Honeywell Reveal New evohome Smartphone Controlled Zoned Heating System

This morning Honeywell have announced the UK launch of evohome.  The new heating system will control the temperature in up to 12 zones plus hot water and you’ll be able to control each room individually from your smartphone or other mobile device.

[UPDATE] – Check out our full Review of the Honeywell evohome system.

Honeywell quote figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), showing that up to 82 per cent of a typical energy bill is attributed to home heating and hot water.

Further they claim that upgrading from a basic timer and thermostat to evohome’s ‘Smart Zoning’ could save you as much as 40% off your heating bills.

A single Zone can encompass several devices – for example 2 radiators in a bedroom.  While 12 zones should be ample for most UK homes, this can be expanded by connecting two evohome systems together.

Honeywell evohome Zones

We got a chance to talk to Krzysztof Meinicke, Honeywell’s lead program manager and engineer on the evohome project.  He told us that from today the previous evohome system will be completely replaced with this new offering and it introduces a wide range of improvements over the previous generation.

Colour Touch Screen – The new touchscreen will be available in a range of colours and its new home screen design allows users to check the status of up to six zones at a glance, including the actual temperature in each room as well as the set temperature.  In addition you can view the status if your hot water circuit and access special “Quick Action” buttons.

Honeywell evohome touch screen

Examples of these quick actions include a single press to turn off your heating when you leave home.  They can also be setup with timed values so you could for example turn your system off for 7 days while you are on holiday with a single tap.  Another quick action button ‘Eco mode’ will set back the whole house by 3 degrees.

Honeywell evohome iPhone AppUser Interface – The re-designed user interface allows home owners to program their heating schedule in a style that’s more familiar than before.  Krzysztof told us it’s more akin to programming a TV recording from an EPG, instead of the less than intuitive user experience we’re used to with some other heating controllers.  Scheduling can be completed from either the touch screen or your mobile device.

Remote Access – And that leads us onto what is probably going to be the single most attractive feature of the new system to new users, the ability to program and control your heating from your iPhone, iPad or Android device from anywhere in the world where there’s Internet access.  We asked Honeywell if they had any plans to add to the free iOS and Android apps with desktop applications for Windows, Mac or browser control in the future…

After extensive research we determined the optimum and most popular way of interfacing with EvoHome was via the mobile app and main controller. Honeywell always seek consumer input and if there is demand for such functionality then we will invest accordingly.

And we can’t disagree, the smartphone is definitely the favoured option for most here and they are currently evaluating the case for a Windows Phone app too.

We also asked if they planned to charge a subscription for the remote access.  Happily there is no ongoing payment required as the cost is built into the purchase price of the hardware.  In future there may be other optional on-line features such as energy monitoring and boiler diagnostics but it’s unclear if this cost would be born by the home owner or the utility company.  Honeywell didn’t rule out a link up with Utility companies in the future to provide the system to their customers and even to use evohome to help the energy companies utilise its 2-way communication for smart grid applications.

Learning – Another smart home heating controller is well known for its learning ability and we asked for clarification on how learning works with evohome.  Honeywell explained there are a variety of intelligent technologies such as “Optimum Start” and “Optimum Stop” which is employed so the system can reach a specific temperature by a specific time.  Evohome works out a dynamic boiler start-up time based on the ambient temperature, so to reach say 24 degrees by 8:00pm it may start at 7:00pm today, but 7.20pm tomorrow if it’s warmer.  Evohome also employs other ‘smart technology’ to understanding when a window is left open and throttle back the heat in that room rather than fight against it and waste energy.  It also learns how your house heats up and cools down throughout the year.

Honeywell evohome radiator TRV

Better Radiator Control – A new motorised radiator control will replace the HR80.  It is slimmer and less bulky than its predecessor and its tubular design is more contemporary.  In addition it features a new backlit LCD screen that’s easier to read.

The binding process, where each TRV is paired with the controller, is also said to be much improved.  Honeywell have stuck with their 868 MHz wireless system as they believe its lower frequency signal provides better propagation through the house than other technologies.

This means the new system is fully backwards compatible so, for example, users of the existing HomeTronic controller could swap it out for the new evohome to add all the new features (this would mean losing HomeTronic’s lighting and shutter control though).

Installation – Evohome is well suited to retrofitting to an existing heating system and its wireless nature means little or no disruption to the home.  There’s plenty of scope for the DIY installer with the usual caveats for the bits involving mains electricity .  Honeywell are keen to promote their network of accredited installers which can be found by postcode search on their site.

