17.7.2019

All the info you need & more eg cross use with Hive Nest etc or how to setup & use these, saving battery etc.Start by remembering that a thermostat is on the wall and a valve is on the radiator. It helps knowing the jargon when purchasing.I got half of these via Amazon and slowly went the whole 9 yards. I bought a Tado 4 pack and a few extra 2 packs and the latest starter pack of V3+ in 2019 is the latest one. I even bought the AC pack for my home air con (lol yes I’m in UK but last few summers have needed it) but I haven’t tested that yet.Basically the whole home kit sets you back a range of 200-700 for a very small to very large house.If you have your priorities right and bought or just saved up for these instead of eg extra takeaways or extra kids toys etc you won’t consider them too expensive. You now control or fine tune the heating down to the individual radiator - these are a wonder to have and should be a must in all homes. Heat less pay less.The valves look good uniform neat tidy smart and are a good size. Easy light finger touch use manually or or via the app. The valves were so so easy to install that I initially almost got very confused as I was expecting a challenge fitting them. I unscrewed the old valve and didn’t need any of the various extra spacers from the box as I took the Tado Radiator Valve and scanned its barcode via the phone app and fitted it to the radiator by filling the in app step by step instructions screwing it on exactly where the old one was. It comes with batteries already fitted (prob cheap standard ones the first time like a tv remote) and takes 3 minutes from setting up to completion (if you’re prepared in advance eg with the app etc and having read the instructions and e.g. fitted maybe the first one). A shuffle and slight tightening up to get the valve base fit to face forward and Voila you put the head on twist to click it and it whirrs and registers as ready. You get a nice little 2 second light show and the temp displays momentarily (see my pics above) on the face of the valve when manually adjusting the valve temp up down etc. The science then comes via the app which provides the rest of the info eg current temp of each room plus humidity freshness etc.If you’re elderly or vulnerable or disabled or have arthritis etc these are great. The easiest one finger valve adjustment in the industry. The head sits like a wheel so you can turn the valve up or down clockwise or anti-clockwise with one finger if not using it via the phone app.Yes they make a small quiet whirr for a few/two three seconds but with the tv on or background noise they are almost impossible to hear. My clocks louder. When you do hear them you’re glad you know they’re working at least and it gives you a sense of Jedi control. So no noise issues whatsoever.Once fitted give them chance to adjust themselves for half hour before using any of the offset features to adjust the base temp of the room as they do it themselves after initial install. They read wrong because your hands have warmed it up during the fitting. Give em chance to cool off then adjust offset 1deg at a time if needed later.The valve itself joins the App via a scan of the barcode located inside its body which is also very easy to open up and then it just scans into the Tado App instantly using the phones camera. I’d downloaded and registered the app while waiting for the order to arrive in advance a day or so I was ready. You give the valve a name ideally location eg Hallway1 etc and stick the second peel off barcode to a pamphlet book you get in the box to keep track of the setup like a register so when removed in future eg to change batteries you don’t get em mixed up. Simples. One by one all added and ready to go.MAKE SURE to keep one radiator valve in the house fully open eg bathroom probably is the best place. I didn’t fit one there I left the old one on the towel rail so even if all my others are are in the off position the boiler water can circulate in the system via the bathroom preventing a lock. Secondly we always prefer the bathroom toasty warm anyway whenever the heatings needed. This translates to - it doesn’t need a Tado rad valve there.The rest of the use is up to you according to season and preference. Eg mine are now set to manual setting in warmer seasons so they don’t constantly adjust and a schedule via the app in winter and also zoned into groups as upstairs and downstairs via AlexaUse good alkaline batteries that won’t leak and only need changing every 2nd year or less once the first ones are changed.You can use Tado Nest Honeywell whatever you want to control heating. If I was doing it from start I’d have used Tado even for the wall thermostat but I already had Nest and I prefer that but you can use any device you choose. Just remember one is for heating as a thermostat the other is for fine tuning as a valve. You don’t need two or three multiple varieties brands of thermostats on the wall just stick to what you like to control your heating as you’ll already have a schedule set up etc so