Ideal halo wifi thermostat, unboxing, installing and demonstrating how the stat works with the app.

[@pallsmortion4750]

Fitted one of these for a landlady's holiday let's, so easy to install and use, I'll definitely use it again

[@hdhanji8006]

Can't beat the manufacturer's own controls - if only every customer out there understood that!

[@samchappell233]

Fitted a few of this, so easy to install, they do cost a little bit more compared to hive or nest but definitely worth the extra

[@ajjubaba]

Hi Sam , is there any link to buy the SMart interface kit

[@john1080]

I'll explain why I don't like the Halo thermostat. The Ideal Logic C24 has a minimum output of 4kW and the room I'm usually heating has a radiator rated at 1kW. While the thermostat calls for heat from the boiler the fan in the boiler that supplies air for combustion sends air through the heat exchanger regardless of whether or not the boiler is actually producing heat. With a 4kW burner and a 1kW radiator the burner is lit for (say) 1 minute and off for 3 minutes (average 1kW). Very much an estimate but with the outside temperature currently (Dec 22) 0 degrees C and the heat exchanger at about 50C I guess the boiler loses a minimum of about 330 Watts. 1kW for 1 minute and 330W for 3 minutes turns your theoretical 4 kW into 3 kW useful output before any other losses. There is no sophistication about the way the boiler produces 1 kW .. just overheat-cool-overheat-cool. I find listening to the poor boiler short cycling so painful that I tend to open up the lockshield valve to at least slow down the cycle - if the boiler was ever going to be a condensing boiler it almost certainly won't be with the lockshield valve open - which knocks 10% off the already dubious 90% combustion efficiency. With an A rated boiler and an Opentherm approved thermostat we're probably down to less than 60% efficiency before looking at heat lost from the boiler casing, losses in pipework and waste due to under/overshoot in room temperature. For the sake of completeness I will compare the Ideal Halo which might well have been the result of a "My first thermostat" school project with one from a rival manufacturer. The boiler has a minimum output of 8kW - oversized but the thermostat (room temperature controller) deals with it. This is 'the other'..as I write.. Outside temperature (UK 10pm Dec 22) 0C. Boiler on. Burn 60 seconds (obviously varies as calculated by thermostat). Boiler off. Ten minutes. Repeat.. boiler on.. In the 60 second burn the heated water didn't get back to the boiler - the return temperature (as measured) was 29C so the boiler is truly in condensing mode. Room temperature variation is undetectable. The problem for me isn't so much which boiler to buy as whether or not I can justify scrapping a virtually new Ideal boiler. Obviously the best solution for me would be for Ideal to produce a thermostat to match their rival but with Opentherm being more a child of commercial interests than the environment I doubt there is any reason or need for Ideal to do that.I'll explain why I don't like the Halo thermostat. The Ideal Logic C24 has a minimum output of 4kW and the room I'm usually heating has a radiator rated at 1kW. While the thermostat calls for heat from the boiler the fan in the boiler that supplies air for combustion sends air through the heat exchanger regardless of whether or not the boiler is actually producing heat. With a 4kW burner and a 1kW radiator the burner is lit for (say) 1 minute and off for 3 minutes (average 1kW). Very much an estimate but with the outside temperature currently (Dec 22) 0 degrees C and the heat exchanger at about 50C I guess the boiler loses a minimum of about 330 Watts. 1kW for 1 minute and 330W for 3 minutes turns your theoretical 4 kW into 3 kW useful output before any other losses. There is no sophistication about the way the boiler produces 1 kW .. just overheat-cool-overheat-cool. I find listening to the poor boiler short cycling so painful that I tend to open up the lockshield valve to at least slow down the cycle - if the boiler was ever going to be a condensing boiler it almost certainly won't be with the lockshield valve open - which knocks 10% off the already dubious 90% combustion efficiency. With an A rated boiler and an Opentherm approved thermostat we're probably down to less than 60% efficiency before looking at heat lost from the boiler casing, losses in pipework and waste due to under/overshoot in room temperature. For the sake of completeness I will compare the Ideal Halo which might well have been the result of a "My first thermostat" school project with one from a rival manufacturer. The boiler has a minimum output of 8kW - oversized but the thermostat (room temperature controller) deals with it. This is 'the other'..as I write.. Outside temperature (UK 10pm Dec 22) 0C. Boiler on. Burn 60 seconds (obviously varies as calculated by thermostat). Boiler off. Ten minutes. Repeat.. boiler on.. In the 60 second burn the heated water didn't get back to the boiler - the return temperature (as measured) was 29C so the boiler is truly in condensing mode. Room temperature variation is undetectable. The problem for me isn't so much which boiler to buy as whether or not I can justify scrapping a virtually new Ideal boiler. Obviously the best solution for me would be for Ideal to produce a thermostat to match their rival but with Opentherm being more a child of commercial interests than the environment I doubt there is any reason or need for Ideal to do that.I'll explain why I don't like the Halo thermostat. The Ideal Logic C24 has a minimum output of 4kW and the room I'm usually heating has a radiator rated at 1kW. While the thermostat calls for heat from the boiler the fan in the boiler that supplies air for combustion sends air through the heat exchanger regardless of whether or not the boiler is actually producing heat. With a 4kW burner and a 1kW radiator the burner is lit for (say) 1 minute and off for 3 minutes (average 1kW). Very much an estimate but with the outside temperature currently (Dec 22) 0 degrees C and the heat exchanger at about 50C I guess the boiler loses a minimum of about 330 Watts. 1kW for 1 minute and 330W for 3 minutes turns your theoretical 4 kW into 3 kW useful output before any other losses. There is no sophistication about the way the boiler produces 1 kW .. just overheat-cool-overheat-cool. I find listening to the poor boiler short cycling so painful that I tend to open up the lockshield valve to at least slow down the cycle - if the boiler was ever going to be a condensing boiler it almost certainly won't be with the lockshield valve open - which knocks 10% off the already dubious 90% combustion efficiency. With an A rated boiler and an Opentherm approved thermostat we're probably down to less than 60% efficiency before looking at heat lost from the boiler casing, losses in pipework and waste due to under/overshoot in room temperature. For the sake of completeness I will compare the Ideal Halo which might well have been the result of a "My first thermostat" school project with one from a rival manufacturer. The boiler has a minimum output of 8kW - oversized but the thermostat (room temperature controller) deals with it. This is 'the other'..as I write.. Outside temperature (UK 10pm Dec 22) 0C. Boiler on. Burn 60 seconds (obviously varies as calculated by thermostat). Boiler off. Ten minutes. Repeat.. boiler on.. In the 60 second burn the heated water didn't get back to the boiler - the return temperature (as measured) was 29C so the boiler is truly in condensing mode. Room temperature variation is undetectable. The problem for me isn't so much which boiler to buy as whether or not I can justify scrapping a virtually new Ideal boiler. Obviously the best solution for me would be for Ideal to produce a thermostat to match their rival but with Opentherm being more a child of commercial interests than the environment I doubt there is any reason or need for Ideal to do that. They are easy to install - no disagreement about that.

