Tado Radiator Thermostat - Smart vs Smart Basic

I've just installed my Starter Kit for heating/hot water - so far, so good.

I'm now considering whether to add smart rad valves, and if so, which. Tado seems the obvious choice (tho pretty expensive), but they offer 2 versions, 'Smart V3+' & 'Smart v3+ Basic'. From what I can see on the website (https://www.tado.com/gb-en/basic-srt) they both do the same thing, except the standard's display is LED, the Basic's analogue. The Basic also doesn't have the Air Comfort thing but I can't see much point in that (and my starter pack has it anyway). Given the price difference (£75 ea for Smart, £60 for Basic at Screwfix), is it worth spending the extra?

Answers

  • I decided against the smart TRVs as I understand they effectively act as zone valves, turning the radiator on or off rather than modulating.

    By contrast, a 'dumb' TRV modulates the flow to the radiator and, by edging up and down a little, holds the room steady. We have DTRVs across the rads and use them only as high limiters to address heat gains (solar, people, cooking, etc.)

    In our case, STRVs would potentially make our weather compensated system less efficient, but there are many factors to consider. Heatgeek.com is a really useful place to learn more.

  • Actually, I may well indeed be wrong on the on/off v modulation point: https://community.tado.com/en-gb/discussion/7920/in-what-steps-can-the-radiator-valve-regulate-heat-and-for-the-thermostat#latest

    I'm still not buying them though ;-)

  • @DM932187

    You're right......you're wrong 😎
  • I’ve already decided to go for Tado smart rad valves. I’m just after some advice on whether it’s worth paying extra for the digital version.
  • @GrayDav4276

    Yup, getting a lesson in STRVs this evening. Smarter than the average TRV, it seems.

  • i'd be interested to know the difference between the 2 also.

    if it's just the fancy LED display then the cost saving between the 2 would make it a no brainer to go for the more basic version.

    my only thought is that, on both, the valve is only fully open when the temp is 25 degrees, which is unlikely to ever be a temp a room would be set to.

  • No that’s not correct. 25c is the maximum you can set Tado to heat to, it has nothing to do with when the valve is fully open. The valves will be fully open when there’s a high heat demand.
  • Chenks76
    Chenks76
    edited November 2022

    i've read contradictory statements about that recently.

    think it was on a review site where it said the valve was only fully open then the TRV had rotated round to display 25 degrees.

    regardless, no one yet has been able to answer the OPs original question.

  • That review site is wrong.

    In answer to the original question - smart trvs have a display and can be set to any temperature. Basic trvs don’t have a display and appear to have a minimum temperature setting of 19c on the dial. Not sure what the leaf symbol means below that. Eco maybe.

    I don’t think basic trvs have humidity sensors either.