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In this article, I will introduce you to the smart heating control system “Evohome” from Honeywell. I tested Evohome over a longer period of time in 2016 and observed how the system has developed up to the present day. Evohome can do many things that others cannot. These include integration with various smart home platforms and the use of geofencing.
The article is part of the series of articles “Intelligent heating control tested”, in which I test and evaluate heating control systems from different manufacturers.
UPDATE – 20.02.2021: The current version of Honeywell Evohome is now Evohome Wi-Fi. The current central control unit* has an integrated WLAN interface, so the Evohome gateway is no longer needed! In my view, this means a real improvement for the system. Furthermore, there is the possibility to use geofencing via an IFTTT applet. In the different points of this test, I will explain this in more detail.
Top 5 – Smart Heating Control Systems in 2021:
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Table of Contents
- 1 The main features
- 2 Evohome heating control components
- 3 Other Evohome heating control components
- 3.1 Honeywell Evohome Wireless Room Thermostat – T87RF2059
- 3.2 Honeywell Evohome Underfloor Heating Controller for 5 Zones – HCE80
- 3.3 Honeywell Evohome expansion module from 5 to 8 zones (accessory floor controller)
- 3.4 Honeywell Evohome thermal actuator for underfloor heating
- 3.5 Honeywell Evohome external antenna for underfloor controller HCE80 (HRA80)
- 3.6 Honeywell Evohome Relay Module 5A Changeover Contact – BDR91A1000
- 3.7 Honeywell Evohome Opentherm Module for Boiler Control (R8810)
- 4 The installation of the Honeywell Evohome heating controller
- 5 Connecting Evohome components
- 6 Settings on the Evohome Controller
- 7 Evohome – Total Connect Comfort App
- 8 Evohome – Integration in Smart Home Systems
- 9 Usability
- 10 Control behaviour
- 11 Conclusion
The main features
Evohome by Honeywell is an intelligent heating control system that makes it possible to remotely control the room temperatures and heating times of different rooms in a flat, a single-family house or even an apartment building. In addition to radiators, the underfloor heating, the boiler, the water heating or several zones can also be controlled.
The heating can then be controlled via smartphone, tablet or Alexa Voice Control *. Furthermore, integration into the smart home platforms IFTTT and Conrad Connect is possible. In addition, the Evohome heating control is supposed to be able to reduce heating costs by up to 30 %.
Evohome heating control components
In this test I tested the following compIn this test I tested the following components: The Evohome Starter Package (old version) – go here for the current version with Wi-Fi integration*), the Evohome Gateway*, which is no longer needed in the current version for control via app, and another Evohome Thermostat*, as I want to control four radiators in three rooms. In summary, I had the following components in use:
- 4 x Honeywell Evohome Radiator Controller, THR092HRT
- 1 x Honeywell Evohome central control unit, THR928SRT
- (New Version: Evohome Wi-Fi THR99C3100*)
- 1 x Honeywell Evohome Gateway, RFG100
(no longer required with Evohome Wi-Fi)
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First, I would like to introduce you to the tested components in more detail and show you how they can be used.
Honeywell Evohome Radiator Controller – HR92 (THR092HRT)
The Evohome HR92 radiator thermostat is a small masterpiece: elegant, minimalist and modern. The thermostats are supplied with a valve adapter for the thread size M30 x 1.5 and an adapter set for Danfoss valves (RA, RAV, RAVL). The display has an illuminated background and all the values, numbers and symbols shown can be read very easily.
In addition, a small display holder, two AA batteries, a manual and two fastening screws to attach the controller to the valve adapter are included. My previous Honeywell products never came with batteries, so I was really pleased to find batteries in the packaging.
