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Which multiroom thermostat to choose?

Posted: Wednesday 30 December 2020 15:39
by riko
I'm looking for a replacement of my Nest thermostat. As till today I'm still not able to get proper API connectivity.

I am looking for a system where I can get full control with Domoticz. And not getting to dependent on supplier interfaces. Though I want to use a real thermostat for hysteresis control, efficient opentherm control, and higher basic system reliability. Advanced functions like home/away and related temperature settings would be set by Domoticz, based on motion sensors per room. As I have a second room with a floor ventilation duct ('convectorput in Dutch) where the valve is under ground I need to have a second separate wall unit to measure temperature, control the boiler and control the valve.
I have found the following options:

Tado
Advantages
  • Domoticz add-on
    Extra separte wall units can be connected for temperature measurement
Disadvantages
  • Issues with Domoticz?
    Connection through Tado web interface, no API available
    Dependent on supplier interfaceMoved to a paid subscription (V3+), which might mean extra costs in the future
Anna
Advantages
  • Cheap
Disadvantages
  • No multi room system support
Netatmo
Advantages
Disadvantages Honeywell Evohome
Advantages
  • Well known in the market
    Different connection options to Domoticz (https://www.domoticz.com/wiki/Evohome)DisadvantagesExpensiveUgly base station (not sure whether this could be left out?)
Disadvantages
  • Expensive
Does anyone has experience with this? Any advice which one to choose?

Re: Which multiroom thermostat to choose?

Posted: Thursday 31 December 2020 10:05
by ccaru
Hi,

I have an Evohome system which i am pretty happy with.

I am still scratching my head as to whether I will ever be able to control my Buderus boiler using it, but so far I have 11 (out of a maximum of 12) units on each radiator and it's been working flawlessly. Boiler is working independently.

My integration is through their cloud service, which works fine. There is also the possibility of purchasing an interface which will allow direct and cloudless control to the units, however I do not have this module and have no experience with it. The inbuilt thermostat logic is pretty good and the cloud service is very reliable and connects well to Domoticz (unlike Netatmo!): so far i have not felt the need to look into this module.

It's installed in a 3 story building and the communication is fine.
Batteries need to be changed approx. once a year, and each unit takes 2 AA batteries.

Some of my radiators had an old type thermostat thread, for which i purchased adapters from Amazon.

One of my favorite things about this system is the fact that you can choose which thermostat to use to control which actuator. I purchased a few wall-mounted temperature dial and thermostats, which resolved my issue that most of my radiators are placed below a window-sill and they trap warm air, so using an thermostat located on the other side of the room to control it makes for much better heat control.

The units themselves are pretty ugly, but then again a radiator is not such a beautiful thing to look at in the first place.

The one downside I find is that it's still a proprietary system. If I had to start all over again i would look into the z-wave units such as this one :

https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Eurotronic-Z ... 192&sr=8-5

however I have zero experience on this unit and z-wave in general. i wouldn't know how well it works with Domoticz, but perhaps a good starting point for research.

Re: Which multiroom thermostat to choose?

Posted: Thursday 31 December 2020 10:46
by jf2020
I went the opposite route, i.e. fully independent sensors and actuators and everything controlled by the Raspberry PI / Domoticz and custom scripts / Python. I have to admit that there are still some mornings where I need to reboot the PI (cycling power on it is something everyone in the house can do) but those are getting really, really rare. This is by far the most flexible and cheapest option ;) but it does indeed come at the price of a more scripting but hey that's also the fun part!

Re: Which multiroom thermostat to choose?

Posted: Thursday 31 December 2020 11:11
by ccaru
jf2020 what hardware did you use?

Re: Which multiroom thermostat to choose?

Posted: Thursday 04 March 2021 22:50
by kimot
I think, you must build your own thermostat.
All what you want can be done with Domoticz and ESPeasy rules for example.

Here is my solution - not so complex. I don't need hysteresis, not using home/away - only timers for setpoint etc

https://youtu.be/1ef6tRinOQ4

Third winter without any problem ....

Re: Which multiroom thermostat to choose?

Posted: Sunday 07 March 2021 19:27
by marcojpolet
Hi!

I have a multiroom setup using several instances of the Python Plugin: Smart Virtual Thermostat (domoticz plugin). We have a heatpump which can (next to the standard thermostat) also be initiated by a relais switch. All rooms have a thermometer connected to Domoticz and all SVT's point to a 'heat-is-requested' Domoticz virutal switch. There is only a small custom script which inspects all these separate SVT heat-requested switched and if anyone of the is 'true' the heatpump should be fired up. Next to fireing this up, a relais is enabled to control the radiator valves of that specific room (controlled with Domoticz-->ESPEasy).

Regards,
Marco

Re: Which multiroom thermostat to choose?

Posted: Sunday 14 March 2021 20:01
by ProjektC
I have Popp termostats which unfortunately all break.

Now I am thinking about buying Tado.

Do I need a cloud subscription from Tado ?
Do I have to have it ?
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/V3P-4SRT01H- ... r=8-5&th=1

Or is only the thermostat and Domoticz enough or another control unit ?

Re: Which multiroom thermostat to choose?

Posted: Wednesday 14 April 2021 17:18
by Sipesr
5 Best Smart Thermostats for Multiple Zones. Posted at h in Heating, Reviews, Smart Home by Johnny. ...
Ecobee4. Ecobee4 is one of the most advanced smart thermostats www.jcpassociates.com for multiple zones on the market. ...
Nest Learning Thermostat. ...
Honeywell Lyric T5. ...
Tado Smart Thermostat. ...
GLAS Smart Thermostat.

Re: Which multiroom thermostat to choose?

Posted: Wednesday 14 April 2021 19:46
by psubiaco
Thermostats with Domoticz? Why not installing temperature + Humidity sensors, and let domoticz control the heating/cooling system in a smart way?
For example, if you have photovoltaic, you can decide to overheat or overcool if you have extra energy from photovoltaic, increasing the ownconsumption!
If you're using a heat pump and photovoltaic, you can find a script that manage heat pump at https://github.com/CreasolTech/domoticz_lua_scripts
Regards.Paolo