When managing radiators (batteries) in the house, do not insert any knobs from the sofa to the side here. Smart thermostat is a godsend

Aliceopen the battery completely.

It was not my wife or daughter who said this in winter, a thermal head paired with an assistant Alice from Yandex. A second later, motors rustle quietly throughout the apartment, the radiators open to their full potential – and soon the temperature problem is solved on its own.

After installing the thermal heads, I never go near the batteries. I have been recommending them to everyone for a long time. What useful things they can provide and how to connect them are in the material below.

What are the benefits in Russia

Thermal head control via app Home with Alice.

► Opening and closing the valve on the battery. Useful if you have a cottage/multiple apartments and want to remotely tighten the battery before the heating season starts for extra peace of mind and less chance of leaking.

► Automatically control the valve based on temperature sensor data. For example, if the air temperature in the room decreases, as read by other temperature sensors, then the thermal head opens the battery valve until the temperature rises to the desired level.

► Automatic battery defrost. Very useful for the garden. If the battery temperature drops sharply in winter, Aqara E1 can open the valve itself to prevent the battery from freezing. If there is no central heating, use this feature in conjunction with a smart boiler.

► Set a simple valve opening/closing schedule. Everything here should be clear, for example: at night I closed the valve halfway so that I could sleep better in a cool room, and the window was completely closed.

Which one is better to buy?

Aqara E1 is the best thermal head for batteries in Russia.

We immediately reject all thermostats from little-known manufacturers. It’s better to immediately take a reliable thing.

And there is exactly one such thing on the Russian market – this thermostat Akara E1. This is the best thermostat at the moment. We wrote about this in detail in another article. I myself have been using such situations for more than two years.

For correct operation, you need to purchase (if you don’t already have) an Akara hub. Recommended model M2now it costs 4,700 rubles. You can buy an Aqara E1 thermostat for 4,600 rubles.

How to install on battery

Battery valve with mount from Aqara E1 kit.

Installing the thermal head on standard metal batteries takes a few minutes. The Aqara E1 comes with several types of mounts – one of them is 99% likely to suit you.

Remove the insulating pad, select the diameter of the attachment to the valve of your radiator and tighten the thermal head tightly. Do not use tools under any circumstances to avoid accidentally damaging either the valve or the fastener.

Then press 3 times to switch the valve. And that’s it, all that remains is to connect the thermal head to the smart home.

How to connect to a smart home

Thermal head in the Aqara E1 application.

The Aqara E1 thermal head must be added to the application first Akara Houseand then “transfer” it to another “smart home” – in our case it will be Home with Alicethat is, the Yandex smart home.

How to add Aqara E1 to the application Akara House:

▪ Click on the icon “+” in the upper right corner of the screen
▪ Select from the list “Battery thermostat E1”

▪ Follow the connection instructions

Adding the Aqara E1 thermal head in the Home with Alice application.

Once the thermal head is added to the Akara House, go to the application Home with Alice.

▪ Click on the “+” icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
▪ Select the item “Smart home device”

▪ In the list of integrations, select Akara

▪ We invite you to synchronize your Yandex smart home with the Aqara ecosystem

After entering the login and password for the Aqara smart home, as well as confirming the binding, the thermal head is automatically added to Home with Alice.

What commands and scripts are recommended?

Temperature control commands:

Alice, what is the temperature on the battery thermostat?

Alice, increase the temperature on the radiator thermostat in the bedroom.

Alice, tighten the battery in the kitchen

Delayed control commands:

Alice, make your home cooler every day from midnight to 9 am

Alice, set the battery thermostat to 25 degrees in 4 hours

Alice, turned on the battery thermostat on September 10

Automation scenarios, with the exception of those that only control voice or time, require the connection of other smart devices in the home.

Scenarios:

🤖 Temperature control based on sensor readings. An external temperature sensor is required. On the menu Scenarios V Home with Alice we set boundaries, maintain the temperature in the room and set the following conditions:

◆ if the temperature at the sensor becomes lower than the set one, the thermal head opens the valve more strongly (increasing opening temperature).

◆ if the temperature is set higher, the thermal head tightens the valve (temperature decreases)

🤖 Automation of turning off heating when leaving the apartment. You need a door opening sensor, or a motion sensor, or a voice command activator. On the menu Scenarios V Home with Alice Use these devices as activation triggers. And for the thermal head we set the temperature to the minimum (5 degrees).

Is it worth buying

I use Aqara E1 smart thermal heads on all batteries in the apartment. I manage them remotely all winter and forget about them in the spring at the beginning of the next heating season. We have never let you down yet.

Instead of going to the batteries and turning the physical thermostat back and forth, use Alice’s voice command or in the application. Home with Alice I solve this issue in a second, even if I’m not at home. It gets hot – the battery “twists” itself, and in each room this happens independently of the others.

Together with smart IR remote controls, consider smart thermal heads one of the most practical devices for a smart home in Russia. I recommend that you prepare for the next heating season.