On the pages iPhones.ru not infrequently there were cases of discovery gadgets, and Aqara products were found among them. They are the first on the Russian market to use truly useful devices that relieve everyday routines: automatic curtains, reliable locks with remote control and common sensors.
All this is necessary for a smart home. But until recently, something was not found in the Aqara assortment. Namely – thermal heads to control batteries and regulate the operation of autonomous or central heating systems.
But everything changes, so today we are testing them.
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3. Review of Aqara smart curtains. They open and close on schedule.
4. Fact: Curtains properties for sleep. I installed Aqara smart roller blinds and I sleep peacefully
5. I control my Aqara smart home with a night light, a video camera and an IR remote control. It’s ingeniously simple
6. High-quality smart lock without a key in the apartment. Disassembled the Aqara gadget in action
7. The new Aqara starter kit transforms from an ordinary home into a smart one. There is also a discount
8. How to see the light in the room without getting out of bed (even in another city). Overview of Aqara smart switches
9. How I made all the lights smart at home. Review of Aqara switches, they still consume energy!
10. Aqara G3 camera review. A hub for a smart home, face recognition, control of appliances, it also works with HomeKit!
eleven. Installed a new Aqara smart lock. Protector who knows the whole family
What is a smart thermostat (thermostat) and why is it needed
the visible device is already on the market. But without a screen and adaptation to natural realities
In the previous material on the iPhones.ru page, the operation of an electric ball valve for remote control of water in pipes was considered in detail. This option is distinguished by a complete shutdown / inclusion of water, but it is not suitable for installation on a battery and does not know how to regulate the rate of water supply to the pipes.
For such processes, a full-fledged, not just a ball valve with an “open” / “closed” steam cover, but a whole range of mechanisms for temperature production and smooth flow control is needed.
Many of our readers will surely meet their prototype: a unique thermostat is placed on every modern aluminum or bimetallic mold. It is a mechanical handle and installation on the radiator inlet valve.
In rare cases, mechanics replace a more advanced device with a mixture of a thermostat that automatically reduces / increases the heating of the heating system. Unfortunately, such combined systems require professional installation and cost a lot, so they are not widely used at home.
The current temperature in the room displayed on the screen.
The Aqara developer uses the convenient combined Aqara Smart Radiator Thermostat E1 controller based on engine components and a Zigbee control module. The thermostat is installed on a regular radiator tap instead of a plastic plug. If you synchronize the thermostat with a proprietary Swiss temperature sensor, then it will be even easier to control the supply of hot water to the battery. For example, you can create automation in the Aqara Home application so that the thermal head sets the required temperature under certain conditions. Lowered the temperature when you left home to save energy and increased when you returned.
For Russia and the CIS, the device is more than relevant – of course, in the summer the air conditioner helps out, but it consumes seasonal current, where there is still a need to adjust the central heating batteries.
The best Zigbee hub for Aqara thermostat because you can connect an air conditioner with it
If the Aqara M2 universal hub is used in the video, then the apartment is realized in a kind of “clean room” with automatic microclimate control. A unique solution for the smart technology market.
Especially since the Aqara thermostat has certain performance compared to the more affordable Chinese apps from AliExpress.
Which batteries can be automated and what is the result
The Aqara thermostat has a built-in temperature sensor, but it is better to use an external one.
Fans of shopping on AliExpress have long noticed the appearance on sale of various options for battery management devices.
But here’s the problem – Chinese devices are not certified in Russia. The taps are of suspicious quality, and many options are not found without a team from the housing office with a complete overlap of the heating parking lot. However, since they do not have a certificate, Russian-language documentation also appears, some masters will not even agree to the installation.
In the case of the Aqara thermal head, the situation is very simple: it is a Russified device with a full set of documentation required in Russia. This time.
Suitable for public faucets and batteries in Russia.
Most batteries with a pre-installed feed regulator can be installed. Even cast iron ones. The pressure in the system also does not play if the regulator itself is working. This is two.
The main thing is to conduct a set of tests, guaranteeing a safe load. It’s three.
In addition, synchronization with the built-in Aqara temperature sensor allows you to adjust the temperature in the entire room, and not just near the battery, as the head temperature does more.
How to install Aqara thermal head
Everything you need for installation is already included
With installation, everything is simpler than the results can be:
1. We unpack the device;
2. Remove the insulating cover. If required, select the correct mounting adapter from the set;
3. We install the thermal head on the radiator valve and tighten the nut tightly;
4. Press the thermostat button 3 times in a row to measure the valve;
5. We connect to the application and distribution!
Important: do not use tools to tighten the nut, just tighten it tightly by hand. During calibration, the thermal head itself is built to the size of the valve.