In addition, the Honeywell thermostat can not only be used in the Evohome heating control, but also works for the autonomous control of individual rooms. It then works like a conventional electronic radiator thermostat with time programming.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
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Honeywell Home evohome Heizkörperregler zur Heizungssteuerung per App und WLAN, Paket 1, THR092HRT,... | 81,99 EUR 60,20 EUR | Go to shop* |
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Honeywell Home evohome Heizkörperregler zur Heizungssteuerung per App und WLAN, Paket 4x HR92RT,... | 229,95 EUR | Go to shop* |
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2024-12-09 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
Honeywell Evohome Central Control Panel – THR99C3100
UPDATE – 20/02/2021: The current version of the central control unit (item number: THR99C3100)* has an integrated Wi-Fi interface, so the Evohome Gateway is no longer needed! The links to the product go to the current version with Wi-Fi integration.
Honeywell calls the central control unit the “heart of the heating control”. All settings for the heating control can be made via the control unit. The settings are made via a colour LCD (24-bit) with touch screen, so that components can be taught, parameters can be set and then room temperatures can be checked..
I personally like the design very much. The scope of delivery includes the operating instructions, the control unit with touch screen, two AA rechargeable batteries (GP ReCyko+ rechargeable battery, AA, NiMH, Mignon, 2000 mAh), a table stand for locking in the control unit and for charging the batteries, and a cable for the power supply.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
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Honeywell Home evohome Wi-Fi Zentrales Bediengerät, weiß, THR99C3100* | 272,99 EUR 227,90 EUR | Go to shop* |
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2024-12-09 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
Honeywell Evohome Gateway – RFG100
IMPORTANT: The current version of the central control unit (item number: THR99C3100)* has an integrated WLAN interface, so the Evohome Gateway is no longer required! If you have an old central control unit (THR928SRT) and want to use the Total Connect Comfort App from Honeywell, you still need the Evohome Gateway.
To remotely control the system via app, you need the Honeywell Evohome Gateway. The gateway is connected to the internet for communication and acts as a link between mobile devices and the Evohome central control unit. The Total Connect Comfort App from Honeywell can be downloaded free of charge for Android and Apple.
In addition to the gateway, the scope of delivery includes an Ethernet cable, a power supply unit with adapters for various types of mains plugs and the gateway operating instructions.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
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Honeywell Home evohome Gateway zur Heizungssteuerung per App und WLAN, RFG100* | 107,99 EUR 74,33 EUR | Go to shop* |
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2024-12-09 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
Other Evohome heating control components
In the following, I would like to briefly introduce you to the other components of the Evohome heating control, which I have not tested, but which certainly represent a useful addition to the system.
Honeywell Evohome Wireless Room Thermostat – T87RF2059
- Wireless room thermostat for local actual temperature detection in rooms for floor heating and/or radiator thermostats.
- Can be combined with Evohome floor controller HCE80 and Evohome radiator controller THR092HRT.
- Radio range up to 30 metres
- Adjustment of setpoints via rotary wheel (setpoint range: 5-35 °C, min./max. value can be limited individually)
- Battery operation with a service life of approx. two years
| Preview | Product | Price | |
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Honeywell Funk-Raumthermostat Honeywell evohome T87RF2059, Weiß* | 87,99 EUR 60,65 EUR | Go to shop* |
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2024-12-09 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
Honeywell Evohome Underfloor Heating Controller for 5 Zones – HCE80
- The underfloor heating controller can be used to control up to 5 zones (expandable up to 8 zones) and thus control underfloor heating and radiators via the Evohome system.
- A maximum of three thermal actuators can be connected per zone.
- Each zone can be controlled from the central control panel. Individual heating times can be set for each zone.
- To use the HCE80 floor controller, the externe Antenne HRA80* is mandatory, as the HCE80 does not have an internal antenna.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
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Honeywell Home evohome Fußbodenregler für 5 Zonen, HCE80* | Go to shop* |
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2024-12-09 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
Honeywell Evohome expansion module from 5 to 8 zones (accessory floor controller)
- Expansion module for Evohome floor controller from 5 to 8 zones. This means that up to 24 thermal actuator can be controlled.
- Each control zone can be controlled with the central control panel.
