The enigma of Evohome
I first started experimenting with smart TRVs back in 2012 when I trialled Chalmor’s eTRV and found I could reduce my gas bill by 25%. I was quite shocked at the time and was so pleased. Indeed Chalmor used my home as a case study. However, that early version was a pig to programme through the use of a dedicated Bluetooth controller. Things are much better now, I understand.
I came across the first monochrome version of Honeywell’s Evohome system soon after in 2013 and jumped in because of its central controller. Surprisingly, that is only seven years ago! I became a fan immediately because it was so easy to control the temperature of each room in my house and experience the benefits we have all grown to love.*In those early years, we saw several significant hardware and software upgrades to the system that we are all now so familiar with.
I still love Evohome. It controls the gas central heating in my home with aplomb day in day out. The only task I have to undertake is to replace batteries from time to time which hardly takes much effort. Of course, when I go away, batteries always fail, leading to phone calls from my better half!
Yes, there are bugs that we are all aware of – the faulty charging of the controller batteries for one – which I have never really sorted in spite of the excellent guidance of fellow users on this site. But, we all know that no software-based system will never be bug-free and is the bane of our lives in the 21st century. But we do expect a prompt correction of such issues and if they are not it makes you wonder why.
So what has prompted me to write this post upon getting out of bed on the 1st day of January 202o I ask myself?
As I said, I can’t see being without the comfort and flexibility provided by Evohome in my home, so why do I have this feeling that the product has been virtually abandoned by Honeywell, though I can't believe this to be the case.? Of course, other users of this chat page have said similar things before in recent months, so this feeling is nothing new or unique to me. I have not considered changing vendors – why would I when Evohome works so well on a day to day basis and I'm comfortable with its workings.
However, the product seems to have reached its nadir of functionality, and it makes me wonder what is going on in the product development and marketing departments at Honeywell? The real indicator of this is the scarcity of software upgrades in recent years. There are so many improvements that could be simply made which have just not happened. Communications between its user base and the company seem to be minimal. I'm really sad about this situation which I guess was the main motivation for this post.
I was initially amazed that a staid corporation like Honeywell could create and launch an innovative product like Evohome, but what is happening inside the company in 2020 I wonder?
Perhaps there is a secret internal project going on inside the company, and there will be a grand announcement in the coming weeks? I live in the hope that this is the case rather than the product development and innovation malaise so well known in large corporations. Has the original team that developed Evohome been disbanded or dissipated through staff turnover I wonder?
This is not something Honeywell can afford to let grip the company if that is the case. There many competitors out there knocking at their doors with some success. Companies with big budgets such as Google, Apple and others that have decimated other industries are out there looking to expand their markets. Honeywell should not let their market lead dissipate and their loyal and believing customers disperse.
I want to see Evohome II, and I want to see it now cries the consumer in me!
Things can only ‘go up’ or ‘go down’ in business. Nothing can stay the same. Evohome can only be improved with Honeywell providing adequate development budgets to create the innovative Evohome products that we all want. If not, Evohome will go the way of many other products in the past which have lost their focus as competitors succeed in the burgeoning smart home market.
Please, Honeywell, tell us where things are going – up or down?
We really do want to know.
Last edited by chrisgare; 3rd January 2020 at 11:19 AM.
Agree with all of that, but I would point out that Evohome is no longer Honeywell - it's now Resideo. And I think *some* of the lack of attention to the product lineup has been caused by the focus on splitting the new company out of the existing monolith.
P.
I forgot about that! Whether that is a positive or a negative change I cannot say. That was 18 months ago however and it should be positive step. However, my experience is that this is not always the case.
In a sense Paul your answer is both right and wrong. Resideo is a separate company, I have not checked but I imagine a majority of it’s shares are held by Honeywell in which case Resideo is Honeywell. It also only operates under licence from Honeywell so Honeywell remains a controlling force. It seems they have done what Netgear did with Arlo, just hived it off into a stand-alone company, albeit under the eye of Netgear.Originally Posted by paulockenden
I agree though with all that was originally posted. Honeywell’s, or Resideo’s, customer/end user relations seem non existent. I suspect Resideo carries on the trait it brought across from Honeywell. It is a distinctly odd way of achieving success, and of course it does not, despite the product being good. I never see it advertised.