EvoHome works with a number products which will be announced over the coming weeks to its channel and installer partners. A full list will be available on the site shortly. Additionally soon we will be featuring an EvoHome system builder which will allow users to build their own tailored EvoHome solution.

Honeywell evohome LAN Gateway

API and Integration – As always we’re interested in openness and ease of integration with other home automation systems.  Honeywell say they are currently developing an API for Lutron in the US and are hopeful that it’s ‘only a matter of time’ before the system will be opened up and the application interface makes its way to the UK.

Price and Availability – The evohome Connected Pack includes the new colour touchscreen with table top stand and power supply plus the boiler controller and the network gateway and has an RRP of £249.  The radiator zone kits have an RRP of £77 and both items will be available for purchase in the UK from January 2014.

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29 Comments on "Honeywell Reveal New evohome Smartphone Controlled Zoned Heating System"

  1. Hi. Is this wireless 868MHz system Z-Wave? Please, can somebody answer?

  2. Dome IQ – no, it’s not Z-Wave

  3. This looks amazing but our current wireless thermostat works at 868MHz and we can’t even take it out of the same room as the boiler without it losing signal. I can’t imagine this would work in many houses with “proper” walls (ours is Victorian). If there was an option to use HomePlug or something that would be pretty cool.

  4. This looks pretty good and I look forward to more info. The Connected Pack price sounds reasonable, but the radiator valve is a bit pricey, especially if you want to use them throughout the house. Hopefully they will have packs of multiple RVs at a reduced price.
    January is a strange time to release a heating system. I can’t imagine many people wanting to change their boiler control mid-winter.

  5. I agree this looks good. Will it also control underfloor heating I wonder and does anyone know if this will integrate with Control 4 – I would like in due course to link it up with Rako lighting, CCTV, Apple TV, Sonos etc. Thanks.

  6. I’ve got the old honeywell hometronic system, purchased via sensible heat. I must say its been excellent, really sorted out my heating that always used to be hot upstairs and cold downstairs. I have the TRV on every radiator, so a zone per room. I also control my oustide house lights, garage lights etc, garden watering system. The only downside has been the occasional missing of on/off instructions for those mains switches. E.g. hot water, not quite hot as it should be (stored from the day before). Also whilst the radiator controls feedback temperature details to the central controller, the mains switches do not. So the controller doesn’t know if the mains switch is on or off only that it ‘requested on’.

    Whilst this new system does look really nice and flashey, I’d really miss the mains switching used for my lights and over devices. I really hope they extend this new one to more fully replace there old hometronic.
    After all the hot water circuit is just another mains switch, so can’t see why they’ve skipped it.
    Proper mains switching with state feedback, and ideally power usage per switched device would be my dream!

  7. Framemaster | October 31, 2013 at 2:14 pm |

    Any news on that evohome system?

  8. Any gateways to KNX planned? Lurton is horrendously expensive for lighting control in comparison.

    Is the wireless proprietary or is it a variant of enocean/zigbee or similar?

  9. You can get maximum connectivity throught Centraline by Honeywell controller HAWK. Including KNX. https://www.centraline.com/uploads/ecat-en2/ecatdata/pg_clhawk.html

  10. I have been using the current Evohome system for a couple of years now and am very satisfied with it. It lacks connectivity to the web though and I’m very glad this issue has been addressed now.

  11. Can anyone tell me where the room temperature is sensed? Is there a separate roomstat available that communicates to the motorised radvalve?

  12. Can you contact mr re smart zoned heating comtrol

  13. @Tim Each valve has a temperature sensor, and each zone requires a temperature sensor. So you choose a valve in each zone to be the master thermostat. But you can also use an external one.

    I have quite a big system with the current generation, and the wireless range is better than the previous generation as the controller is the one that calls for heat from a central place in the house rather than each radiator independently calling from all the extremities.

    I’m pretty sure I will upgrade the controller to this new one. The new valves look great because you can see them without getting down on the floor, but I can’t justify upgrading, as my valves currently work fine.

    For a new system this seems expensive, but this is more than a convenient system. It pays for itself.

    IMHO appliance control belongs on a different network to heating control, and it has to be wireless because you don’t really want to plug every radiator into the mains. However, appliances are all interconnected anyway, and Homeplug command and control will/should one day supersede X10, zWave and the others. And it will all be tied together by IP control.