- The extension module is easy to install
- Accessories for: Floor controller HCE80
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Honeywell Home evohome Erweiterungsmodul für Fußbodenregler HCE80 von 5 auf 8 Zonen, HCS80* | 159,08 EUR | Go to shop* |
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2024-12-09 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
Honeywell Evohome thermal actuator for underfloor heating
- Battery-operated radio room thermostat for floor heating are controlled via the floor controller
- Temperature detection and local setpoint control
- There are two versions of the thermo drives:
| Preview | Product | Price | |
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Honeywell Home evohome Thermoantrieb stromlos geschlossen, MT4-230-NC, Weiß* | 24,96 EUR | Go to shop* |
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Honeywell Home evohome Thermoantrieb stromlos offen, MT4-230-NO, Weiß* | 21,99 EUR 18,19 EUR | Go to shop* |
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2024-12-09 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
The thermal actuators differed in the following ways:
| Type of thermal actuator | Eigenschaft |
| currentless closed (passive NC) | opens the heating circuit when voltage is applied to its control input. |
| currentless open (active NO) | opens the heating circuit if there is no voltage at its control input. |
Note: Whether a ” currentless open thermal actuator ” or ” currentless closed thermal actuator ” should be used always depends on the preferences of the user. There is an interesting discussion about this in the German Building Services Dialogue Forum: Recommendation actuators open/closed
Honeywell Evohome external antenna for underfloor controller HCE80 (HRA80)
- For communication with the control unit for the underfloor controller HCE80, mandatory, as it does not have an internal antenna.
- Up to three underfloor controllers can be connected per antenna.
- The length of the antenna cable is possible up to 30 m.
- Contains antenna and transceiver for communication with the central control unit.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
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Honeywell Home evohome Antenne für evohome Fußbodenregler, HRA80* | 41,94 EUR | Go to shop* |
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2024-12-09 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
Honeywell Evohome Relay Module 5A Changeover Contact – BDR91A1000
- Can be used for boiler control and connected to the central control unit so that it transmits a reference value to the boiler. The central control unit calculates the heat demand and transmits this demand to the boiler via the relay.
- The relay module can receive the heat demand signal from up to four Evotouch HMIs and control the boiler based on the required heat demand. Each individual central control unit calculates the maximum heat demand and sends this information to the relay module on the boiler.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
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Honeywell Home evohome Relais-Modul 5A Wechselkontakt, BDR91A1000, 9 x 2,8 x 9* | 108,99 EUR 73,04 EUR | Go to shop* |
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2024-12-09 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
Honeywell Evohome Opentherm Module for Boiler Control (R8810)
- According to Wikipedia, OpenTherm is a protocol for the control of central heating by room temperature controllers, whereby it is a “point to point” communication. The thermostat is usually the “master” and the heat generator is the “slave”. By means of multi-point-to-point, several devices can be connected to each other. Click here for the Wikipedia article for OpenTherm.
- Can also be used for boiler control and connected to the central control unit so that this passes on a reference value to the boiler.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
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Honeywell Evohome R88 Opentherm Kesselsteuerung Modul (R8810A1018)* | Go to shop* |
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2024-12-09 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
The installation of the Honeywell Evohome heating controller
After unpacking the Evohome components, I started the installation. Figure 6 shows all the components to be installed. The components are installed in my flat in the living room, bathroom and kitchen. This means that three rooms with a total of four radiators will be controlled. The distribution is as follows:
- Living room: one central control unit, one gateway, two radiator thermostats
- Kitchen: one radiator thermostat
- Bathroom: one radiator thermostat
UPDATE – 20/02/2021: The current version of the central control unit (item number: THR99C3100)* has an integrated Wi-Fi interface, so the Evohome Gateway is no longer needed! The links to the product go to the current version with Wi-Fi integration. Nevertheless, for the sake of completeness, I will present the installation with the gateway below.
IIn the first step of the installation, I connected the gateway to a power supply and connected it to my router. By pressing the bind button on the bottom of the gateway (Figure 7-3), the gateway can be connected to the central operating device.
