Internet- based heating controls

[jansman]

So,here at Chez Jansman we are pretty low-tech by modern standards.Our youngest daughter and her chap have bought a lovely house in the village.Modern gaff compared to our farmworkers cottage!
So,they inherited a HIVE internet controlled heating system.It would only come on when the previous owner had set it.Apparently,it can't be passed on to a new householder; you have to subscribe to a new system,so you can control your own heating system! WTF!

I am a middle aged man ,I know.But why would you want to have your house controlled by an internet server on an Irish industrial estate? I have a smart phone,and a i pad thingy,but I dont use them to turn a light on,and they certainly won't clean out the stove and light it!

I just dont get that people would expose themselves to such technological vulnerability...

[peejay]

I also inherited a Hive system in our new house. I switched it to another system I already had but the Hive could be controlled locally just fine, didn't need internet connectivity. I believe it does need it for the "intelligence" side of things but if they don't need it it'll work just fine as a programable stat.

[Edit]
Just to confirm, the "Hub" (the internet-connected bit) is owner-specific & non-transferable (and £60 to replace with your own I believe!). The idea is to take this bit with you if/when you move, assuming you'll have another hive system at new house

[Arzosah]

I understand the attraction of the whole thing about "switch on your heating remotely" - but that sounds a lot more useful than it probably is, frankly. Unless you've got different timings every day, it seems to me something that people will just get bored of eventually. Mind you, I hear people chatting to Alexa (niece in law, my dentist) and they all seem to swear by it.

[Yorkshire Andy]

you can just remove it and put a normal room stat and or programmer depending on if it's heating only or heating plus timer and or water control...

Our old system had a timer in the kitchen and a stat in the hall. New boiler it's all on the hall control box


Looking at the wiring schematic

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ww ... te2iv2ZpSS

Lot to be said for simplicity we got a new boiler and it's programmer is a clever box but way too complex for what it does... Give me a old analogue segment timer any day

Danfoss do one that you can control locally via a app without subscription ... But why


Mrs Andy would be forever fiddling with it.


She's not found the energy saving mode on ours yet which keeps the temperature 2°c under what she sets it at

Apparently you need to be gas Safe resistered to do wiring relating to gas boilers.... As I got bollocked for replacing the old time clock here got pissed off waiting for the landlord

(identical unit just clipped on old back plate gas man didn't like the fact that I'd sorted it when he turned up 3 weeks later)

Latest system when I took it off to decorate needed rewiring I'm not an electrician but I've worked with a few and recognise poor making off the CPC aka earth wasn't insulated or terminated .. so much for gas Safe...

We won't mention a gas Safe man turning our boiler into a bomb either by capping off the boiler vent. ..v

[Yorkshire Andy]

Sorry 1°c

[daylen]

Connectivity and AI for devices can be super useful but it's currently done very badly and often very insecurely.

I'm a cyber security professional and the explosion of internet of things devices scares me rotten. People just don't think about security at all. And I don't just mean security as it protection from hackers I mean that to include continuation of service.

The trend towards subscription based services is worrying too. Cory Doctorow's book Unauthorized Bread covers this aspect really well.

[jansman]

Connectivity and AI for devices can be super useful but it's currently done very badly and often very insecurely.

I'm a cyber security professional and the explosion of internet of things devices scares me rotten. People just don't think about security at all. And I don't just mean security as it protection from hackers I mean that to include continuation of service.

The trend towards subscription based services is worrying too. Cory Doctorow's book Unauthorized Bread covers this aspect really well.

Very interesting. As a professional you are cautious of such things,which tells me a lot ,for me it’s just a gut feeling. And don’t get me started on those Amazon Alexa things!

[Yorkshire Andy]

I've got an Alexa if anyone is listening in all they will here is Tom shouting Abba Bussss

(Attempting to get allexa to play wheels on the bus,)

Unless we have mucic playing I unplug it

[jansman]

Walking back from the pub just now , my wife informed me that tomorrow she will be taking delivery of an Amazon Alexa...AAAAARGH!!!!!

[Yorkshire Andy]

Walking back from the pub just now , my wife informed me that tomorrow she will be taking delivery of an Amazon Alexa...AAAAARGH!!!!!

To be fair the £4 a month music subscription is quiet good

Quiet a good sound for a small ish unit in mono..... Remember stereo and quadrophonic in