Climote yay or nay? (for use with Alexa)

mrcheez

Got an offer from Electric Ireland of a free Climote installation if I renew my energy bundle with them this year.

I understand that it's €20 per year to keep it active (not sure if it means my manual heating controls stop working if I decide to stop paying though), which is "ok", but are there any other issues to be aware of?

Considering the installation is free this might be a good deal as if I chose a different one I'd need to pay for the installation.

I'll be using it with an Echo Dot to control my heating.

dam099

They would possibly do a Nest for a similar deal and its a good deal better. I had a Climote and eventually replaced with Hive which is much better. Climote is largely outdated unless you need for a location without broadband which has mobile reception (holiday homes are often mentioned).

You could also look at other providers deals and if the cash saving is more that the Electric Ireland annual costs use that towards getting the smart thermostat of your choice installed.

Gregor Samsa

I got Climote put into my late Dad's unoccupied house, because it was free.

You can set it up with Alexa: https://www.climote.ie/alexa/ - personally, I haven't done that.

The €20 yearly fee is only for the remote control via sim card - the app will still work when you're in the house on Wi-Fi (and the manual controls will work, of course).

One issue I encountered is that the control panel they install beside your boiler is quite big, and it didn't fit properly in our situation (the boiler is inside a kitchen cabinet. The installer put it on the inside side wall of the cabinet instead, which means you can't read the screen or see the buttons properly. Not a huge problem, because you can use the app, but it means that you couldn't ask a guest in the house to turn on the boost for instance. If you have a bit of space beside your boiler, this won't be a problem.

I have Hive in my own home, and it's a better system - assuming you have an internet connection - (and there's other great alternatives too), but as I said, Climote was free so it did the job for his house. It's certainly a lot better than no smart heating controls anyway.

mrcheez

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

I got Climote put into my late Dad's unoccupied house, because it was free.

You can set it up with Alexa: https://www.climote.ie/alexa/ - personally, I haven't done that.

The €20 yearly fee is only for the remote control via sim card - the app will still work when you're in the house on Wi-Fi (and the manual controls will work, of course).

One issue I encountered is that the control panel they install beside your boiler is quite big, and it didn't fit properly in our situation (the boiler is inside a kitchen cabinet. The installer put it on the inside side wall of the cabinet instead, which means you can't read the screen or see the buttons properly. Not a huge problem, because you can use the app, but it means that you couldn't ask a guest in the house to turn on the boost for instance. If you have a bit of space beside your boiler, this won't be a problem.

I have Hive in my own home, and it's a better system - assuming you have an internet connection - (and there's other great alternatives too), but as I said, Climote was free so it did the job for his house.

Interesting, didn't know they had to install something at the boiler itself.

I thought it was simply replacing the thermostat that's used to turn on-off the heating?

My boiler is away from the house in an external boiler house so wouldn't be near the Wifi signal, would that be an issue?

Gregor Samsa

This control panel:



(not a pic of my setup, although I happen to have those two exact sets of car keys :eek:)

Is wired to your boiler. If your wiring for your current boiler controls isn't beside the boiler itself, and is located in your house, then they'll just be able to install it there for you. In my case, the old timer panel was right beside the boiler (which is in his kitchen, but inside a press).

EDIT: Actually, I don't think Climote uses WI-Fi at all, just via the Sim card and the manual controls. So I was wrong about the app still working if you don't pay the €20 a year (first year was free for me).

That control panel is fixed to the wall and wired in. You then get a remote, wireless temperature sensor that you can put anywhere (the white boxes in this photo)



so you'd put that in your living room, and it acts as the thermostat, monitoring the room temperature and sending a signal to the control panel to turn the boiler on or off. If it doesn't use wi-fi, it must use some proprietary wireless signal. So your thermostat is mobile, but your controls are fixed.

Hive works a bit different, in that it's all wi-fi based, you have to have a hub plugged into your internet router, then a small control box wired to your boiler. Then you have a wireless control panel with a thermostat built in that you put in your living room or wherever. So both your thermostat and controls are mobile, around the room or the house (plus there's an app for schedules and remote control in or out of the house).

mrcheez

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

If your wiring for your current boiler controls isn't beside the boiler itself, and is located in your house, then they'll just be able to install it there for you.

Thanks, that's what I'm hoping.

I do have the controls wired in the kitchen, despite the boiler itself being out in the boiler house in the garden, so hopefully it's just a matter of replacing that box.

My existing controls work by simply pressing a button so theoretically I could use one of these instead:

https://www.amazon.com/SwitchBot-app-controlled-device-mechanically-rocker/dp/B07B98QQF7

:pac:

Gregor Samsa

mrcheez wrote: »

My existing controls work by simply pressing a button so theoretically I could use one of these instead:

https://www.amazon.com/SwitchBot-app-controlled-device-mechanically-rocker/dp/B07B98QQF7

:pac:

Never saw those before! A wireless robot finger! I’m thinking of all kinds of uses. Turning on the immersion. Disabling the bathroom fan. Remote cat rubber. The possibilities are endless!

mrcheez

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

Never saw those before! A wireless robot finger! I’m thinking of all kinds of uses. Turning on the immersion. Disabling the bathroom fan. Remote cat rubber. The possibilities are endless!

I might get one for my (non-connected) Roomba!

I think it needs a hub though which is a bit annoying, that'll be the 3rd hub I've added.