Alexa

[ronk]

I didn't bother with Alexa - I went down the Google route. I use Google as my search engine so thought the Google speaker was a logical approach. I don't bother with the control of lights etc but it will turn my TV off - I will stick with the button tho.

The downside of it really is its "Hey Siri" on the iPhone and "Hey Google"b to the speaker - Its akin to getting the Granddaughters names mixed up!

 

[Nanu]

I like it, playing the music I want, opening the garage doors when I have my hands full, seeing who is at the gate and open it that way without remotes. Tell the destination to the satnav (non flimper spec only ), Turn the heating on when walking in the office, use one command to set of a series of events.

But then, automation is my line of work

Doesn't a thing called a wife do that?

 

[Pondrew]

As for Alexa, I just don’t get it yet, though if I could say, hey Alexa I’m short of milk and flour, then 10 minutes later someone’s knocking at the door with milk and flour……that’s useful…..not I’m too lazy to get off my arse and turn on a light…..

Totally agree. A lot of this stuff lately is 'technology for technololgy's sake'. Why the hell would you spend £500 on a wi-fi home heating control and an app on your phone? A perfectly good central heating programmer costs about £50. I have NEVER felt the need to adjust my heating in my house when I'm not in. How would I know if it's too cold or hot? App controlled smart cookers; WTF use are they?

Sorry I have too many opinions and must learn to not impose my will on others; ignore that last rant

 

[ronk]

If I'm out then the house can stay cool - its well insulated so its not going to freeze in a few hours and if I go away for a few days, the timer is set and the thermostat is on 15°c Why bother with Hive ?

 

[Stevo1987]

Pondrew,is there anything you don't have an opinion on to increase your post count

I have a lot to say, but if I'm pis*ing people off I'll back off. :

No don’t change, you’re fine as you are, though a bath once in a while……..

As for Alexa, I just don’t get it yet, though if I could say, hey Alexa I’m short of milk and flour, then 10 minutes later someone’s knocking at the door with milk and flour……that’s useful…..not I’m too lazy to get off my arse and turn on a light…..

Sorry Tim didn’t mean you per se

Handy if one is disabled.

 

[Stevo1987]

If I'm out then the house can stay cool - its well insulated so its not going to freeze in a few hours and if I go away for a few days, the timer is set and the thermostat is on 15°c Why bother with Hive ?

Why bother with a Z4 when a Ford Fiesta gets one from A to B? It is whatever floats yer boat. I got Hive because I wanted to change the position of my thermostat from halfway up the stairs. So, I looked at wireless stuff and Hive had a deal on so I got that. So far it has worked well. Later on on I paired it up with Alexa which also works well.

 

[Scubaregs]

Flip side, why have a timer which puts on your heating when you are out, but the day is mild and not needed? My app control system was free as part of an energy plan, I do 12 hour shifts and decide when the heating needs to go on for me being home.

 

[pvr]

As for Alexa, I just don’t get it yet, though if I could say, hey Alexa I’m short of milk and flour, then 10 minutes later someone’s knocking at the door with milk and flour……that’s useful…..not I’m too lazy to get off my arse and turn on a light…..

Totally agree. A lot of this stuff lately is 'technology for technololgy's sake'. Why the hell would you spend £500 on a wi-fi home heating control and an app on your phone? A perfectly good central heating programmer costs about £50. I have NEVER felt the need to adjust my heating in my house when I'm not in. How would I know if it's too cold or hot? App controlled smart cookers; WTF use are they?

Sorry I have too many opinions and must learn to not impose my will on others; ignore that last rant

Ah, I can understand that with a Hive system which works like that, but with the Honeywell system I control each radiator. So depending on the time of the day, different radiators go on and off. After installing it, it saved about £800 a year by not just having a central thermostat

 

[Stevo1987]

As for Alexa, I just don’t get it yet, though if I could say, hey Alexa I’m short of milk and flour, then 10 minutes later someone’s knocking at the door with milk and flour……that’s useful…..not I’m too lazy to get off my arse and turn on a light…..

Totally agree. A lot of this stuff lately is 'technology for technololgy's sake'. Why the hell would you spend £500 on a wi-fi home heating control and an app on your phone? A perfectly good central heating programmer costs about £50. I have NEVER felt the need to adjust my heating in my house when I'm not in. How would I know if it's too cold or hot? App controlled smart cookers; WTF use are they?

Sorry I have too many opinions and must learn to not impose my will on others; ignore that last rant

I think I paid just over £100 for my hive set up.

 

[Stevo1987]

As for Alexa, I just don’t get it yet, though if I could say, hey Alexa I’m short of milk and flour, then 10 minutes later someone’s knocking at the door with milk and flour……that’s useful…..not I’m too lazy to get off my arse and turn on a light…..

Totally agree. A lot of this stuff lately is 'technology for technololgy's sake'. Why the hell would you spend £500 on a wi-fi home heating control and an app on your phone? A perfectly good central heating programmer costs about £50. I have NEVER felt the need to adjust my heating in my house when I'm not in. How would I know if it's too cold or hot? App controlled smart cookers; WTF use are they?