that your minor heating adjustments and fine tuning up n down on the radiator are done by the valve at the radiator - that way batteries will last longer. If you want minute by minute temp changes from 18-19-20-21 and hourly rises the batteries will go in within months as the valve will tire out. In future Tado may bring Li-ion and wireless pad charging of the valves in future eg V7+ gens of the device. Who knows.Let the wall thermostat do the main scheduling and coming on off etc as per your usual timers etc that so the radiator valve is mainly really there just to to go on or off for eg for night or light use. Mine is Nest connected to boiler. I use that. The valves I use just to regulate priority and zones. Occasional usage and adjustments yourself via the app is fine eg while watching tv in winter in one room and being able to turn the temp down in the room via the valve without having to cool or warm the whole house is a good fine tuning control to have but if you do it via the valve using auto scheduling setting you’ll forget you did this and the valve will be doing 50 cycles up and down a day in your absence even when the heating is off - there goes your battery life. Stick to open or close or one setting like the old valve.The next bit - well a million people wanted to know this - yes - it works well with NEST not together as one system but as two so can co exist together. U can use any wall thermostat too but I already prefer Nest doing all the science and intricacies of my heating scheduling and I dont need a second lot. So I use Nest for my heating and configure the Tado rad valves to be open or closed based on night or day and season or a single room if I’m alone in house. I can use Alexa via my Sonos One speakers to control Nest or the Echo to command the heating on or off and temperatures up or down and now I use the Tado to control the fine tuning of radiator. I use both the Tado App and Alexa via Alexa Tado skills and also IFTTT App to control the valves too. This way you can set Nest to heat on or off night and day or via timers but the Tado to turn eg downstairs rads off at night. You don’t need to control too much as your wall thermostat does most of it but at least you now have power over each radiator. I now have the bathroom and lobby slightly warm when I want rather than the whole house. Also it actually helps you heat some of the house faster first by having some valves open and others closed and then just have some come on or lower themselves after half an hour or so. Perfect for eg for the elderly or disabled people and vulnerable persons etc and saves money too for everyone who uses it like this. You don’t need all rads blasting on full. There’s the initial outlay but in the 21st century we should save energy and money and also the planet. All those - but mostly your money. If you’re heating half the house then you save approximately 50% minus some of the drifting and boiler inefficiency but be savvy a bit and close the doors or wear a cardigan as well in winter. Teach the young about value - that money doesn’t eg grow on trees but also to save and value frugality. Lessons from home.I don’t need my heating on 24/7 nor do I need the additional paid for bits like geofencing . I’m not an investment banker or a single person I don’t need geofencing. I know people have own preferences. I prefer the cool sometimes then a slow gradual heat up so I will never probably subscribe to the add on pay as you go top ups. Just use your wall thermostat to control or press the button on when you get home. No big deal.I use the 10 degrees temp setting in the app as a way of closing the valve to off and 18 as a way to keep it on and open. This way they’re not going up and down on and off six times a day as when you do actually adjust them you’ll feel great for having that control and the Star Wars Jedi feeling of power over the manual old valve restrictions. This way you turn up and down when you use the valve than it automatically killing the batteries via overuse.I only control the radiator opening or closing or temp via the Tado that way once I have my set preference I have a few schemes eg night and day and only in winter or when it’s randomly bad weather when the rad valves whirr a couple of secs and Nest does the heating rest on and off. This is my home not a science lab or Kew Gardens.Hopefully it all works out for you. I’m still learning myself too. I’m trying eg the scenario that when Nest comes on according to my winter schedule in the night time only half the rads I really need come on so the other half upstairs eg warm up very fast eg Bed2 and hallway2, then others kick in and slowly warm while the main ones maybe kick down a gear etc. In this way using a product like this can be truly fantastic intelligent and user specific.Tado has not left it all to simplicity. Having the App and additional Comfort skill etc has been great as I now get to see reports on energy savings as well as window freshness air detections etc which help fill the gaps to check and read when bored.

