Hive products obsolete?

Discussion in 'Electricians' Talk' started by The Happy Builder, Jul 15, 2022.

  1. The Happy Builder

    The Happy Builder Screwfix Select

  2. vrDrew63

    vrDrew63 Active Member

    That's the problem with a lot of "smart home" devices. They need a lot of back-end support. And if the manufacturer isn't leading the market, they are probably losing money hand over fist.

    Hive isn't terminating all their products: just their cameras and the leak-detection device. Which isn't too surprising, as there are other, better, products in those categories. Arguably, a camera system that handles its data locally (ie. not via a cloud-based service) is going to be cheaper to operate, and have less lag time.

    Hive's main product is its smart thermometer. Which makes sense, with its parent company being an energy supplier, the sort of company that sends engineers into people's houses to service their boilers. Getting into surveillance cameras and leak detectors was always a bit of a long shot. They just didn't really have a competitive advantage in those fields.
     
  3. MGW

    MGW Screwfix Select

    Hive is not the only one, I fitted Nest Gen 3, as already had Energenie MiHome TRV heads, which claimed to work with Nest, however when I phoned for help, found Nest had removed support. Homebase were selling off Energenie stuff of cheap, so expected them to go, but still working to date, however to use IFTTT now it seems it costs.
     
  4. jimbobby

    jimbobby Screwfix Select

    My lighting control systems were cheap and failed to get any software updates. The manufacturers fitting instructions were very very limited.
    I dont believe they linked to the cloud or interfaced with any of the above mentions protocols.
    Although very reliable, simple and they did not use any standby power over the year.
    I have no intention of upgrading.
    switch.jpeg
     
    Ind spark and Comlec like this.
  5. Bazza

    Bazza Screwfix Select

    :D:D:D
     
  6. MGW

    MGW Screwfix Select

    My old house, I ran wires from the switch and ceiling rose in the bedroom to another pair of switches either side of the bed and two extra lights either side of bed, using a 3 gang two way switch at door, a 2 gang intermediate switch one side of bed, and a 2 gang two way other side of bed, this both took time to wire, and cost in redecoration, plus it tied where the bed could go.

    New house to me, use a smart switch at door, and a remote control on bed side table. Remote control.jpg This saved a lot of work, and was cheaper, and means if I move the bed, no problem.

    In my hall and stairs the 4 gang switch at bottom of stairs is next to front door, which is hardly ever used, to reach it on outside need to walk all around the house, and entrance to stairs other side of hall, so it is an unused space between front door and dinning room door, so is used as dumping ground. Note 6 doors to get in and out of house, so no problem blocking one. But it means the bottom switch for landing lights is often hard to reach, plus tend to approach bottom of stairs with hands full, and wife takes exception to coffee stains down the wall where I have tried to turn the lights on. So it is far easier to simply say "Hey Google, turn on landing lights" or if want only a little light so will not wake wife, "Hey Google, turn on centre switch" which means only one of the 5 down lights comes on, which is colour changing and looks good. Centre_bulb_colours.jpg The light switch still works, although now extra low voltage, but to have moved the switches to bottom of stairs would have been a lot of work, the so called smart lights have reduced the work needed when builders have put switches in the wrong place, or failed to fit them, be it a kinetic switch, wifi switch, bluetooth switch, zigbee relay, or smart bulb does not really matter, it has allowed alterations and corrections without house bashing.

    However some don't seem to do what they say on the can, of 5 smart switches, only 2 still in use, and the Nest Gen 3 thermostat is now rather dum, with most the features needing to be switched off. It did do what I wanted, there was a triple and earth cable main house to boiler, and one core open circuit, using Nest I could use the two wires to keep the thermostat powered, and allow both CH and DHW to be controlled from the main house. But all the features it boasts about, learning, linking to TRV's, geofencing etc. All had to be turned off.

    I have learnt, if you can get some thing that plugs in, that's better than some thing hard wired. Easy to unplug a 13 amp adaptor, not so easy to renew a wall socket, same with bulb, easy to change a bulb, harder to swap a light switch.

    In its simplest form, Murphy's Law states: If anything can go wrong, it will.

    So being able to repair things when they go wrong is important.
     
  7. jimbobby

    jimbobby Screwfix Select

    MGW, that has been my mantra for years.
    Friends often ask why i dont have all the gadgets, curtain closers, flashing lights etc.
    It's 'cos they go wrong and I dont like cables on walls etc.
    The Kinetic switches seem excellent and unobtrusive ( I might need one ) and I have used WISER to overcome a hall stat wiring problem (plus useful remote actuation from pub/airport).
    Has anyone experience on the non branded kinetic switches on ebay ?? A lot cheaper than Quinetic wireless switch.
     
  8. MGW

    MGW Screwfix Select

    It seems odd, I will when out look at the temperature reported by the TRV heads in the living room, and if too high, switch on the AC, but as to heating, I want an automated control, I only run the AC for a few days a year, pain as have to empty water every so often, so don't want it automated, I don't want water all over the floor.

    But the heating I do, that runs for far longer than my AC. So the question is if geofencing is worth it?

    I did try it, now turned off, because the EE mast was damaged in storms earlier this year, which stopped the geofencing working, but the built in PIR in the wall thermostat would turn on the central heating every time I walked past it, so it took a day to work out why I was cold.

    But it seems geofencing is handled in many different ways, with Nest Gen 3 all I have is comfort and economy settings, and if the geofencing thinks one is near home it switches between the two, but no setting as to how far away, others I am told you can set distance.

    But how fast does the home heat or cool, and how important is it to be at the set temperature on time? So if I finish work at between 4 and 6 pm, do I really need geofencing for those 2 hours, or would it be better to just consider I will return at 4? And with mother house I know heating went off 10 pm on at 7 am and rarely was below 17 degs C at 7 am, so is there really any point is geofencing?
     
  9. jimbobby

    jimbobby Screwfix Select

    I cannot help with these systems and protocols as I have never used or studied them.
    When I need advice I come here and there are so many people with great experience and knowledge of various disciplines.
    I dont like reinventing the wheel, would rather buy one.
    I am a great believer in
    “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” Albert Einstein.
     
  10. Bazza

    Bazza Screwfix Select

    I agree Jim, if its a bit nippy I turn the heating on, or put on a jumper. And i can do that even if the Internet is broken..
     
    Bazza-spark likes this.
  11. jimbobby

    jimbobby Screwfix Select

    Internet?;)
     
  12. Notnowvicar

    Notnowvicar Screwfix Select

    Err Albert Einstein never said “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” that's just a paraphrase used by the uneducated seeking to justify their own useless baseless view. He was talking about complex ideas that should be discussed at the level that they were conceived and not reduced to a simpler level whereby the original meaning was lost. Eg Climate change can't be happening because it can get really cold in winter.... thats an argument reduction....
     
  13. Bazza-spark

    Bazza-spark Screwfix Select

    Wouldn't have a clue with these devices.

    I have 3 remote controlled sockets that allow me to turn lights and TV on and off, PIRs on outside lights and 3 Blink cameras. That's the limits of my techie house, I need the exercise to help get my fat belly down.
     
    jimbobby likes this.
  14. jimbobby

    jimbobby Screwfix Select

    pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate.
     

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