Guests keep on disconnecting radiator knobs from the mount by accident and then...

the radiator goes to maximum, guests open up the window to compensate, and I do not receive any notification that the radiator knob is disconnected.

I have 20 Tado Devices on a single bridge.

5 apartments, in a house that are rented out for short term stays.


More often than I like, people - who are used to normal radiator knobs - grab the whole knob and twist it until it comes off. Then they either panic or ignore it, or whatever. But its as bad experience for all of us.

Two points:

  1. The very least TADO should do is notify me that a knob is disconnected from the mount (this should be a software thing)
  2. Somehow make it less easy to discounnect the knob from the mount like traditional knobs have (danfoss)
  3. Given that number 2 will be unlikely, produce and distribute stickers that i can use to put on the knobs to make clear that people shold turn the front only, and not the whole knob.


Tom

Answers

  • Rob2
    Rob2 ✭✭✭

    Do you really suggest that Tado should produce and distribute stickers for your situation?

    Would it not be much easier to get a sticker sheet from the local stationary shop and print them yourself??

  • MrTooom
    MrTooom
    edited December 2020

    Rob,

    I'm just explaining what is happening in my use-case. I think that the rental business is a very interesting market for Tado, but what happens to me, will happen to others. It is so bad that the product, without specific adjustments, becomes useless to me. 1 out of 5 people turns the knob from the mount. That is a product problem. The stickers could be a quick fix for Tado at extremely low cost. Obviously, the first two points I mention would be better.

    It would be something to put in the box by default. I'm not asking Tado to print out some stickers for me. Tho, if it were to become something they add to the box, i do hope they ship me some :) I'm sure their designers do a better job than what I would do.


    Tom

  • Rob2
    Rob2 ✭✭✭

    I don't think that Tado have the rental business in mind at all!

    To properly serve that, there would be many changes needed in the account system. Possibility to limit capabilities of an account (set the temperature for a subset of the rooms, no possibility to change configuration or invite other accounts, etc).

    There are many requests for new features in that area but they aren't honored. So I think Tado still only focuses on the single-family home where all account holders are equal, and behave in a sensible way.

  • Thank you for your opinion.

    I'm in the rental business, and besides the thing I mention, it fits absolutely perfect in my setup so I guess we see things very different here.

    Just FYI, although I'm not sure if you care, I do not give my guests app access. It's just the smart schedule, open window detection, and remotely turn off complete apartments. Works like a charm.

    And I do think that the mistake isn't because people are not sensible. It is just that people do not know, and they thing they got used to over their life-time does work by turning the whole button. Once you know, it's great, but if you don't realize its a different type of knob, the mistake (as it turns out) is made easy with very little force (they come off too easy in any case in my opinion...)

  • Hello Mr Tooom, Thanks for you post, I have exactly the same problem. Regardless the situation (rental or domestic) I think the knobs should not disconnect easily. This is not the case with other radiator knobs and it should not be the case with Tado

  • Two further solutions. One is to use an adjustable spanner to lock the collar on more firmly. The other (which I haven’t tried) would be to buy and use some thread lock such as Loctite so that when you have hand-tightened the collar it nevertheless locks on firmly. But then you’ll need to use the adjustable spanner to unmount it to change batteries.
  • @MrTooom You say it is a tado product problem. I say it is an education problem. Tell (and show) people how to adjust temperature.

  • MrTooom
    MrTooom
    edited January 2022

    @Willow thanks for your reaction but we're talking about 2 different things. The part you are referring to is fine for me (this mostly stays in its place, though, this too could be a bit better).

    I'm talking about people turning the knobs in a way that they come loose as if you were going to change the batteries. Then the Tado goes to full heat (pin comes out) and it's not so easy to put it back (and actually then it often gets fidgety with the main mount too and the whole things starts to turn while putting the knob back. And then to turn it back to see the display as it was, the main mount often does get loose and you have to pick up the spanner your talking about). Especially if you have never seen it before, or are just not so handy/tech-savvy.

    @Andreplusplus There is no face-to-face handovers in my case of holiday rental - see it as a hotel room. Unless its a 5 star, nobody is going to walk you through the room explaining the light switches. Besides something as basic as a radiator knob should be self-explanatory in usage from a basic product requirement. And that is exactly my point, it isn't.

    There is room for improvement, maybe tado picks it up. Whether or not it's a problem to you doesn't matter does it? I know the knobs, for me it's also no problem - just explaining what happens in my situation.

    I now added stickers myself, basically ruing the sleek design, and the number of accidents dropped dramatically. Still a safety button would be better in their next iteration. Not for you, but definitely for many others such as @Joris_NL for example.

    I'm still a fan, and I have recommended it to loads of people. But hope they fix this (and the 20 devices limit)

  • Andreplusplus
    Andreplusplus ✭✭✭
    edited January 2022

    @MrToom, a leaflet with a picture or two will help a lot, I suppose.

    In the old days I had no problems using the tele. But with the modern smart TVs I am not always so sure.

    The same may go here for these modern devices of radiator knobs. If yoy don’t like tado, switch to a different brand.


    Edit: or you draw arrows on the ring with a permanent marker 🤔

  • @Andreplusplus you're just trolling. I like Tado. I posted this explaining what happens in my situation. Maybe they pick it up. Probably not.

  • @MrTooom I’m not trolling, I am just trying to help other tado users