17.7.2019

So really I use Tado just as a way to open shut radiator valves more than anything else and my Nest and Alexa to turn heating on and off as per schedules. This way I can zone day and night winter and summer using Tado without having to go round each radiator.I have the bathroom towel rail on without Tado thermostat so that if the boiler comes on and other valves are shut one radiator eg can flow in a circuit all the time. You control or fine tune the heating down to the individual radiator and have a radiator valve schedule too. The less you have your thermostat valve changing temps opening closing the more you will save battery. I'm on my first batteries still 1.5yrs in.According to use I have upstairs and downstairs open or closed depending on time of day.So in middle of night if temp drops heating comes on only upstairs rads heat up then during day it's the opposite. I manually adjust sometimes using the app if I use other rooms other times. Can be done at the valve too. I've never had to. By having some valves off or low other rads heat up faster so living rooms hallways are always on high but turn off at night when just bedrooms and bathroom are on.The valves look good uniform neat tidy smart and are a good size. Easy light finger touch use manually or or via the app. The valves were so easy to install. I took the Tado Radiator Valve and scanned its barcode via the phone app and fitted it to the radiator by filling the in app step by step instructions screwing it on exactly where the old one was. It comes with batteries already fitted and easy to setup. The science then comes via the app which provides the rest of the info eg current temp of each room plus humidity freshness etc. I use the app regularly to monitor the temp in the rooms. The temp is close to radiator but generally precise.Very quiet. Yes they make a small quiet whirr for a few/two three seconds when adjusting according to your schedule but with the tv on or background noise they are almost impossible to hear. My clocks louder. When you do hear them you’re glad you know they’re working at least and it gives you a sense of Jedi control. So no noise issues whatsoever.The valve itself joins the App via a scan of the barcode located inside its body which is also very easy to open up and then it just scans into the Tado App instantly using the phones camera. I’d downloaded and registered the app while waiting for the order to arrive in advance a day or so I was ready. You give the valve a name ideally location eg Hallway1 etc and stick the second peel off barcode to a pamphlet book you get in the box to keep track of the setup like a register so when removed in future eg to change batteries you don’t get em mixed up. Simples. One by one all added and ready to go.MAKE SURE to keep one radiator valve in the house fully open eg bathroom probably is the best place so boiler water can circulate in the system via eg the bathroom preventing a lock. Secondly we always prefer the bathroom toasty warm anyway whenever the heatings needed. This translates to - it doesn’t need a Tado rad valve in a bathroom.The rest of the use is up to you according to season and preference. Eg mine are now set to off in warmer seasons so they don’t constantly adjust and run according to a schedule via the phone app in winter and also zoned into groups as upstairs and downstairs via Alexa. In summer I override the schedule so they don't come on and off which saves battery. If you don't do this they still adjust according to schedule even if your thermostat and boiler are off eg in summer which is ok but wastes battery for no reason. Then in winter I set them back to schedule on the app.I coordinated my nest thermostat schedule with the Tado valves and occasionally have shouted at Alexa to set the heating on to eg 23 degrees for half an hour or an hour in the middle of night to get a quick heating boost in winter eg at 3am during sleep when looking at phone would be too bright. If I fall asleep and forget my Nest schedule picks up the next slot temp on the hour and boiler goes back to schedule ie off or back to thermostat schedule temp.Use good alkaline batteries that won’t leak and only need changing every 2nd year or less once the first ones are changed.Let the wall thermostat do the main scheduling and coming on off etc as per your usual timers etc that so the radiator valve is mainly really there just to to go on or off for eg for night or light use. Mine is a Nest connected to main boiler and CH. I use that. The valves I use just to regulate priority and zones. Occasional usage and adjustments yourself via the app is fine eg while watching tv in winter in one room and being able to turn the temp down in the room via the valve without having to cool or warm the whole house is a good fine tuning control to have.The next bit - well a million people wanted to know this - yes - it works well with NEST not together as one system but as two so can co exist together. U can use any wall thermostat too but I already prefer Nest doing all the science and intricacies of my heating scheduling and I dont need a second lot. So I use Nest for my heating and configure the Tado rad valves to be open or closed based on night or day and season or a single room if I’m alone. I use Alexa also IFTTT App to control the valves and my nest too.You don’t need all rads blasting on full. There’s the initial outlay but in the 21st century we should save energy and money and also the planet. All those - but mostly your money. If you’re heating half the house then you save approximately 50% minus some of the heat drifting and boiler inefficiency but be savvy a bit and close the doors or wear a cardigan as well in winter.I don’t need my heating on 24/7 nor do I need the additional paid for bits like. I know people have own preferences. I prefer the cool sometimes then a slow gradual heat up so I will never probably subscribe to the add on pay as you go top ups. Just use your wall thermostat to control or press the button on when you get home. No big deal.I use the 10 degrees temp setting in the app as a way of closing the valve to off and 18 as a way to keep it on and open. This way they’re not going up and down on and off six times a day as when you do actually adjust them you’ll feel great for having that control and the Star Wars Jedi feeling of power over the manual old valve restrictions.Tado could do with adding more functions though eg grouping of valves that way instead of each radiator I can just have a up down back and front zone.