  14. I have thick walls between the old and new(re) extension. Is there a range extender or similar to ensure wireless signals reach the controller?

  15. William Moore | January 23, 2014 at 11:10 pm |

    Is there a distributer for the new Honeywell evohome heating system in Ireland (Dublin)

  16. Hi all – lots of Questions on here – which can all be answered by the new call centre 0300 130 1299.

    Thick walls – evohome operates on 868Mhz which has high penetration. We give our installer demo kits – which has a built in a signal test – so you can see if it works or not. Generally the range is very very good with no interference. (which is why we chose it)

    Irish distributor – very soon we will have where to buy links from site – in meantime please log a call on number and someone will be in touch.

  17. Just installed a new evo home unit and six thermostatic rad valves which link directly to base unit

    I’m impressed a quality piece of kit and the homeowner loves it

  18. Hi Guys, I am fitting this system this week. However as well as a typical boiler to provide heat and hot water. I also have two air-con/air source heat units. Can I connect these into the system as well. Is the Evohome capable of controlling the temperature output of these devices?

  19. To add, I have just upgraded to the new colour controller and internet connected evohome. It’s very good and works exactly how you would expect.

    Yes it is not a cheap system but it’s by a company who know all about heating and it just works. Very impressive.

  20. Is it worth having this just to control the radiators?

    We have a large house with 2 zones but just one controller to control the time , and a thermostat for each floor.

    i planned to.. keep the existing controller and just let the evohome system work within the times set on the programmer, im fully aware that setting heating for outside the ours might result in no change if outside the progamming time.

    Currently we end heating the whole house, downstairs at 22 and upstairs at 19.

    Also anyway i can also link up the electric underfloor heating?

  21. Johannes Minnaar | May 21, 2014 at 2:35 pm |

    I have Honeyell evohome in use since 4 years.
    – 1 Floor Level with 6 floor heating controllers(valves) and
    – 6 HR80 radiator valves over 3 levels +boiler relay.

    Of course in max 8 zones (with new Evo surprisingly only 12).
    Evohome (and its newer brother) is good for installing and forgetting but frighteningly proprietary and therefore quickly outdated.
    When you are only interested in rudimentary heating, it’s sufficient but slightly overpriced since 3 years.
    If you more than 25 square meters living space, have cyclical & non cyclical varying behavior patterns (like overnight visitors, guests for 3 weeks, party mode ); compensate for children not using their rooms for 12 hours in a day; four seasons (in contrast to “energy saving” or “off”), or would like to see zone graphs of energy usage, you’ll be very disappointed
    In retrospect I would rather suggest buying Homematic (which I also have in use, but for other types of homeautomation (lighning, security, presence etc.) It is expandable (no zone limits), secure, knows about daylight savings, supports open standards, (+can coexist with other brands) allows simple and complex (via script) customization to own needs via scripts and is therefore extremely flexible.

  22. I am due to install one of these evo systems soon for a customer with 2 heating zones and an unvented cylinder. Trying to get any good info is hard. No one knows much about it. The suppliers can’t comment because they don’t know the product well enough to sell. Honeywell need to give more access to wiring diagrams.

  23. How long do the batteries of the radiator valves last?

  24. Martin Blck | January 16, 2015 at 7:38 pm |

    we have just fitted this system for a customer in a far from average house and it is perfect. The furtherest valve head is around 40 meters away and after two months we have not had a loss of signal reported by the system (which it does). more than happy and fitting it at my home.

    Martin

  25. @Ivan – Batteries last up to two years. I generally replace them annually.

    On range, yes, it’s good. But we’ve one 20m range that happens to go through what had been an external wall and obliquely through two others, and signals appear sometimes not to get through. So even if it works once, make sure you’ve a reasonably signal or it may fail later (perhaps when there’s more moisture around).

    – Charles

  26. Is the wireless proprietary or can it be used as part of an existing enocean network?

    Thanks
    Conal

  27. Can anyone comment how noisy the valves are? I’ve got about 12 rads with some old non honeywell valves and have had to get very constructive to ensure they don’t change in the bedrooms and wake people up as they’re quite noisy

  28. I have a 17 rad house and I am in Lancashire I need to replace my boiler and looking at this system. I have house guests all the time is this system going to work when I fly off to La or will my guests be left worrying and cold?

  29. I have recently completed a climate control project using Honeywell devices. Impressed by these devices. They work really good with home automation systems. I will have a look at the evohome system.

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