Honeywell Evohome Thermostat Review

In the world of smart thermostats, the Honeywell Evohome has carved a niche for itself by offering zonal temperature control with impressive accuracy and ease of use. Although it may not be considered the smartest smart thermostat out there, it has been designed from the ground up to provide room-by-room control, giving homeowners the ultimate flexibility to customize their home’s comfort.

We have owned the Honeywell Evohome for over a year, and so far, we find it very reliable, even during the summer when it’s primarily used for hot water control. Notably, despite the thick stone walls in certain parts of our test home, we have not encountered any issues with signal loss. This speaks to the power of the Evohome system and its adaptability to various building types.

This review will explore the Honeywell Evohome thermostat’s features, performance and how it compares to other smart thermostats available on the market. Whether you’re looking to take absolute control of your home’s heating or want an energy-efficient way to maintain comfort, the Evohome might be the perfect solution.

Technical Specifications

• Subscription: No
• Warranty: 12 months warranty
• Installation: possible DIY, but professional installation recommended
• Power: Battery Powered
• Weight: 500 g
• Dimensions: 2.1 x 13.9 x 10.1 centimetres
• Self-learning: No
• Smart Voice Assistant: Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa
• Smart Radiator Valves: Yes, £63.70 each

Honeywell Evohome Smart Thermostat Overview

As we explore the Honeywell Evohome thermostat, its design is one of the first to catch our attention. The thermostat boasts a clean, white plastic casing that is modern but not overly fashionable. Its round dial in the centre adds familiarity, making it a welcome addition to a wide range of homes.

System Compatibility

The Honeywell Evohome is highly compatible with different heating systems, including radiators, underfloor heating, and heat pumps. The design fits well with most home heating arrangements, providing a versatile option for controlling temperatures in every room.

• Radiator: The Evohome thermostat works seamlessly with each radiator in your home. It requires adding TRV (thermostatic radiator valve) controllers that wirelessly connect to the main unit. This compatibility allows for granular temperature control for each radiator individually.
• Underfloor Heating: Evohome can integrate with underfloor heating systems, offering comfort and energy savings. The system is designed to work with most underfloor heating setups.
• Boiler: The thermostat is compatible with various boilers, including OpenTherm-capable models. A boiler relay, such as the BDR91, connects to your existing boiler, enabling traditional boiler support and greater control.
• Hot Water System: Evohome offers comprehensive control over the hot water system, including timed start and stop settings.
• Heat Pumps: The system also works with heat pumps, making it suitable for homes using this energy-efficient heating method.
• Heating House Zones: Lastly, as a whole-house solution, Evohome lets you create up to 12 heating zones, ensuring individual room temperature control and overall improved thermal comfort while saving money.

Installation and Compatibility

The ideal location for the wireless Honeywell Evohome thermostat installation must be considered. To achieve precise temperature readings and efficient HVAC system control, the thermostat should be located in a central area, away from any sources of heat or cold draughts.

The Honeywell Evohome thermostat offers a variety of cutting-edge features in addition to its wireless capabilities, making it a great option for home automation. The thermostat may be adjusted remotely from anywhere through the Honeywell app, which can be downloaded on a smartphone or tablet. Additionally, it has a variety of sensors that can recognise when a room is occupied and alter the temperature accordingly, saving energy and lowering heating and cooling expenses.

Depending on your comfort level and expertise, you can install the Honeywell Evohome thermostat or hire a professional. A professional installation ensures that the system is set up correctly, positioning the thermostat where it will offer precise temperature readings and efficient HVAC system control.

However, installing the Honeywell Evohome thermostat yourself might be satisfying if you are experienced with do-it-yourself projects. The thermostat’s wireless characteristics eliminate the need for wiring or drilling during installation, making it simple and hassle-free.

Smart Features and Controls

Routine Learning and Adaptation

Honeywell Evohome boasts a clever heating system upgrade that learns from our routine to optimize our home heating experience. It allows the thermostat to learn how long it takes to heat each zone in the home and adapts to changes in the home’s environment, such as weather conditions, to ensure the temperature is always comfortable.

This helps homeowners efficiently control their comfort levels in up to 12 zones, all from one place, and could also help homeowners reduce their energy consumption and bills.

The more we use the system, the better it caters to our needs, providing a personalized heating experience.

Smart Scheduling and Automation

The Honeywell Evohome thermostat Smart Scheduling feature allows you to create a heating and cooling schedule based on your daily routine. With this feature, you can program your thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature settings based on the time of day, day of the week, and occupancy patterns.

For example, if you typically leave for work at 8 AM and return home at 6 PM, you can set the thermostat to lower the temperature during the day when you’re not home and raise it back up in the evening when you return. You can also create different schedules for different days of the week so your home is always comfortable when needed.

In addition to scheduling, the Honeywell Evohome thermostat has automation features that allow you to set up triggers that activate specific actions. For example, you can set up a trigger that turns off the heating or cooling when a window is opened or turns on the heating or cooling when the temperature drops or rises above a certain threshold.

Geofencing

The Geofencing smart feature of the Honeywell Evohome thermostat uses your smartphone’s location to adjust the temperature when you leave or return home automatically. When you set up Geofencing, the thermostat will use your phone’s GPS to determine when you are leaving or entering a predefined area around your home.

When you leave the area, the temperature will automatically be adjusted to save energy and reduce your cooling and heating bills. When you return, the thermostat will adjust the temperature to your preferred settings so your home is comfortable when you arrive.

The Geofencing feature also allows you to set up multiple users so that the thermostat can adjust the temperature based on the location of everyone in your household. For example, if you have a partner or family member who leaves and returns at different times than you, the thermostat will adjust the temperature accordingly.