14.1.2018

This might be a lengthy review but hopefully will provide an insight into my less than successful experience.I took some time looking at reviews of various smart heating systems before deciding on Tado. I spent £420 on 1 smart radiator starter kit, 1 smart thermostat and 3 smart radiator valves after consulting with Tado on the best setup for my home and required usage. I retained the hot water control via my existing programmer so didn’t need the extension kit.The items are packaged in a style and branding not dissimilar to that of Apple and although are of a plastic finish seem reasonably robust.The online registration and system installation was easy and intuitive,and having a technical background I found it straightforward. I set up three zones, a living room with the smart thermostat and two smart radiator valves as recommended by Tado, a family room with 2 smart radiator valves on both radiators and 1 bedroom with a smart radiator valve. I didn’t want to invest in any more kit until I was sure that it did what Tado said it would.Connection of the internet bridge and pairing of all the components was uncomplicated as was fitting the valves, only two needed the included adapters, (on Danfoss valves.)I set the system up initially on the web interface and then downloaded the Tado App on to my iPhone. Programming the zones for different times and temperatures was simple to do either via the web interface or on the app.So with everything programmed we woke up to a cold house the next morning. The boiler had only fired for a short period. The schedule was set to warm the bedroom and family rooms before the living room which isn’t used until afternoon. Manually starting the living room by increasing the set temperature above the actual recorded temperature then enabled the other zones to warm up in line with the set-point temperatures. Thinking this might have been a one-off I left it but it did the same the next day, cold house in the morning.So it appears that the zone with the smart room thermostat in must be calling for heat before any other zone even though their smart radiator valves are calling for heat.And this is where it all goes downhill with Tado support.I tried throughout the day to call but was unable to get through, just a recording that all agents are busy and to try later (or leave a message.) So I emailed asking for help, and got a response saying that they had made changes to my system (I have no idea what, they didn’t say – and I couldn’t see any changes) to prevent the boiler short firing and not reaching full temperature on first starting and to let them know if it didn’t work. It didn’t so I replied by email but heard no more. I tried ringing but just got the same recorded message.However, they sent me a satisfaction request in dealing with the problem even though they hadn’t and still haven’t fixed it – unbelievable. I now have a response saying they are still dealing with the request for help which will take a few days more.This is not good enough Tado – I’m a new customer that's spent £420 with a zone configuration that you recommended and it doesn’t work.Once the system does decide to start up then generally it works fine during the day although there are noticeable variations in the room temperatures before the system turns on the heating again so you can feel the temperature drop and then increase, i.e it doesn't maintain a comfortable constant temperature. You also need to check the actual room temperature with a separate thermometer against the Tado set point temperatures and then adjust the offset on which ever device is set to monitor the room temperature.I haven’t tried the Geolocation feature yet or the relationship with Apple Homekit as I’d just like to get it working.So in summary, installation set up, programming and control in principle, very good. Functionality not so good Problem resolution and support poor.Tado if you read this I’d like a resolution please (i.d. 426017) so I can return all the items to Amazon for a refund within 30 days if you can’t fix this for me.EDIT- UPDATE.Tado have now fixed the problem remotely. I have therefore revised my rating.

5.5.2021

Of all the smart thermostat systems available, I chose Tado because of their promise that installation could be DIY. This is because I live in an area where it is difficult to find plumbers or electricians. Our radiators are elderly and the thermostats (TRVs) on them jammed eons ago, but I'd been unable to find a plumber interested in the job of replacing either.We have an oil fired boiler with a wireless (but not smart) room thermostat. Our house is old and drafty. In winter the bedrooms are often overheated while the living room is uncomfortably cold, so improving the system had become a priority.I bought this starter kit, 4 extra TRVs,and also the starter kit for the room thermostat (tado° Wireless Smart Thermostat Starter Kit V3+ with Hot Water Control)This kit contains one radiator thermostat and an internet bridge. The bridge is about the size and shape of a pack of Pez candy and it is joined to your network's modem. That bit was easy.So was attaching the thermostat to the radiator. The instructions were very clear and it was a piece of cake to do and took no more than 15 minutes.I now have thermostats on all of our 5 radiators. They can be controlled manually, but also by the app. Using the app it is easy to programme the radiators individually. I am very hopeful that our home is not only going to be more comfortable next winter, but we will save money on fuel too.Tado advise that it is preferable to install this part of their system in conjunction with the room thermostat but I was unable to install the room thermostat (see my review of that item). I am also unsure what benefit there is in doing so which would justify adding a couple of hundred pounds to the cost.A few points to look out for:A. -- MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT PAY TOO MUCH FOR THE KIT. At the moment Amazon are holding frequent 'deals' on parts of the Tado system and the discount is considerable.B. -- Tado give generally clear instructions for removing the old TRVs, but not the information that I needed a very small Allen key to undo the model on our radiators. Fortunately I have an Allen key which fitted.C: The plastic adaptor can be difficult to fit. Patience is needed. I found that it helped if the radiator is on since the warmth softens the plastic a little.D: If you are intending to install the room thermostat, then don't buy this kit because you will just end up with two internet bridges (a mistake I made). I think you should be able to install the room thermostat and the internet bridge, and then install the TRVs without buying this kit.The app has a number of what used to be called bells and whistles, but are now 'skills'. First there is geofencing; the system will detect when everyone has left the house and turn down the radiators. This is complicated by the fact that my OH only rarely turns on his iphone before hes leaves the house, making himself more or less invisible, so I don't see this function as very useful.Secondy it has a weather adaptation, which turns the heating on earlier, the colder it is. I've enjoyed something similar in the past, when I lived in Canada and it certainly makes the start of cold winter mornings more bearable.Thirdly it has 'open window detection'. If it detects an open window, it offers to turn the heating off. I turned off this skill almost immediately, because it is unable to distinguish between an open window and the slight breeze from an air-brick in a blocked chimney.The 'air comfort' feature, which tells you what air quality is like in your area is not so useful for me since I live in a clean air area. It also comments on whether it assesses the rooms in your house as too hot or cold. and thinks I keep my home too cold, but I have the Spartan conditioning of someone who grew up in the 1950s, before Brits discovered central heating.A more useful feature is the ability to adjust the thermostats if they measure too hot or cold than the ambient temperature in the room. In fact, I've found they are only out by one degree.

