Home heating automation

The 3 terminals are being used as a junction box. From left there 2 Neutral, 3 Live on the live in, and two connections to the Live out. Is this used to time the immersion switch above? The heating boiler also? Is there a wall thermostat somewhere? There are two connections to the timed Live aka Switched live , SL. You could just connect a smart thermostats in place of the APT if this was a suitable location to measure house temperature, otherwise get a wireless stat and put the receiver in place of the apt. If this APT is also timing the immersion, on one of the SL wires out, I would leave the APT there for this and just connect the SL that calls the boiler to the new smart stat receiver. An immersion will pull more current than a smart thermostat can switch. Is the boiler gas or oil? If oil, what model? Older boiler house oil boilers often have no permanent live, and can also draw too much current for a smart stat switch contacts.

A Tado wireless kit is your best value bet. The receiver is wired with live, neutral and the SL wires from the CH NO terminal on the receiver. My only concern is the old firebird. If you can get an image or model no.of this I could determine if it is powered in standby, which will mean it's relay operated. Tbh, if there are zone valves, there may already be relays or wall stats in the system. Tado starter kit in Screwfix is best value.

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/tado-v3-wireless-heating-hot-water-smart-thermostat-starter-kit-white/141KT?

Today's advice was doled out with one eye on the FAI cup final, and the other on a stream of Scotland v the Springboks. It's called multitasking I believe 😁. Fair play to Drogs the underdogs, 2 nil. There won't be a cow milked in Louth tonight.

If you want to integrate it with Tado, it would need to be a panel with a wired through connection so that simply turning on the mains to it causes it to operate. A panel with a simple mechanical stat built in and turned up would work. This would allow a Tado wired stat to supply the direct power to a relatively low wattage panel, say 1kw max, or via a relay for higher output panels. The assumption is that the air temperature sensor of the Tado is a good match for the radiant heat output of panels. They don't heat the room air directly lik a radiator, but rather the surfaces which absorb the infrared radiation, warm up, and subsequently by convection heat the room air. It would be interesting to see the learned response of a Tado thermostat to the heating response profile of a radiant panel only heated space.

Some of these panels have their own electronics, smart and app controls which would require the panel to be always powered, with thermostatic control internally built in and accessible by a remote or an app. They are designed for high and ceiling use, so remote access is a necessity. the only way Tado could control these is by joint control via alexa or other automation app or scheme, which would allow a Tado condition, such as thermostat ON or active for heat, to request the panel to turn on and provide this. Such automations are possible over a wide range of devices and sensors. The one I used to use was IFTTT, but Tado have withdrawn interoperability with IFTTT a few months ago, but there are plenty of alternatives for the nerd of mind types.

A quick Google shows some models with smart access by Alexa etc, others may have networked control or wired ports. I've not seen any results for the new Matter control protocol over Thread networks, which is the basis of the new Tado X system. This might be a better bet if you want panels. You can mix ten with room radiators too, and the composite heat output could be jointly controlled by smart home automation, or you could just use the panels own app to get a burst of the pleasant radiant heat, while the Tado will just reduce the contribution of your existing system.

That's a summary of the state of play, a final word of caution, they use electricity, at whatever rate per Kwh you're paying. Which can be quite high in the evenings on smart meters. A kwh in gives you a kwh out. There's no magic to these, no multiplier of energy like a functioning heatpump, (and even these have burnt the wallets of many users.) Stick one in the ceiling over the bed, or over the mantle facing the sofa. That might be a way of feeling warmer without excessive output to the radiators.

CAUTION!

If googling Tado X, leave a space before the X, or you might get this result 😁

Oh, my mistake. How about this table stand android tablet, run the tado app on it. https://www.currys.ie/products/lenovo-tab-m9-9-tablet-with-silicone-case-32-gb-arctic-grey-10248383.html

It's browser should work anyway to display the Web version of the Tado app. Plenty of those Fire on Adverts too, €50 for a 2024 HD8

Swap a countertop socket for one these. Mount the tablet over it with velcro and a short right angle USB C cable for a neat installation.

Fancy metal faced ones up to €55

It will be Climote N L 3 4 6 to Wiser N L 1 2 3. The commons in the Drayton are pre wired to Live. Terminate earth's. L and N on the climote may have extra taps going back out to other device, so keep these, but discard the jumpers that go to 1,2 and 5.

Turn the EPH stat up full, or remove and link the wires.

Sorry, just seen it's Screwfix. At least you can Just go to the shop.