If the installation was successful and the gateway is connected to the central operating unit, all LEDs light up green. If one of your LEDs flashes or is displayed in a different colour, the following table can help you find the error.
| Symbol | Error | Troubleshooting |
 | No communication with the wireless heating control | The wireless range and voltage supply of the heating control must be checked (central operating unit). |
 | No internet connection | Check here whether the Internet connection to the router is established. |
 | Try to connect the gateway to the router | If the LED lights up orange, check the cable and the power supply to the router. |
 | Gateway is not yet registered | Registration is necessary at getconnected.honeywellhome.com. Creating a user account is free of charge. |
In the second step, I mounted the radiator thermostats on the respective radiators. First, the old thermostats were dismantled and the bottom parts of the Evohome radiator thermostats were attached to the valves (see figure 7). The bottom parts have the thread dimensions M30 x 1.5.
Important note: Since a large proportion of old radiator valves have different thread dimensions, adapters often have to be used for modern thermostatic heads to ensure compatibility.
However, as there is a veritable jungle of valves, it is not so easy to find the right adapter for the matching radiator valve. In my article "The Big Overview: Adapters for Thermostatic Valves" you will find an overview of the various adapters for the different thermostatic valves. In addition, you will find in the article:
1. A guide on how to replace a thermostat with an adapter.
2. An overview of all valves for which there are adapters.
3. An overview of all valves for which there are no adapters.
4. An overview of all valves for which no adapters are needed.
5. Over 1,200 comments with helpful tips and tricks in the original article.
The following insertion of the batteries into the thermostat was not so easy from my point of view and it took some strength and courage, as I had the feeling that I could destroy the thermostat by pressing too hard. Finally it worked and I was able to insert the batteries into the thermostat.
Note on rechargeable batteries and batteries in smart thermostats: If one or the other battery should run out in the future, rechargeable AA batteries are not recommended. On one hand, the self-discharge of rechargeable batteries is usually much higher than that of normal batteries, so that the rechargeable batteries, which are supposed to supply the thermostat heads with energy over a relatively long period of time, usually run out before the end of the heating period, and on the other hand, many rechargeable batteries have a very low nominal voltage of only 1.2 V, so that rechargeable batteries are often still well charged, but do not reach the necessary voltage level for the thermostats to operate the devices.
In an article by Digitalzimmer, this is discussed in detail in more detail. Many manufacturers therefore advise against using rechargeable batteries.
To open the battery case, you have to squeeze the rotary wheel of the HR92 once firmly so that it can pop out of the holder. Then insert the batteries into the battery case. To fix the batteries, tighten the metal contact with a screw provided (see Figure 9-8).
After inserting the batteries, you put the rotary wheel back on the controller and the display first shows the language selection and then the setpoint temperature of 20 °C. The brightness of the display’s backlighting is very refreshing and I was positively impressed by the fabulous display of the values. In the following, I placed the thermostats on the already mounted lower parts.
The third step was to set up the central control unit. To do this, the battery is activated by pulling the paper clip in the battery compartment. The control unit contains two AA batteries (GP ReCyko+ battery, AA, NiMH, Mignon, 2000 mAh), which are charged when the control unit is placed on the table holder.
The control unit can thus be used like a kind of remote control for a few hours even without a direct power supply. After activating the batteries, the central control unit starts and can be plugged into the table holder. The table holder is then connected to a power supply.
Connecting Evohome components
After all components have been installed, you can now start setting up the control unit and connecting the components. To do this, you first manoeuvre through the menu of the central control unit and enter all the important data. After entering the date and time, you have the choice of a guided configuration, which I have selected. Then the following queries are made:
- Boiler reset yes/no – This can be achieved, for example, with the Honeywell Home evohome Relais-Modul 5A Wechselkontakt, BDR91A1000, 9 x 2,8 x 9*Honeywell Evohome relay” /]. However, since I am not using this in this test, I choose “No”.
- Choice of heating system – (underfloor heating, radiator controller, mixing controller, zone controller). Here my choice falls on the radiator controller system
- Number of rooms – I want to control the living room, kitchen and bathroom with the heating control, so I choose three rooms.