27.1.2020

I find Tado to be a perfect solution for domestic heating control in the UK. I’ve been a long term user and have recently bought further into the system with the 4 pack of TRV units, a fairly hefty investment but bought easily with the Amazon interest free multi payments.Having started some years back with just the smart thermostat controlling heating, I liked the very flexible timer scheduling and smart geofencing which knew if the house was empty or clever enough to realise I was on my way home from work early and turn on the heating early. Moved to a larger house and went for a couple of room stats which worked perfectly for better control.The extra four added last year have integrated very well and avoid heating areas of the home unnecessarily. The smart features for open window detection are welcome as the hall radiator is near the front door and will allow traffic through to outside without fighting the cold air. Since having this setup we have reduced the standing order for fuel by 25% - a real saving.Should you wish to track the system behaviour all the metadata is easily accessible in a graphical form hour by hour, day by day etc. - useful to setup temperature offsets on the devices and in conjunction with a “real” thermometer you can balance the room temperatures accurately.Other reviewers have mentioned poor temperature measurement due to the position of the valve, but this has the same relevance as a mechanical TRV which is also situated on the valve, in my experience it’s a good compromise. Also mentioned is lack of control when moving away from the schedule - not true, the app will allow full adjustment and override with options until next schedule change, timed or until changed again. Turning the sleeve on the TRV to new temperature will also override schedule. Perfectly flexible. Negative comments regarding poor valve actuation - possibly on older valves this may occur but again a problem for a mechanical TRV also. Our heating system is about 14 years old and has had few problems, apart from one valve stuck in the open position that had to be freed before TRV fitment, an obvious problem easily solved but would be easy to blame the Tado TRV if you were unable to understand the issue.Smart integration should be mentioned and we have control in use with Alexa/echo devices, and Apple HomeKit, all well implemented. Commands are usefully per room such as “Alexa - hall temperature?” returns the current temperature to one decimal place, “hall temperature 21 degrees” sets the temperature to 21 and so forth. IFTTT also integrates allowing interface with other IOT devices. Excellent.The app itself has a good interface and has been completely reliable including wireless connection with the TRVs around the house. Support is good, however by email so not the fastest, the hardware design is typically Teutonic no frills and I personally like the plain and simple uncluttered look of the room thermostat - a relief in my opinion from the glitzy alternative devices - just a matter of personal taste! Battery life for the TRVs I find acceptable and recommend the higher power Alkaline cells, a rechargeable battery pack would be a greener option however.About the only major criticism I could make would be that there is not an alternative colour for the slightly stark looking TRVs, as with some designer radiators a charcoal or satin chrome finish may look classier.