Voice Assistant Integration

The Honeywell Evohome smart thermostat is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. You can easily control the temperature in your home by using voice commands through a smart speaker or smartphone.

Say something like, “Hey, Google, set the living room temperature to 22 degrees”, or “Alexa, turn off the heating in the bedroom”.

By integrating voice assistants, you can also create routines to automate your heating and cooling system, such as turning off the heating when you leave the house or arrive home. This feature makes adjusting the temperature in your home effortless and convenient.

Multi-Room Heating Control

Zones and Individual Temperature Settings

The Honeywell Evohome controller allows us to enjoy a tailored heating experience that provides room-by-room control. This smart thermostat is designed to handle multiple zones, allowing us to set different temperatures for each heating room in our home.

By dividing the house into separate heating zones, we can extract the most efficient use of our energy consumption and maintain ideal temperatures to match our unique preferences.

One of the best features of Honeywell Evohome is its ability to handle quick actions like “Day Off,” “Eco,” and “Away” modes, which adapt our entire central heating system to match our daily routines. These customizable settings give us ultimate control over our energy consumption and comfort levels.

Thermostatic Radiator Valves

The Honeywell thermostat controller works seamlessly with thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) to provide an intelligent Evohome smart zoning system. We can connect smart radiator valves to our existing radiators, allowing us to manage individual temperatures in each room.

Using the Total Connect Comfort application, we can remotely monitor and adjust our heating system, controlling the thermostat, TRVs, and other compatible accessories like underfloor heating.

The Honeywell Evohome offers convenient multi-room heating control through its zoning capabilities, smart radiator valves, and various customizable settings.

The ability to monitor and manage our home’s temperature and humidity through a user-friendly app further adds to the overall appeal of this very clever heating system.

Smartphone Application

User Interface

We found the Honeywell Evohome app to be both user-friendly and visually appealing. It’s available for Android and iOS devices, providing a seamless smartphone experience. The app’s main screen displays the current temperature and weather, while a simple swipe reveals the individual room temperatures and settings available via remote access.

The app also allows us to change the desired temperature in any room quickly, and we appreciate that it shows the actual temperature alongside the target temperature for easy comparison.

Customisation

One of the key strengths of the Honeywell Evohome app is its level of customisation. It offers a variety of options to tailor temperature control to our specific needs.

The app allows us to create custom schedules that can be adjusted based on our daily routines, presence at home, or work patterns. This is particularly useful for those with irregular schedules or varying room usage throughout the day. Schedules can also be overridden with manual temperature adjustments as needed.

When it comes to managing the Evohome system, the app also offers the following options for a customized experience:

• Quick actions: Provides easy access to key settings like “Away mode” or “Eco mode.”
• Zones: Enables the creation of zones to group rooms and control them simultaneously.
• Notifications: Keeps us informed with alerts about important system events, such as low battery or extreme temperature warnings.

Pricing and Value

When it comes to the Honeywell Evohome thermostat, one of the first things we noticed was that the pricing is rather complicated due to its modular design. However, we also acknowledge that this smart thermostat is widely regarded as one of the best on the market.

To give you an idea of the costs involved, the Evohome-connected thermostat pack will set you back around £229.99 without including the installation fees.

Here’s a breakdown of the costs for some of the accessories:

A complete home automation system with everything you need to manage your house’s heating and cooling system is the Honeywell Evohome Starter Kit. You can personalise and regulate the temperature and energy use in your home with the help of the kit, which comes with a wireless thermostat, a hub, and various sensors and accessories.

With the Honeywell Evohome Thermostatic Radiator Valve, you can regulate the temperature of each room in your house using a sophisticated heating control system. You may individually regulate the temperature in each room thanks to the valve’s simple installation on your current radiators.

The Honeywell Evohome home automation system cannot function without the Honeywell Evohome Internet Gateway. Using the gateway, you may use your smartphone or tablet to remotely control your home’s heating and cooling system by connecting your Honeywell Evohome thermostat and accessories to your Wi-Fi network.

A cutting-edge heating control system that enables you to regulate and customise your home’s hot water system is the Honeywell Evohome Hot Water Kit. You can remotely monitor and manage your home’s hot water system with the help of the kit, which comes with a wireless controller, various sensors, and accessories.

Depending on the size of your home and the number of accessories you need, you might spend a fair amount of money if you include the installation fees.

While some might consider this an expensive investment, we believe that the value offered by the Honeywell Evohome thermostat lies in its flexibility and extensive capabilities to control your home’s heating and hot water.

With the Honeywell Evohome system, you can individually control every room in your house. This, in turn, can save energy in the long run. So, while the initial investment might seem high, the potential cost savings and the added comfort make it a valuable addition to your smart home setup.

Competitors Comparison

This section will compare the Honeywell Evohome with its main competitors: Nest, Hive, Tado and Drayton Wiser. We’ll highlight their key features, compatibility and price:

Conclusion

The Honeywell Evohome thermostat is a robust and accurate addition to any smart home system. Its zonal temperature control sets it apart from other thermostats on the market, giving greater control over the comfort of each room in our home. Although it carries a higher price tag than some competitors, its modular design and room-by-room control make it a strong choice.

The Evohome system may not be as feature-packed as other smart thermostats, but what it does, it does exceptionally well. Its flexibility can increase individual energy savings while providing customized heating solutions. The thermostat’s connectivity or responsiveness is top-notch, making it an overall reliable option.

Ultimately, the Honeywell Evohome thermostat is an excellent choice for those seeking an advanced heating control system that prioritizes zonal temperature management. While it may not be the perfect fit for everyone, the Evohome system is difficult to beat if room-by-room control is a priority.