- Then three rooms were suggested to me (living room, kitchen, bathroom), which you can rename as I wish.
- In the last query, the room sensor for the living room is selected. The central operating unit has an internal temperature sensor, so I select this as the primary temperature sensor for room temperature control in the living room.
After checking the temperature sensor for the living room, the central control unit detects that no Evohome components are connected to the control unit. The next step is to connect the Evohome components to the control panel.
The components are connected room by room and the central Evotouch control unit is ready to receive for about five minutes per component. In my opinion, this is a very generous time and is easily enough to connect the components.
To connect the thermostats to the control unit, press the menu button on the thermostat until the text “No bind” appears on the thermostat. This text indicates that the thermostat is not yet connected to the control unit. The binding is activated by pressing the setting button again (hold it down for approx. 5 seconds).
If the binding is successful, the message “SUCCESSFUL” is displayed and a radio symbol appears in the upper left corner of the display. The binding is also reported as successful on the central control unit. Repeat these steps with all components until they are connected to the control unit.
Settings on the Evohome Controller
Setting the heating parameters
Once all components are connected to the control unit, an overview of the rooms with the current setpoint and actual room temperatures appears on the display of the control unit. You can now set the setpoint temperatures and the corresponding heating times individually for each day of the week via the display (see Figure 14).
As an alternative to the individual setting of the heating times, weekly programmes can also be created, which are clearly displayed.
In addition to setting the heating parameters, you can perform various actions to save energy or switch off the heating completely.
The following actions are available:
- ECONOMY mode: By activating the Economy mode, the room temperature in all rooms is lowered by 3°C to save energy. The setback temperature can of course be adjusted individually.
- AWAY mode: In AWAY mode, the temperature is lowered to 15°C in all rooms. This is useful if, for example, you are not at home for more than one day.
- EXCEPTION DAY mode: The action EXCEPTION DAY can be used if, for example, one takes a day off and is at home. In order not to change the entire heating programme, you can activate the exception day at the touch of a button and select the time programme from Saturday, for example.
- HEATING OFF mode: In HEATING OFF mode, the heating is switched off in all rooms or zones.
- SPECIAL PROGRAMME mode: The special programme can be set individually and represents an additional daily programme. This can be used for parties or the like, for example.
To be able to intervene a little deeper in the system or to add components, there is the so-called installation menu. Here, components can be added and settings for boiler access can be made.
Evohome wireless test
The wireless test allows you to test the strength of the wireless signals between the installed components and the Evohome control panel. To do this, there is a function in the installation menu for the wireless test, which is activated by pressing it once. The wireless test function is then activated on the individual components. To do this, proceed as follows:
- First press the menu button on the thermostat so that the room name is shown on the display of the thermostat.
- Then hold down the menu button again for about 5 seconds to access the next submenu.
- Then turn the rotary knob until the menu for the wireless test appears.
- Then press the menu button on the thermostat again and the wireless test is activated.
After activating the wireless test, the test is carried out and the signal strength of the respective components is displayed.
Device setting
In the unit setting, the design and display of the operating unit can be set. This includes settings for:
- Date and time: Setting the date and time
- Language: Language selection for German, English, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish
- Security: Here you have the option of storing a password that must be entered when the stored data is changed.
- Display light: The brightness and the switch-off time of the display can be entered here.
- Standard Display: Here you can select different designs for how the standard screen should look.
- Night mode: In night mode, the brightness of the display and the time period of the night mode can also be stored.
Evohome – Total Connect Comfort App
IMPORTANT: The current version of the central control unit (item number: THR99C3100)* has an integrated WLAN interface, so the Evohome Gateway is no longer required! If you have an old central control unit and want to use the Total Connect Comfort App from Honeywell, you still need the Evohome Gateway.
Honeywell’s Total Connect Comfort App (Android and Apple) enables remote control of Evohome heating via smartphone or tablet. This requires the Evohome Gateway and the Total Connect Comfort App. I have tested the App in version 3.2.0. However, before you can control your heating remotely with the app, you need to register your gateway on the Honeywell platform for free.