17.5.2017

Tado Thermostatic Radiator Valve - application zonal heating/home useOverall-----------Highly recommended way to control zones in your home, albeit a little pricey.I purchased these thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) , along with the Tado bridge (used to connect to your home network), a few months ago to provide some zonal heating.Typically my south facing rooms are hot and the north facing cold. The Tado TRVs have been installed in the south facing rooms to moderate the temperature. Now I’ve got the family to keep doors shut it seems to serve a purpose in the sunnier cool months.Pros------Simple to install and use.Cons--------A bit on the expensive side compared to analogue TRVs,but definitely worth consideration.Construction & build qualityThe build quality is good. Only one minor criticism is that it is difficult to replace the batteries on some of my TRVs as the restraining cover is fiddly to undo. I am still confident that they will last for several years!Aesthetic--------------Well you wouldn't think a TRV could look nice but these actually do. They are subtle and about the same size as most analogue TRVs. The graphic display is really neat!Installation----------------Physical installation was relatively easy with absolutly no plumbing involved as I replaced my existing [useless analogue] TRVs . When I screwed them onto the radiator I knew I would want the display to be front facing and planned the installation accordingly. Network connectivity was simple and straightforward. This would be the case for most people with some knowledge of a home network.Operation / notifications------------------------------------Operation is as simple as an analogue TRV. Twist to set the temperature when the app is not used. To be honest I hardly recall adjusting them in this way, but its probably useful if your own network or internet provider has issue.Email notification is provided when the batteries are low. That’s useful and shows the product has been well thought through.Accompanying Android appThe app does exactly what I need. The app designer obviously took time to make something that could have been complicated very simple! Setting the temperature and the schedule is a piece of cake. The ability to give control to the person in the room is really useful, but no granularity exists in the control so anyone in the household who has access can adjust their siblings room temperature!Energy SavingsThe TRVs will definitely save you money but Ive not carried out any analysis and cant comment further.Support-------------Aside from the product design, the service desk are quite the star performers. Having said that it is testimony to the design that I don’t recall having to submit an incident or service request for TRVs.The back office service status notifications (from the Tado service) are useful but I’m not convinced Tado give as much attention to keeping this up to date as they could, but well done for at least providing the service.Integration----------------The Amazon Alexa integration seems a bit hit and miss. Must admit I gave up on it and just used the fantastic Tado app.Overall these are fantastic albeit a little pricey, but still well worth purchasing as part of your home automation and green energy quest.

25.11.2020

I left it a while before writing a review, so I could include any issues. Amazed to find it is now 2 years later. The whole Tado system has worked perfectly as advertised.I was concerned that the radiator valves would not measure the room temperature well - after all, they are right next to the source of heat. But it works very well indeed. I had to tweak the offset for each room, but once set it worked perfectly. I have just bought the (new) temperature sensors for three rooms, but only to make it easy to make manual changes when needed, so we don't have to reach the radiator valves (which are not so accessible in those rooms). If you have a regular routine,you won't need to make these sort of changes often anyway.Another concern was wireless communication through my stone walls - the walls completely block WiFi and mobile phone signals. But Tado just worked.By default, manual overrides of the programmed settings remain set until manually cancelled. Happily this can be changed such that it returns to the timed settings when they next change, and I'd recommend that to others.Installation instructions assume Tado is being added to an existing central heating system. In my case it was a totally new heating install, and I had to ask for a little help. It needed just one call to Tado to sort out the boiler connection: they were really helpful and got me sorted in minutes. Once working, it takes a little effort to do the initial programming, but this is where you can save money by only heating rooms when needed, so is worth a little thought.My (somewhat technophobic) wife has no difficulty in using the various controls on the odd occasion she wants to override the programmed settings. I guess aesthetics are subjective, but I find the visual design of all the devices excellent.With nearly every device battery-powered, there are rather a lot of batteries. I have had a few occasions when the system failed to email me when a device's batteries were getting low; it is a bit of a pain when that happens. Batteries seem to last though: they all lasted more than one year, and some are still going after 2. All the devices arrived with batteries included.I find the open window detection a bit over-sensitive, I should look to see if it can be adjusted. But a good idea - no point in having heating going in a room with the window wide open.The "geofencing" is good: heating goes off when we are all out, and back on in nice time to be warm when anyone gets back. We got used to it very quickly and I would not want to be without that function.The connection to Google Assistant works well, and I imagine Amazon Alexa is equally good. I'm still not used to speaking aloud to ask the temperature or change it, but it makes for an impressive demonstration for visitors.I guess my main remaining concern is that the system relies on Tado (the company) and my Internet link. I would prefer it to be entirely self-contained so it works even when offline.Overall I am deeply impressed, and very happy with the system. Hardware build quality is very good indeed, and it has already saved a surprising amount of money on my gas bills. Recommended.

