The problem with remote control heating

From the moment they step through the door your bookings become guests, and their experiences determine whether they ever come back.
ianh100
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The problem with remote control heating

Post by ianh100 »

Our Christmas guests arrived yesterday, with us until the new year. We are off site but use Hive to control the heating. I have it set to email me when there are extreme temperatures (below 10 or over 25c). The system has been mailing me as they have the heating at 27.5C!!!!!!

We have 12KW electric boiler which must be running constantly, I think we are going to loose money on the booking if we have 2 weeks of this. Unfortunately we can't cap the heating with the Hive system. I can't morally turn it down. The place is well insulated, we find it uncomfortable with the heating set at 22 so I can't imagine what it must be like.

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Ben McNevis
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Post by Ben McNevis »

Dear guests,

We notice that the temperature in the house is a little on the high side. I can't remember the exact details of the Department of Health guidelines for cooking turkey, but I'm pretty sure that 27.5 degrees C isn't anywhere near enough. Perhaps you could consider using the oven instead as I don't think that you will be able to get the house hot enough. If you were to use the oven instead, you will then be able to turn the thermostat down and have a more comfortable temperature in the house.

Yours sincerely....

Seriously though, it doesn't need a Hive for guests to go nuts with the heating. But the Hive does let you know when they are doing it. I don't know if there is an "ignore over" setting with Hive? We have our "ignore over" set at 21 so people can think they've set the thermostat to 30+ but the system just ignores it.
Cheers, Ben
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Ecosse
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Post by Ecosse »

BenMcNevis... :lol:

IanH... oh wow - our Christmas guests arrived today and we bumped the temp up from 16 to 17 degrees. The house is roasting (we live here, too) and I suspect the second duvets will spend the entire week on the floor. Do your guests come from a desert nation??
RichardHenshall
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Re: The problem with remote control heating

Post by RichardHenshall »

ianh100 wrote:... Unfortunately we can't cap the heating with the Hive system. ...
Can you install two Hive (or other remote) thermostats in series with each other with one for the client to play with and the other for you (only) to control/override their one? If you trust your clients you set your stat to permanently on (ie their one controls the heating) and if you don't trust them you decide how much of their demands you're prepared to let them have (without specifically being seen to alter their chosen settings).
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

17 would be far too cold for me, but 27 would be far too hot. Does Hive have a lock?
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

I wouldn't care about morals.....that temp would be coming down unless it was adverse weather conditions. As a guest I would expect to be comfortable, not hot.

I do find that when I visit family and friends in the UK their houses are, in the main, very stuffy and too hot. Even their cars are stuffy!

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FelicityA
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Post by FelicityA »

We live in pretty cool temperatures in our house and I nearly always wear three layers, including one of cashmere. I am sure we are healthier for this. It amazes me when I visit the cottage in midwinter and they answer the door in tshirts because the heating is turned right up. I then melt if I am invited in. I suppose those from warmer climes just don't feel comfortable in layers of clothes.
akwe-xavante
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Post by akwe-xavante »

I have what looks like a frost stat but it's wired up reverse way around in so far as it switches the heating off at 23 (Even this is far too hot for me) instead of on.

They can turn there room stat up as much and as far as they like but it never goes above 23 unless they also light the stove at the same time.

Yes that's been done before now!!!!! and the gas fire too with doors and windows wide open dressed in t shirts and shorts!

It was costing a fortune so I wired in a frost stat wrong way round and the bills are under control and I've had no complaints about the heating so far and they no longer go out for the day leaving the windows wide open.

I loved Ben McNevis's reply, doubled over with laughter.
newtimber
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Post by newtimber »

I think it's been said before; but people undergoing various medical treatments (cancer, liver cirrhosis for example) do feel the cold and require higher temperatures than normal to be comfortable.
Of course, your guests are probably just people who like it hot and don't care about the bills but how can you tell?
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Post by COYS »

akwe-xavante wrote:I have what looks like a frost stat but it's wired up reverse way around in so far as it switches the heating off at 23 (Even this is far too hot for me) instead of on.
Or you could just use a tamper proof thermostat. Inspire Home Automation among others, specifically market to landlords. It enables a pre-defined maximum if required, although no good if you've already plumped for Hive, Nest etc.
27.5 degrees sounds thoroughly uncomfortable & a little unhealthy to me.
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PW in Polemi
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Re: The problem with remote control heating

Post by PW in Polemi »

ianh100 wrote:... they have the heating at 27.5C!!!!!!
If it was that warm in the summer, they'd be demanding air con! We just about get our living room to 20C in the winter - and then we start opening internal doors and turning the heat off. Mind, we don't sit around in T shirt and shorts in the winter, either! :roll: :lol:

However, they are on holiday and are not paying the electricity bill, so what do they care? :D

If you hadn't received the Hive warning, you wouldn't know and wouldn't be worried/irritated/whatever. You'd just receive a stonking big bill for electricity at the end of the period :shock: and either shrug it off as a "it evens itself out over the whole year" thing, or increase your rates slightly to accommodate possible future profligate over-heaters.

For the future, can you limit the maximum temperature at all? We have the reverse problem, (with air con, not heating) but although we have set it to a minimum temperature, we also say that if anybody wants it colder, they can have it colder providing they pay the difference. Not had any takers, I wonder why. :lol:
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Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

My MIL really feels the cold due to circulatory problems. Her heating is on even in summer, and it is never less than 25.
akwe-xavante
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Post by akwe-xavante »

The only problem I personally have with the Inspire Home Automation stat is the extremely high price.

A frost stat costs £15 to £20 apposed to £180 for an Inspire Home Automation stat.

Looks good though and you can remotely make tweeks etc if required. Wish I'd known about and seen this 18 months ago, might of been tempted. If I have future problems I think I might be tempted by this device.
ianh100
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Post by ianh100 »

Thanks for all of your comments.

Unfortunately Hive doesn't currently have a lock or high/low limits. I can see that it is possible using the internet service IFTTT (IF This Then That) by using a second internet connected thermostat. I do have one on site but it is not turned on. Love that reverse frost stat idea!

I wonder if they like many just don't understand how heating works. A house doesn't warm up any faster if you turn the heating right up, you just end up getting swings from way too hot then too cold and back again.

I know the electric boiler costs about £1.50 and hour so at this rate they are probably burning £20+ a day in electricity. That covers almost 2 weeks in the summer.

Otherwise Hive is good for us as we live 150 miles away, so the ability to turn heating up and down to make sure it is nice and warm (less than 23) when guests arrive is important.
Janev1000
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Post by Janev1000 »

Are you not able to programme your boiler to go through different temperature schedules? In that way you can avoid the temperature being set too high day and night. I am very generous in what I leave guests at the cottage but have to be more careful with the heating as we have LPG gas bottles and I would worry they would run out if a guest were to set the boiler high day and night. This is the message I leave in the guest file:

"The boiler is always switched on and has been programmed to go through various temperature changes each day, according to the season/weather. To save on energy, please lower the thermostat if the heating is no longer needed, or if you are going out for a period of time. The room temperature can be altered by pressing the + or – key on the right-hand side of the thermostat. Increasing the thermostat to an excessively high temperature won’t make the cottage heat any faster and will put undue pressure on the boiler. If the thermostat should be increased to an unreasonably high level, the system has been programmed to recognise this and it will automatically lower it to a reasonable level to protect both the system and the gas supply, as we are not connected to mains gas."

Of course, 'the system' is really me!

Guests get this info in advance of their stay so if they have any medical issues, they can inform me in advance. This has never happened as yet.
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