Once the gateway is registered online and connected to the control unit, the heating can be controlled via the app. Log in to the app and enter the first settings. In the settings, you can, for example, specify how the app should react if no connection can be established to the gateway or the control unit.
In the room overview you can see the current room temperatures and the stored setpoint temperatures. These can be adjusted and changed very easily here. The change is applied by the thermostats after a few minutes.
The presented actions such as “Economy mode”, “Absence programme”, “Exception day”, “Special programme” or “Heating off” can also be set and activated via the app. An additional feature is the current weather forecast, which, however, has no influence on the heating behaviour.
Evohome – Integration in Smart Home Systems
Update: 20.02.2021: Evohome can be connected to the smart home systems Amazon Alexa, Conrad Connect and IFTTT.
Integration with Amazon Alexa
Evohome can be paired with Amazon’s Alexa voice control.
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2024-12-09 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
For the Alexa integration, you need the Alexa App, which can be downloaded for free from the Google Playstore or Apple Apps. After opening the Alexa App, you first need to install the Evohome Skill. To do this, go to the main menu in the Alexa app and select Smart Home → My Smart Home Skills → Activate Smart Home Skill and search for the Evohome Skill. Then follow the instructions in the Alexa App.
Since I didn’t own an Alexa-enabled device at the time of testing Evohome, I can only report from my experiences with other smart home systems and have to say that the Alexa integration makes sense to me. With a simple voice command: “Alexa set the living room temperature to 20 °C” you can easily adjust your temperatures and have a real smart home experience.
Using Evohome with geofencing via IFTTT
Evohome also has an IFTTT interface. IFTTT stands for “If this than that” and comes from programming language. With the linking method “If this is done, then that is done”, automations can be used across systems.
With “IFTTT applets” you connect two or more services with each other. The applets then help to do something that would not be possible with just one service alone.
Among other things, Evohome can use geofencing (incorporating the user’s location for heating functions) via IFTTT. For a long time, this was only possible with the Tado heating system. In the meantime, however, there are several manufacturers (including the Wiser heating control*) that realise this via IFTTT.
To be able to use geofencing for Evohome, log in to the IFTTT website and enter “Honeywell Evohome” in the search. You will then find the following two applets, which are required for functioning geofencing:
- If you enter an area, than turn on the heating according to the schedule.
- If you leave an area, than turn off the heating.
Note: “Area” means a radius of approximately 300 m around your living area.
In the following example, I will show you how to turn off your heating when you leave an area. Click on “If you exit an area then turn your heating off”. Then the applet must be connected to Honeywell and you can make the necessary settings.
Once you have connected the applet to the Honeywell app, you will need to share your phone’s location access with IFTTT and you can make the settings in the applet.
- “Receive notifications when this runs” – Aktiviert Ihr diesen Punkt, erhaltet Ihr eine Pushnachricht auf Euer Smartphone, wenn das Applet aktiv ist.
- “Locate an Area” – Gebt hier Eure Adresse ein, anschließend könnt Ihr den festgelegten Radius in der
- “Receive notifications when this runs” – If you activate this item, you will receive a push message on your smartphone when the applet is active.
- “Locate an Area” – Enter your address here, then you can view the defined radius on the map below.
- “Location” – Select your Honeywell Home location here.
- “Quick Action” – Select the action to be performed here. I do not want the heating to be switched off, but only to go into energy-saving mode. Therefore, I select “Economy”.
- “Duration” stands for “duration”. Since I want to leave the energy-saving mode active until I enter the radius again, I leave the following two fields empty.
Then press “Done” and enter the settings for the applet “If you enter an area then turn your heating on to schedule“. Done, Evohome can now be used with geofencing.
Evohome in Conrad Connect
Conrad Connect ermögliConrad Connect, like IFTTT, also allows several Smart Home services to be connected to each other. Since I don’t have any experience with Conrad Connect yet, I would just like to mention here that Evohome can also be integrated into Conrad Connect. Click here to go to the Conrad Connect website.