Sorry I have too many opinions and must learn to not impose my will on others; ignore that last rant

Ah, I can understand that with a Hive system which works like that, but with the Honeywell system I control each radiator. So depending on the time of the day, different radiators go on and off. After installing it, it saved about £800 a year by not just having a central thermostat

Hive sell rad valves as well so you can do the same.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Handy if one is disabled.

That's a very valid point.

I don't have Alexa, Hive or any of that sort of tech. Maybe I'm a technophobe, but when my printer randomnly goes offline, the battery condition icon on my taskbar randomly appears or doesn't, the volume button on the taskbar can somtimes be adjusted but frequently can't, I get "exception unknown software exceptions............." after most Windows updates that seem incurable, I'd rather just use a manual switch for the lights and a manual thermostat for my heating!

 

[TitanTim]

I've had Hive since 2015 and generally been pleased with it, for me just gives you that extra flexibility if you're not certain when you will be home so you can control the heating remotely at will instead of having it ticking over on a timer wasting heat.

Tim.

 

[Stevo1987]

I've had Hive since 2015 and generally been pleased with it, for me just gives you that extra flexibility if you're not certain when you will be home so you can control the heating remotely at will instead of having it ticking over on a timer wasting heat.

Tim.

I don't like walking upstairs when the kids used up all the hot water. All nearly left home now though.

 

[Pondrew]

Ah, I can understand that with a Hive system which works like that, but with the Honeywell system I control each radiator. So depending on the time of the day, different radiators go on and off. After installing it, it saved about £800 a year by not just having a central thermostat

Your radiator valves are just TRVs (thermostatic radiator valves) with a remotely-controlled motor (instead of a temperature sensitive element, wax normally) . The ONLY advantage they give is you don't have to get up and physically adjust them. You could have saved your £800 without them, but you probably wouldn't have thought of it (why would you?).
I am pretty sure HIVE is a brand name of British Gas. The equipment is supplied by either Honeywell (probably as they are the biggest), or Danfoss, or possibly Schneider, or Siemens.

I have been designing heating and cooling systems for 30 years and have never used the 'app' based technology because I haven't seen any cost saving advantage.

 

[Pondrew]

Handy if one is disabled.

Never thought of that but yes, that is one advantage

 

[Pondrew]

Flip side, why have a timer which puts on your heating when you are out, but the day is mild and not needed?

Because if your programmer comes on, your wall thermostat will hold it off if the temperature is too high. And if it doesn't your TRVs will hold your rads off (this is presuming you have it all set correctly).

 

[Scubaregs]

Yes, but if you don't need the house heated at that time for whatever reason, it is still heating the house for no purpose. There is more control with an app based timer that can work remotely.

 

[pvr]

Ah, I can understand that with a Hive system which works like that, but with the Honeywell system I control each radiator. So depending on the time of the day, different radiators go on and off. After installing it, it saved about £800 a year by not just having a central thermostat

Your radiator valves are just TRVs (thermostatic radiator valves) with a remotely-controlled motor (instead of a temperature sensitive element, wax normally) . The ONLY advantage they give is you don't have to get up and physically adjust them. You could have saved your £800 without them, but you probably wouldn't have thought of it (why would you?).
I am pretty sure HIVE is a brand name of British Gas. The equipment is supplied by either Honeywell (probably as they are the biggest), or Danfoss, or possibly Schneider, or Siemens.

I have been designing heating and cooling systems for 30 years and have never used the 'app' based technology because I haven't seen any cost saving advantage.

Surprising as it is impossible to do it manually, you would have to go in every room to switch the radiator off at 6 am to only heat a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. Then later in the day do the reverse and open up lounge etc and close off bedrooms. Hence the savings I see

 

[TitanTim]

The one thing I don't allow Alexa to control is the heating, same for switching her camera lens off as don't fancy her watching me and what I get upto on the sofa :?

Tim.

 

[Pondrew]

Yes, but if you don't need the house heated at that time for whatever reason, it is still heating the house for no purpose. There is more control with an app based timer that can work remotely.

All you have to do in that case is change it before you go out. It takes approx 1-3 hours to heat a house by 5 deg c so you would still need to pre-empt your arrival in any case (and remember).

Surprising as it is impossible to do it manually, you would have to go in every room to switch the radiator off at 6 am to only heat a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. Then later in the day do the reverse and open up lounge etc and close off bedrooms. Hence the savings I see

Your normal TRVs on every radiator (except at least one, usually bathroom or hallway) have temperature sensing elements (hence the name thermostatic radiator valves). The vast majority have a scale of 0-5 (with a snowflake between 0 and 1). Zero is off, snowflake is approx 5 deg c, 1 is approx 18 deg c and 5 is approximately 27 deg C, the rest are increments of these.
A well balanced system with TRVs, a suitably timed programmer and reasonably set wall thermostat will do everything you need. The ONLY advantage of app based controls is that you can change them without physically moving from room to room and twisting a knob. If you have a routine (which most do), you surely would not normally need to touch them.