There are three adapters in the Aqara thermal head kit, so installation is possible both on modern versions of taps with step adjustment (as in our photos), and on more important bottlenecks.
Connecting the battery to the Aqara Home location
To connect the installed thermostat in the Aqara Home application, the Smart Home Center (hub) from Aqara is required. Compatible with Aqara M2, Aqara M1S, Aqara M1S (Gen 2), Camera Hub G2H, Camera Hub G2H Pro, Camera Hub G3, Aqara E1. You can read more about the Smart Home ecosystem and Aqara objects in these articles.
In the presence of a hub, adding a thermal head in the application is a matter of technology:
▪ We launch the Aqara Home application for iOS or Android;
▪ Click on the “+” sign in the access rights of the site section;
▪ Select in the list of available devices “Thermostat Battery Е1”;
▪ Follow the connection instructions;
▪ If there is a temperature sensor, then we create a scenario with it in the application.
Everything works like clockwork, errors are almost impossible. If an error follows, the consequences fall immediately. But in our installation experiment, no matter how hard the team tried, it was not possible to reproduce at least one.
After connection, battery temperature control becomes available through the Aqara Home application. It remains only to set up the scenarios, and the warm house is ready.
Climate control in the room and throughout the house
The settings are simple, everything is at hand
For normal operation of the thermostat, you need to go to its settings in the application. This application has several options for automatic device actions if it is associated with a temperature sensor and Aqara description:
- turn the control system on or off – useful in the summer;
- activate antifreeze mode to reset problems with pipes when the temperature changes – practically return data on a sharply reduced temperature;
- includes smart Normal for periodic switching on for certain conditions (standard automation of the Aqara Home ecosystem);
- switch to manual mode to set a constant temperature level in the room.
If everything is clear with the first and second points, then clarification is required. Voltage automation is possible using an extensive list of adjustments, among which are: “Temperature rose / falls to”, “Above / below the selected temperature”, “Humidity rose / fell to”.
Let me remind you that without an external sensor, the thermostat measures the temperature next to it. And with education – where the last one is installed
Due to the interaction of the thermal head and the temperature sensor, not only the static temperature in the cabin is realized, but also more advanced things.
For example, you can “dry” the air after rain or after washing, turn off the battery during ventilation to eliminate heat loss, turn off the heating in a selected period of time and for a certain period.
It is best to install the temperature sensor indoors or against the wall opposite the battery.
Possibility to use a timer for souring valves when turned on once every two weeks, as suggested by the manufacturer. This is a relevant feature, since before the heating season, many people are connected with problems.
Moreover, if the thermal head works every day during the heating season and works prophylactically in the warm season, the batteries will last for a year. So the mode of use still remains – set it and forget it.
Safely? Yes. Reliable? Yes!
The thermostat for the Aqara Smart Radiator Thermostat E1 can be not only the best approach to the already communicating Smart Home, but also encourage you to purchase it. The thermostats, together with the Anti-Leak Kit and the Aqara smart lock, create a free space that eliminates routine and considers possible problems. Even money can be saved if there are meters on the batteries.
Whether the Aqara thermostat is used in an apartment, a private house or a country house, all the necessary scenarios are available. When assembling several items, it is individually configured individually, but if suddenly, they can be combined into a group and put together (required for a meeting when there are several batteries in the same house).
Aqara M2 hub allows you to connect to an Ethernet network and more
In the video of the hub, it is best to choose the Aqara G3 hub camera or the M2 hub presented in our material with detection by an infrared remote control – with them, the system’s capabilities are revealed more widely. The Zigbee protocol, with the inclusion of all Aqara devices, includes them in a common ecosystem. And it becomes easier to use video surveillance and expand the possibilities of microclimate control.
All management and security of the house will fit on one display. Moreover, personal interference is hardly prosecuted. Installed, configured and forgotten – Aqara components will work flawlessly according to a given scenario.
Isn’t that what we expect from a smart home?
Official Aqara products can be purchased at the Aqara.ru online store and official partners: M.Video, Eldorado, DNS, Svyaznoy, Citylink, Technopark, MegaFon, Mi-shop.com, ONLINETRADE, 4TREND.
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Source: Iphones RU
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
