be set to track the weather forecast by connecting to a Met Office app. Your controls will then automatically adjust the temperature of your home in line with the latest weather conditions. This means you won’t waste energy or overheat your home when the weather’s fine and, on the flip side, your central heating will come on when it gets a bit chilly.
Open window detection: This is another clever energy-saving feature that can detect when a window is open and automatically turn down the heating. This helps prevent heat loss and, in turn, save you money on your mains gas, LPG or oil bills.
Increased flexibility: With smart controls, it’s quick and easy to set different heating and hot water patterns for each day of the week, depending on what you’ll be up to. And if things change, you can alter the settings from any location. Also, if you’re on your way home from a holiday or business trip, you can set the boiler to come on before you get back, so your home will be nice and toasty, and your water will be hot, for when you return.
More control: With smart controls, you can set different heating ‘zones’ for each room in your home by combining them with smart thermostatic radiator valves (eTRVs). This means you can heat each room to the temperature you want, so you don’t waste energy on heating rooms that aren’t in use or are only used at certain times of the day or week. You can even remotely monitor the temperature of each room in real time and adjust your eTRVs as necessary.
Greater convenience: Whilst the above functions can be achieved with some traditional types of boiler controls paired with standard TRVs, you’d still need to be present in your home to programme them or make any changes – and each TRV would need adjusting individually. With smart controls, you can simply open up the app and do everything in one place at your leisure. Simples!
A more comfortable home: Some smart boiler controls feature algorithms that can help you achieve a more comfortable home environment by ‘learning’ your heating preferences and occupancy patterns, and automatically adjusting the temperature of your radiators accordingly. Smart controls may also feature geofencing – an advanced technology that detects when you’re approaching your home and turns on your heating when you’re a certain distance away.
Reduced environmental impact: As smart controls are designed to make your boiler work as efficiently as possible, you’ll reduce the amount of carbon your home produces. This helps contribute to a greener lifestyle and more sustainable environment, as you’ll be doing your bit to tackle climate change.
Troubleshooting: As you can monitor and control your system in real-time, you’ll be able to spot any problems with your boiler or other parts of your central heating system straightaway. This helps stop issues becoming more serious, potentially reducing the likelihood of costly repairs or breakdowns.
Like to know more about smart controls?
You can view the range of smart controls that we offer at Tailored Heat on our dedicated page. Our friendly and qualified engineers will be happy to discuss your options and make recommendations based on your boiler type and individual requirements. Please call us on 0800 689 1826, email [email protected] or contact us online.
Looking for a new boiler?
Having a new boiler installed is the perfect opportunity to upgrade to smart controls, so you can benefit from cost savings, improved home comfort and lower environmental impact. It’s quick and easy to request a quote online for a new boiler, or you can call or email us with your questions. We look forward to helping you soon!