12.2.2018

So firstly this would have certainly been a 5 star review had the supplied adapters not worked better for my specific radiator valves; Danfoss RA connection. I purchased 7 of these for my home set-up to allow me to zone specific rooms. The valves themselves looks excellent and are certainly the best looking smart TRV valves I have come across to date after an extensive review of others.The TRV valves come with a large selection of adapters. For my specific set-up I required the Danfoss RA adapters. I had problems with these on my radiator and found that they were loose and I had instances when the valve itself would pop off the radiator at random when the TRV was attempting to push the pin back in,with the force exerted on the adapter enough to pop it out of the plastic thread. The thread on the plastic adapter doesn't seem to grip the mating part very well and the interference fit is not snug enough. Once the valve pops off one time then there is little chance it will maintain a good fit on the thread thereafter as the plastic is likely to have stripped to some extent.After speaking to Tado they informed me to not tighten the adapter onto the radiator. This partially worked but I found myself having to wedge in a piece of paper to allow the adapter to grip onto the valve. Not a great solution.Tado customer services were excellent and sent me new Danfoss RA adapters and also advised I could purchase metal adapters separately which I ultimately did.I purchased these metal adapters and what a difference it makes. No longer are my TRV valves wobbly and I now don't live in fear of the valve popping off!This is only my experience and I will certainly be buying more TRV valves again, only this time I will purchase the metal adapters separately for any Danfoss RA adapters. It's a shame the Danfoss RA supplied plastic adapters just don't feel fit for purpose.But overall, after my installation issues, the system itself is fantastic. We now have a truly zoned heating system and love the look of the valves. We extensively reviewed other smart TRV's and came to the conclusion these were the clear winner. Honeywell have their system but the rich interface and software element combined with the sleek and modern look of the Tado valves certainly came out trumps for our home.I've seen other reviews with someone having similar issues with Danfoss RA connections so this doesn't seem to be an isolated event. But again, apart from the small adapter they are fantastic and work flawlessly and are extremely silent (we would never wake up with them turning the rad on/off and the sound lasts only a second or so).This would have been 5 stars if the adapter was metal but the separate purchase was cheap. We have other radiators that don't require any adapters and the TRV fits on it direct flawlessly.Photos attached showing supplied plastic adapter and then the metal ones purchased separately.

23.1.2019

Having read some of the negative reviews I was a little worried about lashing out more £££ on these in addition to the Tado thermostat and extension kit I've already got... However I took the plunge and have fitted 5 to various rads in the house.Installation was easy, luckily they fit straight onto my old TRV bases, without having to use any of the supplied adaptors. Like others I'm not impressed with the design of the adaptors - they are a split design with a bolt to clamp them on, but when you tighten that bolt it will compress the female thread on the adaptor's inside, but at the same time this will make the male thread on the outside shrink - so it'll never fit properlySet-up was ok,most of the valves found the extension kit's RF signal first time. I had one that refused to connect - on the 3rd attempt it did work.In use, the app seems ok, but I'm not sure how you group valves together - this needs a bit more explaining on Tado's help pages. It can be a bit tedious setting up each one, as I haven't found a way to just "copy" an existing schedule from one radiator valve to the next - you have to enter it all in manuallySo far, the house seems comfortable, the valves do make a bit of a whirring noise - unfortunately this is amplified by the rigid radiator & pipework, probably not much Tado can do about this apart from using a quieter motor (not easy for a product that's already designed and in mass production). I find the noise wakes me up sometimes, it's brief but can be a bit annoying. I guess I'll get used to it after a whileIn the end, I had to move my Tado internet bridge to a more central location in the house, as I was having problems with the devices losing their connections. Moving it to the first landing on the stairs seems to have fixed that, luckily I have several ethernet-over-mains adaptors so moving it was easyThe geofencing part I don't know about, since there's always someone at home I've switched this feature off. I'm sure it could save money, but not in my situation.It's disappointing Tado are trying to move to a subscription model - that hardware is already expensive and this will put people off what is a good system.One last point, if your internet goes down, your heating schedule stops too - you can adjust stuff manually, but really how hard would it be to keep the schedule locally (maybe in the Tado internet bridge/hub thing)?This is a big potential flaw in the system - a bit like having a computer that will only work if it can connect to Microsoft or Apple's servers all the time.Come on Tado, listen to your customers, see the light and add this (maybe to the next generation of the internet bridge/hub). You have a good system here, but are in danger of scaring away potential customers or letting competitors come in and take away your market share

