Thermostat installation help

[tomstabb]

Hi there,

I bought my house in September 2014 and quickly had my dodgy thermostat removed (wired in) and a Nest installed (wireless). After numerous technical issues I've finally given up and I'm getting it removed.

The issue was with connectivity. The Nest Thermostat and the Nest Heat Link wouldn't connect, giving me a H1 error. I tried rectifying by purchasing a wifi booster, with no luck. I spoke with a Nest senior customer service rep for an hour and 20mins trying steps to fix it, but nothing did. I had this issue a few months ago and Nest replaced the Thermostat, but this only fixed the issue temporarily, before returning.

The previous thermostat was wired and the area it was installed was plastered over.

I need to get someone to install a new thermostat, but how are they going to do it? Am I going to get the whole system rewired seeing as the wires to my previous thermostat have been cut, made save and plastered over?

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Agile]

What is distance between Next and Heat Link? Whats the construction in between?

Was it professionally installed or you did it?

Tony

 

[Agile]

Who changed the original Nest?

Tony

 

[Agile]

What did Nest think was wrong?

Tony

 

[tomstabb]

Hi Tony,

Thanks for reaching out. I'll answer your questions in one reply.

1. Distance was approximately 20m. Well within the 30m Nest say they connection will reach. Construction between is 3 walls. Sections of these wall are brick and sections are plaster.
2. Professionally installed twice. Once with the original unit and again when I first experienced consistent issues and Nest suggested the unit was possibly faulty. Second unit was installed by Homeserve. I can't remember who installed it originally, as it was over a year ago.
3. Nest changed the original and it was their suggestion to try and fix my problems
4. Nest weren't sure to be honest. I had been having issues for over 6 months and I finally had enough and they even suggested a refund and offered to pay for the installation of another thermostat, again by Homeserve.

I'm slightly nervous about getting another wireless controlling heating solution, given my issues with Nest. However, as explained, my previous wiring has been plastered over, so need some advice there.

I hope this forum can help and give me advice.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Agile]

The 30 m is for line of sight and not for 20m plus attenuation caused by three walls!

Have you thought of fitting the Heat Link closer by wiring that remotely from the boiler?

Have you done a spectrum analysis of the WiFi signals? There is a smart phone app which does that.

Do you have a WiFi printer always on which could be interfering or neighbour's WiFi?

 

[Agile]

I am never very impressed by anyone from Homeserve!

Tony

 

[muggles]

Why wasn't Nest installed as a wired unit using the original wires? Are they still in the wall, IE could they be dug out and used now?

 

[tomstabb]

@Agile Tony - I have not thought of fitting the Heat Link closer. I assumed that needs to be fitted to the boiler. Is this a job you could attempt to do? I have no done a spectrum analysis. I do not know what this is. We do not have a printer. Nest support have asked if a microwave was in between and it is. When the Nest was first installed, it was done so in the living room at one end of the maisonette. It worked perfectly for the first 4 months. Then it started having H1 errors and as a result I moved to the cupboard under the stairs, which is the mid-point between router and Heat Link. Again, this solved the problem for a month before getting the H1 errors again.

@muggles Andrew - when the first installer came to fit the Nest, they said it couldn't be fixed there.

 

[tomstabb]

@Agile Tony - I have not thought of fitting the Heat Link closer. I assumed that needs to be fitted to the boiler. Is this a job you could attempt to do? I have no done a spectrum analysis. I do not know what this is. We do not have a printer. Nest support have asked if a microwave was in between and it is. When the Nest was first installed, it was done so in the living room at one end of the maisonette. It worked perfectly for the first 4 months. Then it started having H1 errors and as a result I moved to the cupboard under the stairs, which is the mid-point between router and Heat Link. Again, this solved the problem for a month before getting the H1 errors again.

@muggles Andrew - when the first installer came to fit the Nest, they said it couldn't be fixed there.

 

[bernardgreen]

One assumes the wireless connection between themostat and boiler does NOT depend on the WiFi system in the house.

And why would a domestic thermostat require connection to the cloud ? It seems this is necessary to enable Nest Weave software to be updated via the internet. Does this mean the operation of the thermostat could be altered when software is up-dated. Not to mention the hazard of hackers getting into the system and causing mal-ware to be downloaded to domestic thermostats.

This sounds like the people who developed Nest Weave have ( for commercial gain ? ) pushed it out to as many applications as they can find, some of these applications gaining no benefit but being put at risk by the addition of un-necessary complication and security hazards.

 

[tomstabb]

Is anyone able to advise on whether my now plastered up wiring to the old system is salvageable in order to install a new thermostat?

 

[muggles]

Is anyone able to advise on whether my now plastered up wiring to the old system is salvageable in order to install a new thermostat?

Not without seeing it, but in theory if it can be accessed then it should be usable (including with Nest)

 

[Agile]

The Heat Link can be fitted anywhere where it can be connected back to the boiler.

Unfortunately people fitting or even discussing these kind of things don't have radio frequency experience. Its all very simple really.

WiFi systems have several different frequencies which with the right intervention can be assigned to particular channels to avoid interference.

My lodger has a WiFi printer using the same frequency as my modem but no instructions on how to change it.

Tony

 

[DP]

The Heat Link can be fitted anywhere where it can be connected back to the boiler.

Unfortunately people fitting or even discussing these kind of things don't have radio frequency experience. Its all very simple really.

WiFi systems have several different frequencies which with the right intervention can be assigned to particular channels to avoid interference.

My lodger has a WiFi printer using the same frequency as my modem but no instructions on how to change it.

Tony

Take it you used the spectrum analyser to figure that Tony

 

[tomstabb]

@Agile Tony - would you be happy come and look at our current system? I am based in London - SE6.