[@cjstubejackofalltrade1551]

@@john1080 is compitable with ideal vogue max combi 26?

[@cjstubejackofalltrade1551]

I have ideal vogue max combi 26. Is this compitable? Plz help

[@elwittinio2865]

Nice and easy to fit and saves a bit of time when your boilers fitted at 15:30 on a Saturday.

[@jockster5525]

Looks like a good bit of kit .I like it .. thanks for your efforts 👍

[@cjstubejackofalltrade1551]

Is this compatible with the ideal Vogue Max 26 combi which was commissioned in 2019? There is already an interface with a thermostat. My thermostat stopped working. Just keep pairing even after changed the battery.

[@paulmurray129]

My grandma 👵 will not thank me for fitting her that for her. But very good piece of kit.

[@leeedwards3783]

Thanks for the video. What do people think is the best thermostst for rental properties. Not just salus. Any manufacturer. Mainly for combination boilers. Thanks

[@vicmartin1205]

Hi Derek I love the Halo Wifi thanks for your fantastic videos

[@leeevans369]

Yet another great and informative video 👏👏👏

[@Lutonman2010]

I’ve fitted a few of these. I’ve only had one issue, which was the main round control wheel on the stat malfunctioned. However it was a bit of an unusual install as neither one of the customers, despite having smart phones wanted the app. So they controlled it 100% from the stat. Also they had it set to manual all the time and adjusted it up and down using the stat wheel several times a day. It failed after about six months and ideal just replaced it under warranty. But I suspect that stat wheel saw more usage than a typical install. Very good product. My only gripe is that they are not backwards compatible with the full logic range without the need for the adapter box. This is a pain as if a boiler is in a loft then there’s probably not a socket there to plug the 12v charger into. So if the install has for instance a Honeywell wireless prog stat then it’s not just a straight control swap. I see no reason why ideal couldn’t have made a receiver adapter for the earlier logics as they already could take the first generation ideal controls.

[@sparkmeister4706]

I would imagine that like many manufacturers its about cost saving. not everyone that buys a new ideal will also buy thei controls. likewise on older models not many will think to go to ideal for a new stat when their old honeywell or nest has failed.

[@Lutonman2010]

@@sparkmeister4706 yes I agree. They probably weighed up how many would get retro fitted and decided it wasn’t worth the extra expense. Shame though as with the current increase in gas prices I’m getting a lot more enquiries for retrofitted smart controls now. I really like the halo and I’d fit it as my first choice if I could on all ideals. But in most cases I’m recommending nests as there simply isn’t any sensible way to plug in a power adapter and why would you when the nest just requires the heat link. For new logics though I’d use the halo every time.

[@sparkmeister4706]

@@Lutonman2010 I've just fitted a wiser to my ideal vogue gen 2. Ideal refunded me for the dodgy ideal touch. I couldn't get the opentherm to work with my controller though. I really like the nests. But I can't get a 12v supply to the stat head. But it's a good interface. I'm hoping to get the radiator stats up and running this weekend.