3.12.2017

Like many Eon customers I had my Eon touch system replaced by Eon withthe Tado system. The basic system of Internet bridge, smart thermostat and extension kit worked extremely well and was simple to get used to. I also then decided to replace my Drayton Trv4s and to invest in the smart radiator thermostats.I have a 4 bedroom bungalow with 2 ensuites and a family bathroom. In total there are 8 radiators and 3 towel rails that I wished to control individually. 7 of the radiators were fitted with Drayton TRV4s and replacing these with Tado's was very easy. It's just a matter of unscrewing the Drayton head and fitting the Tado's. I Didn't need to use any adaptors and the app gives very clear instructions.Managed to fit all 7 in under an hour. The app lets you pair 2 or more radiators so if you alter the temperature on 1 radiator it automatically adjusts both. Very handy.It soon became apparent that I had a problem with three of my Valves. Not the Tado thermostat part but the actual valves themselves were sticking. WD 40 didn't seem to improve things. It's not surprising that the valves were sticking either open or shut as they hand to been moved in years.Having to replace three valves I took the plunge and decided to fit valves on my three towel rails and the one radiator without a TRV. Most homes have one radiator usually in the hall that has no valve. This has been recommended in the past so that should the boiler be on and pumping water and all the radiator valves are shut the water has somewhere to go. You can leave this radiator alone but what this means in practice is that this radiator will always heat up whenever ANY radiator calls for heat. That clearly is a waste.I've now got all radiators and towel rails fitted with Tado smart radiator valves.I have set up different temperatures and timers for each room. We used our old wireless thermostat to check temperatures and noticed that the theremostats on the radiators were always reading higher than the actual room temperature meaning the room was colder than the app was saying. This is easily corrected by going into the settings on the app and adjusting the temperature offset. This isn't surprising as the Tado stats are obviously on the radiator where it's going to be warmer.The geofencing option works very well. My wife and I both have the Tado app installed on our phones so when we are both out the heating turns itself off or down automatically. And when one of us is home it switches back on.I have also managed to set up the Tado's on Apple home which means I can now ask Siri to adjust all the radiators. I believe you can also integrate with Alexa and similar products.The kit isn't cheap but I think within 18 months I will have saved enough on my energy costs to recoup the outlay.

7.12.2018

A great addition to your smart home that will save you money over the long term. I have the full system (apart from the A/C bit). 1 year after purchasing the starter kit, here are some of my thoughts:Tado now charge a subscription of £3 per month. Anyone new to Tado will have to pay this for the Geo location function / Open windows detection / Weather adaptation functionality. Existing users will only have to pay the subscription charge if they decide to upgrade the app for the one off £20 fee (I think I’ll be sticking with the old app for the foreseeable future). Tado have stated they will continue to honour the old app.

23.6.2019

Background: Moved from a 1970's Back Boiler/Water Tank & single-pane radiators with no TRV's to a modern Combi boiler, dual-pane radiators, with full Tado system. These were easy to self-install, the app guides you through the entire process of removing old TRVs, what to attach & how to pair.Pros:• Very easy to change temperature (No force required, the dial is floating & send commands to the motor once set)• Smaller than expected & look very modern.• Updates the temperature of the room & updates the app every 10-15 seconds.• Comes with Duracell OEM batteries pre-installed.Cons:• Plastic adapters do feel cheap (Our contractor wasn't happy with them,

4.3.2021

OK, Firstly contacting Tado quickly is useless, they really do need to address / fix this issue.However IF you get everything working and have all the right products this is an amazingly awesome system!These TRV's were easy to fit, ours didn't even require the adaptor kits (supplied) I've never even took off a TRV before and realise they were so simple to remove.We have 6 fitted and this allows us to totally control the heating on a room by room basis.The app is simple to use and easy to understand, very easy to add rooms and times for heating schedules.What a lot of reviews are missing this is the radiator thermostat not a ROOM Thermostat.So you will have to work out what settings per TRV work best for you.If 19 is to cold,

13.2.2019

I had the initial install done professionally by Tado (or their agent) with no problems. I fitted the radiator valves and the whole system is currently working well so I’m very satisfied with it.I’m about to order 5 new radiator valves as my plumber just fitted TRVs to my remaining rads. I also had a danfoss TRV changed at the same time to avoid the problem several other reviewers mentioned with the poor quality plastic adapters.One issue I’ve experienced was that two radiator valves wouldn’t connect to the hub like another of the reviewers, I moved the hub to the top of the staircase, now I don’t get any issues with pairing.I joined the Beta program and am currently testing version 5.4 software

1.1.2021

I bought this a few weeks ago as we have a period house that is very difficult to heat. I use a Nest for the main kitchen/living area as this was a new build and has under floor heating. The rest of the house was zoned into three areas with time clocks and thermostatic valves on the radiators. When the heating came on the rooms would get really warm then lose heat quickly after the heating switched off!I installed the Tado system in all the rooms except the kitchen. Tado valves on the radiators, a wireless starter kit to control the downstairs zone and a wired thermostat to control the upstairs zone(i had two upstairs zones but have them operating as one now).Each room is a zone now with its on separate time/temperature schedule.

tado° Smart Radiator Thermosat (Add-On) - Reviews

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