EvoHome and Alexa commands

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  • mtmcgavock
    Automated Home Legend
    • Mar 2017
    • 507

    EvoHome and Alexa commands

    I've installed a Evohome system today for a customer who has Alexa, we linked it up and all working great (Loved it so much i'm going to have to purchase a device with Alexa for my system ).

    Had a bit of a search online and this forum, but it's not clear what exact commands you can do with Alexa and the Evohome. For instance, I know you can say set a certain room to a temperature, and ask what a temperature is. But I tried saying set room at 21oc till 6pm however that didn't seem to work - is this feature not available? Or was I not just doing it right

    I'm not familiar with Alexa so don't have much experience in what commands you can issue to it etc.
  • xylophone
    Automated Home Lurker
    • Apr 2009
    • 4

    #2
    Hello. I have just installed a Sonos Alexa thing and connected it to my Evohome. I have been able to ask it what the temp of zones are and set zone temperatures. However the names of the rooms are sometimes not recognised. I’ve not tried using the “until xx time” modifier though so I don’t know if that bit works.

    In the Alexa app you can see the phrases that the evohome skill recognises.
    Last edited by xylophone; 15 December 2017, 08:32 AM.

    Comment

    • winger
      Automated Home Lurker
      • Nov 2006
      • 7

      #3
      I have this working well too. What I found was the need to modify some of the "room names" in the Alexa app to make the recognition more reliable - note, this does not change the room names/zone name on the controller, but Alexa resolves that

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      • bruce_miranda
        Automated Home Legend
        • Jul 2014
        • 2307

        #4

        Comment

        • xylophone
          Automated Home Lurker
          • Apr 2009
          • 4

          #5
          Yes - I did change a couple to be more phonetic with variable results. I’ll need to try some more I guess.

          Comment

          • DBMandrake
            Automated Home Legend
            • Sep 2014
            • 2361

            #6
            Originally posted by winger View Post
            I have this working well too. What I found was the need to modify some of the "room names" in the Alexa app to make the recognition more reliable - note, this does not change the room names/zone name on the controller, but Alexa resolves that
            Had a quick play with the Echo integration for the first time since it initially came out last year (?) and I have to say I still wasn't impressed. It can't find fairly simple zone names.

            It can recognise "Living Room" and "Main Bedroom", but it won't recognise a zone called "Joshua" (son's bedroom) saying it can't find a zone by that name. Really ? It's not like I named the zone Supercalifragalisticexpiealadotious.

            I see that I can rename the zone within Alexa only as a workaround but that is then confusing to other users of the system if they have to use some arbitrary workaround name like "Son's bedroom".

            Quick action integration seems very rough around the edges too - asking it to set a scene like "away mode" reports in the Alexa app that the "light" is on!

            I still haven't seen a good list of all the commands.

            Like most other Alexa integrations, not terribly useful and just plain frustrating to use IMHO, and I blame Amazon more than Honeywell. I'd rather just use the iPhone app or walk a few metres to the control panel.

            Comment

            • paulockenden
              Automated Home Legend
              • Apr 2015
              • 1719

              #7
              Bearing in mind the US origins of Alexa, try saying Josh-wah rather than Josh-you-a.

              P.

              Comment

              • IM35461
                Automated Home Sr Member
                • Jan 2012
                • 69

                #8
                I gave up with it.
                Got a weather station, hue, smartthings and Evohome all with skills.

                How on earth are you supposed to remember all the commands and names you have the skill, room or device?

                Echo Show is of no use as it still can't even allow input or information using its screen.

                It can't even display a 24hr clock or accept 24hr time commands.

                Comment

                • robj20
                  Automated Home Sr Member
                  • Aug 2017
                  • 76

                  #9
                  Does everyone Echo reply with "The Heath set to 20", i dont know exactly what it says though but it sounds odd.
                  Only commands i have used so far are
                  "set living room to 20"
                  i also have a command "going out" and it sets it to economy.

                  Comment

                  • DBMandrake
                    Automated Home Legend
                    • Sep 2014
                    • 2361

                    #10
                    Originally posted by robj20 View Post
                    Does everyone Echo reply with "The Heath set to 20", i dont know exactly what it says though but it sounds odd.
                    It will be saying "The heat is set to 20 degrees". Americans say heat instead of temperature, even though it is a scientific misuse of the word heat...

                    Comment

                    • robj20
                      Automated Home Sr Member
                      • Aug 2017
                      • 76

                      #11
                      Originally posted by DBMandrake View Post
                      It will be saying "The heat is set to 20 degrees". Americans say heat instead of temperature, even though it is a scientific misuse of the word heat...
                      Can't believe I didn't think of that, Heat makes much more sense than Heath.

                      Comment

                      • paulockenden
                        Automated Home Legend
                        • Apr 2015
                        • 1719

                        #12
                        I've just removed and reenabled my Evohome skill in Alexa, because it was playing up.

                        I now don't see day-off mode. I'm sure it was available before.

                        Have others lost it too?

                        (Easiest way to check is via the web interface - https://alexa.amazon.co.uk/spa/index.html#appliances)

                        P.

                        Comment

                        • chrisgare
                          Automated Home Guru
                          • Dec 2013
                          • 182

                          #13
                          Originally posted by paulockenden View Post
                          I've just removed and reenabled my Evohome skill in Alexa, because it was playing up.

                          I now don't see day-off mode. I'm sure it was available before.

                          Have others lost it too?

                          (Easiest way to check is via the web interface - https://alexa.amazon.co.uk/spa/index.html#appliances)

                          P.
                          No day-off mode on mine.

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