It’s not possible to control hot water with a Wired Smart Thermostat X. However, most European households use boilers that heat on demand rather than by relying on preheating, so there’s no need to create hot water schedules for these homes. Below you can find more information about the role tado° plays in different domestic hot water setups.
Controlling hot water in boiler systems
tado° has created two versions of the Wireless Smart Thermostat X Starter Kit, which connects your boiler to the rest of your heating system with a Wireless Receiver X and Wireless Temperature Sensor(s) X. One version is designed specifically for UK heating systems and one is designed specifically for European heating systems. The key difference between them is how they control hot water.
Combi boilers, which are standard in the EU, begin to heat water as soon as someone turns on a hot water tap in their home. These boilers heat on demand, so there’s no risk of heating water unnecessarily. Since hot water schedules can’t make this any more efficient, tado° doesn’t interfere with this system. Neither the Wired nor Wireless Smart Thermostat X controls hot water for combi boilers.
System boilers, which are more common in the UK, rely on preheating instead. So for UK systems, it’s most efficient to programme hot water schedules, which you can do with the Wireless Smart Thermostat X - Starter Kit [incl. Programmer with Hot Water Control and OpenTherm]. But if you want hot water right away, you can push the Boost Hot Water button on the Wireless Receiver X, which starts heating your domestic hot water immediately and lasts for 60 minutes.
Controlling hot water in heat pump systems
Heat pumps can transfer heat very efficiently, so the potential savings from strategic preheating and hot water storage are significant. If you have a heat pump, you can use the tado° Heat Pump Optimizer X to control both your heating and your hot water with smart schedules. You also have the option to boost heating or hot water if you want it right away.
If you’re interested in automating your heat pump to preheat when energy is cheapest and greenest, you can learn more in the article about Balance for Heat Pumps.