Anybody using a HIVE Active Heating Thermostat?

We are considering getting one for our oil-boiler central heating system with a combi boiler. Currently we have a thermostat upstairs and a timer for the heating and for the hot water.

We are thinking of Hive for its ability to turn the thermostat up/down remotely by mobile phone app so the heating comes on and heats the house ready for when we come home.

As I understand it, the timer controller by the boiler would be replaced by the Hive control unit which turns the boiler on or off, with the control signal being sent to that control unit wirelessly by the thermostat.

We don't have separate zones: we tend to leave all the internal upstairs and downstairs doors open so any heat from downstairs goes upstairs - hence the usefulness of the thermostat being upstairs.

I have a Heatmiser Smartstat which I can control withan Android phone and a PC with 64 bit Windows. Two of them would be cheaper than the above!

With support withdrawn after around 5 years. Unless you keep your older phones/tablets etc. you may find that your expensive purchase cannot be operated 5 years later with the latest OS on the phone/computer.

You may find it can be operated by anyone if there is a bug and they don't fix it.

Provided you don't open it to the internet, that boils down to the same as saying anyone inside your house could alter a manual thermostat ...

There isn't much point in buying a smart stat that you can operate remotely and then blocking it. Those of us that are IT literate could set up a VPN to do it but I doubt if many would be able to.

Frustration with my Heatmiser is the huge hysteresis (about 2 degrees) in normal operation, and total absence of logging (which is an interesting Hive feature). Also it's a wired one so inflexible for install location.

I bit the bullet and ordered a Hive earlier. Will report how I get on.

You can reduce the switching differential to 1.0, or even 0.5 degrees using feature 2 in the programming table.

A VPN would not be appropriate. The Smartstat makes contact with a Heatmiser Internet site via local Wifi. I enter my account details into the phone app and ask for details from my Smartstat.

There is no direct connection between the app and the Smartstat and if the Heatmiser Internet site ever ceases (like another vendor proposes to do) then this function will no longer work.

The app can run on a Windows 64bit PC using Chrome's ARC Welder.

Ah, you've got one of the newer "supposedly secure" ones, with the older generation you established contact inbound from wifi or internet to the stat. The new stats make contact outbound to their server, and your phone does the same ... better hope they don't turn the servers off live Nest did.

Indeed. Quite possibly the server task could be done by a Raspberry pi. Should not be a major expense.

So far so good. Installed in what is effectively a holiday cottage in Jan 2015, and very useful for remote monitoring of heating in the winter, and switching heating on a couple of hours before arrival. Nothing too complicated, only one zone. Early on, didn't survive power fluctuations too well, but that seems to have improved (but I've put it on a surge protector now anyway, along with the router, a computer, and a phone).

I've had my own home-built remote control system for ~17 years now, and over that period, installed it in 3 houses of family members, and even a garden shed.

Some thoughts if you are buying a system:

Make sure it will work if you lose your internet connection.

Make sure it will still work without any external server, or buy on the basis that it will probably only last a couple of years before you have to replace it.

Vendors (Google) already pulled the plug on one product, leaving owners unable to even turn their lights on and off. Offering to refund the cost of the product is not suitable compensation in cases like this where you've built it in to your home management.

I finally installed it today. Very easy.

The setup instructions, however somewhat lacking in detail but once the

I did have a telephone support question and it was handled very professionally. Was not even expecting a human to answer on a Saturday afternoon!

There is a standalone mode so internet not pre-requesite. Scheduling setup via web or app seems pretty simple.

Temperature history logging is cloud based and only visible on web....there doesn't seem to be any way to export data.

So far six out of ten. May be prepared to upgrade that in time, depending on whether there is any aggravation.

How do I access the table please

What do you mean by ‘the table’?

I installed one a few years ago and use it all the time but don’t recognise the term.

If you mean schedule, assuming you have the app installed on your phone and are at the basic control page ( a pattern of circles / buttons ) :

Double tap on Heating

You should now see a new page where you can select schedule near the top.

There is a back arrow to go back to the control page.

Double tap Water for the water schedule ( assuming you have a hot water tank).

You can also do it via the web from a PC but I nearly always use my phone or iPad.