Google Assistent and Apple Homekit
Evohome does not yet have an interface for the two systems Google Assistant and Applet Homekit. Nevertheless, it is possible to connect the Google Assistant with Evohome via an IFTTT applet. For Apple Homekit users, the Honeywell Home Lyric T6 thermostat* is recommended on the Honeywell App Developer Website Resideo.
Usability
In my opinion, the handling of the Evohome heating control is very simple after a short learning period. By getting used to it, I mean that in the beginning I often looked at the user manual to navigate my way through the configuration. Once I found my way around and all the settings were made, it was child’s play to use the system.
I have to say that I also really liked using the Total Connect Comfort app. The settings were easy to change and the changes were quickly adopted by the heating control.
Control behaviour
The control behaviour is extremely good. The “window open” function of the thermostats also works better than expected. After I set the sensitivity of the “window open” function very high via the advanced menu of the thermostats, the thermostats reacted perfectly to a drop in cold air when the windows were open.
The reaction speed really impressed me here, so I can say: The “window open” function of the Honeywell Evohome thermostat – HR92 works very well for the first time without a tool like window contacts.
From my point of view, the temperature control in the individual rooms also worked very well. The display of the actual and setpoint temperature gives a very good overview. Only the adjustment noises of the thermostats were still a little loud, but on the other hand they also signal that everything is working.
Conclusion
Positive characteristics
After testing the Evohome starter package with gateway and additional thermostat extensively, I can give the heating control a clear recommendation. From a technical point of view, everything worked very well and the heating control also fully met my expectations in terms of comfort. I never had the feeling of a temperature fluctuation in the rooms. Instead, I had the feeling of a constant comfortable temperature, which contributed greatly to my enjoyment.
IMPORTANT: The current version of the central control unit (item number: THR99C3100)* has an integrated WLAN interface, so the Evohome Gateway is no longer required! If you have an old central control unit (THR928SRT) and want to use the Total Connect Comfort App from Honeywell, you still need the Evohome Gateway.
After using the heating control for a while, I noticed that I rarely use the app and asked myself whether I need it at all. Here you should really ask yourself whether you absolutely need the app and whether it is necessary to spend the money for the additional gateway.
From my point of view, using the Honeywell app is only something for technology enthusiasts who want to keep track of or change the temperatures in their home. I have decided for myself that I do not need it. If you also decide that you do not need the app, you will at least save the money for the gateway. However, if you want to use the app and see a clear advantage in the remote control of your room temperatures, the investment in the gateway is clearly to be affirmed.
Evohome’s interface diversity is also a big plus, as many things can be automated via IFTTT, Conrad Connect and Alexa. At the time of the test, I was not able to test these extensively. However, since I tested the integration of Amazon Alexa with other smart home systems and was also able to gain experience with the Wiser heating controls with IFTTT, I am really excited about it. Here you get a real smart home experience. However, you need an Alexa-enabled device for this.
Negative characteristics
What I didn’t like so much was the standby mode of the control unit. In standby mode, the display is always on, even if it is dimmed. Even in standby mode, the display lights up in a black and green look. This was very annoying for me personally, as I had the permanent feeling that I was wasting energy that was not actually needed. Unfortunately, I could not find a way to switch off the display of the control unit completely.
Another minus point goes to the missing connections for the Google Assistant, which can only be integrated via IFTTT, and the Apple Homekit. However, I assume that these will be integrated into the Honeywell system in the future.
Rating: Honeywell Evohome
The Evohome heating control is absolute top technology. In addition to the technology, the design, aesthetics and workmanship of the individual products are just right. There are so many possibilities to expand the control system that it can be used in flats, single-family homes and even apartment buildings. In addition, geofencing can be used and Evohome can be integrated into the smart home platforms IFTTT and Conrad Connect.
The Evohome system’s sophisticated technology also comes at a price. However, since I have been able to observe the system since 2016 and have witnessed how the Evohome system is constantly evolving, you are investing in a future-proof technology.