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IRISH PEOPLE HAVE A strange fixation with water heating. Jokes about the immersion and the fear of leaving it on while away had been the source of fear for many.
Things have changed now. Most thermostats offer basic scheduling, but some companies are now able to provide their own smart heating versions. Hive Thermostat included it with their thermostat and now the Google-owned company Nest is getting in on the act.
Previous versions only focused on adjusting heating temperatures which, depending on your set up, would also be used to heat water at the same time or you had to operate it separately.
While the new version was announced in the US back in September, there are two features designed for European audiences: hot water scheduling and OpenTherm.
Now it will learn your water heating schedule as well and determine the best times for it to turn it on and off. It happened to be one of the most requested features from Irish users, according to Nest’s European Product Manager Lionel Paillet.
“I think what we learned from Irish customers was mostly hot water was a top topic. It was pretty clear from day one”, said Paillet.
The other feature it’s including is called OpenTherm, which allows it to determine the amount of gas needed to reach or maintain a specific temperature, instead of opting for a basic on or off setting.
For those unfamiliar with Nest, the device relies on a number of factors to determine the correct temperature in a home: user input, the weather conditions of your location, and built-in sensors.
The device now comes with two new sensors, bringing the current number up to ten. One is near-field while the other can detect movement from up to 10 metres. This not only activates the thermostat so you know what temperature it is, but also displays more info the closer you get.
Those who already own a Nest may be disappointed to hear that they will need to invest in a new version if they want to avail of it. The reason for this, according to Paillet, is the new system needs “you need to reprogram the installation than just have the new product… you need to change the full hardware”.
For now, it is sold as a separate upgrade with those owning one having to sign up for a new plan or buy it separately.
Both its design and display have seen some subtle changes. While the actual device is thinner, the actual display is 40% larger than previous versions which not only allows information to be clearer, but makes way for another feature: a clock.
While it’s not exactly an exciting feature, Paillet says that testing it in both Irish and European homes saw positive responses, saying “we were not expecting this, it looks like a gimmick potentially, but… families love it”.
Considering it’s on standby most of the time and the effort that has gone into its design, it makes sense for it to display something else while it’s at work. Nest see the thermostat not as a tool, but something that fits into the style of your home, so you can turn on the clock setting, analogue or digital, if it’s in a prominent position.
The device will also work with dual-band WiFi, supporting 5GHz as well as 2.4GHz, a boost button for short bursts of heating for once-off moments, and will detect when you’re away so if you’re away for longer than 48 hours on holidays, it will shut off automatically.
The other product that Paillet said Irish users had responded positively to was Nest Protect, its carbon monoxide sensor, saying ,”we’ve seen an enthusiasm around this subject [among Irish users]. The new thermostat works with other Nest products to create a more comprehensive system.”
The new version is out now and costs €249 including VAT. The price is €30 higher than previous versions because of the dollar to euro conversion rate said Paillet.
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Can never understand why immersion heaters were very rarely fitted with timers.
Ordinary switches are cheaper than timers I suppose…money saved looks Better in the builders pocket than on the wall.
We got a new A rated Condenser Gas boiler fitted and said goodbye to the immersion and copper water cylinder for ever, hot water on tap 24/7 and now our old hot press is now a storage press. Highly recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade their Gas boiler and save a lot on electricity (and Gas)
Can’t beat it.
@Brendan that is
Brendan,
to get rid of the cylinder you need to get a Combi boiler, which is good, but it cant do 2 showers at once, so anybody with 2 or more showers cant get one.
Brendan I firstly assume its an A rated combi boiler you refer to ie instant hot water and I also hope your installer installed and also “commissioned/balanced” the heating system so its condensing properly ie flow and return temperatures are set appropriately. If not its not reaching the appropriate efficiency it claims it does and may not end up A rated at all. Beware!!!
Blatant advertising – not even thinly disguised.
Looks good. Also another one on the irish market called HUB Controls. Developed in Ireland to a local company too. Worth checking out.
I have one, got it for “Free” with Electric Ireland when I switched to them.
Very cool piece of kit and dead handy being able to turn it on from the phone.
Does this do multi zone yet ? or is it still 249 for upstairs and 249 for downstairs ?
Hive does this.
249??
Nice PR piece, hope they paid you…
climote is just as good a set up as any of them and it can do multi zones also its Irish owned
Climote has an annual subscription, climote doesn’t have occupancy sensors, climote isn’t a learning thermostat.
Climote is simply a programmable thermostat that you can turn on an off with your phone.
so in my opinion Climote isn’t as good
Climote also doesn’t look anywhere near as good as Nest. Nest is incredible.
…all this assumes you have, or can get, broadband, for it to work. No broadband = no weather info, and it’s just an ornament….
Go for gas combo boiler and never worry about hot water again! Much cheaper to run showers , water and heating!
OK but you still have to pay to heat the water you use. I agree a combi boiler cuts down on heating water you will nor use needlessly but it doesn’t suit every installation. The savings on central heating are the same as any efficient condensing system boiler. For a combi you must have gas, a reliable high pressure water supply and a limited amount of hot water outlets showers baths etc. and its not designed to be combined with solar.
have your say