Bosch Smart Home Room Thermostat II for Controlling Smart Radiator Thermostats

Product Information

Fail-safe protection for reliable operation at all times thanks to protection against frost and calcification, as well as warning when the battery is low and regular testing of the valve function Smart radiator valves are great if you want complete control and transparency over how much you're using your heating. Some smart thermostats use AI to adjust your heating and cooling schedule based on how long it takes your home to heat up or cool down. In contrast, others include sensors that automatically switch the heating and cooling system off if they detect an open window or think no one is using the house at the time, saving even more energy.

It’s a fine idea, but the problem is that the system will turn on, say, one bulb in your kitchen and one in your living room, then it will switch and turn on one bulb in the office and the hallway. Unfortunately, the system doesn’t understand rooms and that it should operate groups of bulbs to simulate someone using individual rooms. This isn’t particularly flexible, as you may want to have a room warmer in the evening when there’s no sun, and cooler during the day. It would make more sense if, like rival systems, Bosch let you set a more detailed schedule.EasyControl is compatible with Bosch ETRV's, which allow precise temperature control for each room via the EasyControl Smart Radiator Thermostats. You can change the settings remotely You don't have to go round your whole home changing each valve's settings, if you want to heat rooms differently.

However, if you don't own a smartphone or don't like using one, you're unlikely to get the full benefit out of a smart radiator valve.Smart thermostats connect to your home Wi-Fi network and ensure an app on your smartphone, or you can use a voice assistant to switch your home’s heating and cooling system, even if you’re not at home. As well as adjusting the temperature in your home, most smart thermostats also enable you to set schedules, provide a report charting your energy use and even stop your heating coming on at all because, for example, you’re heading out of town. As with any new device or piece of technology that we've been told will improve our lives, some downsides do exist. Firstly, there's the initial cost, though the best smart thermostats in this guide do vary in price, and there's an argument that many will pay for themselves once your heating becomes more energy-efficient. There's also installation which, as we have outlined above, can mean you need to pay for professional installation. How we tested these smart thermostats

Ultimately, it depends what you want smart heating for to decide if it's worth getting. Smart radiator valves offer high levels of control, but that doesn't suit everyone. Smart radiator valve pros It’s important to note that since there’s no control over the boiler, you’ll still need to add a schedule to your existing controls. Depending on the settings you’ve used, this may mean that your heating shuts off before a room hits the set temperature. Wi-fi radiator valves cannot communicate with a smart thermostat (so they cannot turn your boiler on and off). There's no option for zonal control through radiator thermostats either, and the plastic design isn't stylish, but it's worth considering for those that already have an Echo or two. Changes made to a Radiator Thermostat happen immediately, with the LCD showing the change in temperature. The valve can take a few seconds to respond and start moving. As with rival products, the motor makes a high-pitched wine; it’s quiet enough, but it may take a while to get used to the sound in your bedroom.The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 421,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2022). The company generated sales of 88.2 billion euros in 2022. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT provider, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, Industry 4.0, and connected mobility. Bosch is pursuing a vision of mobility that is sustainable, safe, and exciting. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to facilitate connected living with products and solutions that either contain artificial intelligence (AI) or have been developed or manufactured with its help. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 470 subsidiary and regional companies in over 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 136 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 85,500 associates in research and development, of which nearly 44,000 are software engineers. You can also set the temperature of each room using the thermostatic radiator valves. In the diagram below: Scenarios are a way of creating routines to control multiple devices at once. There are preprogrammed ones, including Leaving home, which turns off all lights, activates the alarm system and can turn on Simulated Presence mode. Scenarios can be run through the app or via a Bosch wireless switch; there’s no option to run them automatically. Annoyingly, both the app and the Radiator Valve only show you the set temperature, not the current temperature. As such, it’s impossible to know how warm (or cold) your rooms are at any given point. It’s strange that such a basic feature is missing.

You get smarter control when you use the Door/Window sensor. Using the pre-defined ventilation detection service, you can set the system to turn the Radiator Thermostat to Low (effectively, off) when a window or door is opened in the same room, saving money by not trying to heat the outside constantly. However, searching for the best smart thermostat is not as straightforward as you would think since there are two basic types. One is a little more basic and cheaper, meant to keep your entire space at a single setting, while the other, more expensive kind can customize each room to its own setting. Of course, that type is pricier as it requires extra installation of smart radiator valves and cooling vents. This way, kids cannot adjust anything on the smart thermostats – and you can still control the room temperature conveniently via app, voice assistant or room thermostat.Battery warning: If the two AA batteries which can easily be replaced are getting low, you will be given a warning via app several weeks in advance so that you can replace them in good time. Having a dual-purpose system such as this makes a lot of sense, and you get faster, more accurate detection of a door or window being opened. However, if you’re not going to use the alarm part of the system, having a dedicated sensor adds to the overall cost. Efficient heating: heats precisely as needed and with energy efficiency thanks to time programmes and special services such as “Sustainable Ventilation”. Simple wall mounting by means of enclosed screws and adhesives. No wiring is necessary because four AAA batteries power the unit. Battery lifetime: up to two years. You can easily set up heating schedules. For example, the heating can be turned off in all the rooms but the office during the day, and then be turned on low in the bedrooms and higher in the living room during the evening.