My understanding is that Resideo is a publicly traded, standalone company. By virtue of a long-term licensing agreement, Resideo markets products using the Honeywell brand name.
This link to the Honeywell subset of Resideo's products is interesting, no mention of Evohome that I can see!
https://www.resideo.com/us/en/products/energy/#f:brand=[Honeywell%20Home]
Rather worrying - I would appreciate reassurance as to the future.
FB
I wonder how many shares Honeywell has though? I can't be bothered to check its register but I imagine Honeywell is ultimately in control, so far as shareholders in a public company can control it. Its licence will, though. As you say it is worrying that we are told it is now Resideo but Resideo does not openly acknowledge the existence of Evohome. It does not exist on its site. Unless I can't find it, but then if it is buried deep one assumes that is intentional. There is a control panel that looks like Evohome. I cannot find the TRV's - HR92s. Coupled with the lack of input from Honeywell, and Resideo, with respect to Evohome, the neglect of the end user for such a long time and Evohome's disappearance off their site, despite we all being told that it is now Resideo for Evohome, points to abandonment of the product. If that is so they should say so. It certainly fits with the lack of any updates to the app and Panel. It is 2020 and the app is still not iPad compatible. Sounds like there is no wish to make it so as the product is not being pursued. I would like somebody to tell me I am wrong. If I am right then I would Like Honeywell to reimburse me for my investment. It costs nothing to inform your customers but on the contrary is an investment.
I have just done a search on the Resideo website for "Evohome", and the result is:-
No Results Found
No results found: "evohome"
Please try again
Snap 2020-01-05 at 11.53.33.jpg
Edited to add:-
If you dig deeply on their website you get to this page:-
https://www.resideo.com/us/en/honeywell-home-app/
the only relevant supported products advertised are the T9 & T10 Smart Home thermostats.
Very worrying. Immediately before Christmas I spent 30 minutes explaining Evohome to a neighbour & showing him the app.
He is about to place an order for a 12 zone system, and I have copied this thread for him. I really like Evohome but feel that I can no longer recommend it.
Any ideas of what can one recommend as an alternative to Evohome please?
FB
Last edited by FullBore; 5th January 2020 at 01:12 PM.
I am sad to read these followup comments to my original post. I'm an angel investor, board member and mentor to high tech start-ups and have had 45 years in technology businesses. I would think that a 'formal' approach be made to senior management of Honeywell/Residio should be made - maybe through a contact using LinkedIn? Unfortunately, all my contacts on LinkedIn are 2nd. A phone call to find the name of a Product manager in the UK? Paul, you are a journalist - how about ferreting out what's happening. Maybe, there is a good story to tell here!
Can be found under a resideo.com subdomian:
https://homecomfort.resideo.com, under Products > Home Comfort > Zoning control
That is the page I looked at. It mentions the Control Panel but I cannot see any reference to devices it controls, i.e the HR92s. It says it can control 12 zones but not how that is done. Unless I have missed it and if I have it shows how bad web the web site is. But, as has been mentioned, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. My installation is over 5 years old. During the past 5.25 years I have seen no updates other than to the panel to make it fully WiFi. I am not really aware of any improvements to the software other than now it seems slightly quicker in operation than it used to be but after all these years I still have to turn my iPad vertically to use the app. But it works, and it works well. It is rare to have a problem and usually it is only having to change a battery. Improvements are needed to the set up process. As these pages are testament to, many problems people have initially are down to the pairing of relays and TRVs, the manual is not well written. That is a process that should be made simpler so that anybody can set it up, including indeed the wiring aspects. But yes, it works well and I don’t know of a better alternative.
In many ways it is the same as my old boiler. Now over 22 years old. So often have salesmen tried to persuade me it needs to be upgraded, but it works well and a replacement certainly will not save me any money. I know the fan is wearing but I have a new replacement fan ready, parts are still available if you look, and when I need to replace it, it is a simple diy job.
Yes all works well, Honeywell must know this and should be shouting about how good it is but they don’t and it disappears off their sites which raises concerns about future support. There are a couple of Evohome retailers in this forum who may have some inside knowledge about what is happening. Probably though signed to a confidentiality agreement!
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