[@Lutonman2010]

@@sparkmeister4706 I’ve only ever fitted one Wiser and that was when they first came out. It was a bit of a clunky interface, but I’m told the new ones are vastly better now. Why don’t you give ideal a quick call and ask about the opentherm. I’ve always found their tech support to be about the best in the industry.

[@sparkmeister4706]

@@Lutonman2010 I agree about their customer support. They have been brilliant. I will do. I was going to ask when I had it serviced. I wasn't a fan at first when I did the training years ago. But it's nice now it's been polished. But I miss having a visible temperature when looking at the stat.

[@j4cko56]

As it uses Zigbee, can it be connected to a Zigbee gateway/hub? I ask because Ideal do not to any smart TRV valves. I'm hoping a Zigbee hub can be a link between the boiler and smart TRV valves.

[@cjstubejackofalltrade1551]

Hi there, Ideal vogue max combi 26 touch thermostat completely dead. I tried new batteries. No luck. Display is blinking and going blank. How do I put the heating in without a thermostat? Or is there any good touch thermostat compitable to this boiler. Plz help 🙏

[@cjstubejackofalltrade1551]

Is this compitable with ideal vogue max 26? Please help. The old one don't even have override button. It has 3 green lights to show power on, WiFi on, and third one is tiny box circled. Please help.

[@mister_p3277]

My boiler is an Ideal logic starting with ADW. Is it not compatible?

[@robertbrownlow133]

Can you use the smart interface bracket even with a newer model if you wanted the interface in a different location to the boiler? Say if boiler was in loft and you wanted access to override from the house?

[@bimiuk4051]

Does this HALO work well with System Boiler + Cylinder Tank on a S PLAN but use Opentherm?

[@randomcamerajunk6977]

As we say in Paris...un feu de joie dans une boîte

[@JF-kb3su]

Hi Derek thank you for your knowledge and your the informative video's all very interesting and helps me save money, I have the same boiler as fitted in the video mine was fitted last week and have used my existing Hive as a thermostat.. I want to get the best from the new Combi, via opentherm, Goggle nest thermostat seem a popular and easy to get hold thermostat with relatively good reviews, but do you think I should go with a Halo wifi? will the Halo talk to the boiler with more efficiency than a Nest. The halo App on IOS gets 2.1 out of 5 star. Where is the best place to purchase one of these Halo wifi units from if I decided on one vs the Nest. If you or your subscribers can help with some advise on their experiences it would be much appreciated.

[@bentzionroyde4786]

Thanks Derek great video 👍

[@accesszero4803]

Brilliant bit of kit

[@john1080]

I have one. As a thermostat it is very primitive. The radiators can be hot for 15 minutes then cold for an hour. Radiators fitted with TRV's don't work well if at all. If you turn a radiator on it can be some hours before the room warms appreciably. The temperature under/overshoot might have been acceptable 50 years ago but now I expected something better. Any suggestions for an actual room temperature controller that works with an Ideal Logic boiler would be appreciated.

[@andrewguy8599]

Interesting because my plumber has recommended one of these and I'm about to have one installed shortly to replace the on/off hive thermostat. Hard to believe your experience is typical although I have to admit user feedback on this is very thin on the ground , trust me I've looked. I'm trying to avoid the overshoot and cycling that the halo has , thought this would be a good option so that's a slightly worrying review you've posted.

[@andrewguy8599]

I see you put a similar comment on an ideal video 9 months ago. You've certainly put up with it for a long time considering it's apparently so rubbish! If it's as bad as you say why haven't you replaced it with something else?

[@tims8746]

The halo wifi for the combi is OK but I just had a nightmare with the halo system kit. First kit I had only had power on the cylinder stat coming from port 2 not common, spoke to technical support who said that the cylinder stat was supposed to supply the power 😒 . Spoke to the rep who arranged another call back from support which I got a call then they had to check some thing and never heard back. Ripped it out and system 2 seemed to work fine but at first but won't link to WiFi and app then after about 2 weeks started dropping out every fee hours despite having zigbee booster. About 20 call to technical support who say every thing from you don't have WiFi to it's an out of date unit to its not supposed to be able to connect to an app (the first one did and never dropped out and was in for 6 weeks) so overall not pleased and had to happen on the favour job for family that's a 3 hour round trip away. Ideal technical is a joke, ripping it out next weekend for some thing different.

[@ChrisWallace-h3h]

Anyone know why my radiator dial is controlling my rads on or off. N my halo won’t control it. Have to turn top dial to turn radiators on or off

[@CitizenWatt]

Would you pair the halo wifi with the weather compensation as well?

[@iansullivan9590]

I wouldn't mind knowing this too please Del

[@SuperWayneyb]

Doddle to fit 🤘😎🤘

[@nickcannon5592]

I use one on last job and it was brilliant, so easy to install. A monkey with a bad leg and a nasty cough could do it

[@tomkatgastraining]

🤣👍🏻

[@andrewguy8599]

Does anyone have any feedback on this thermostat as I'm considering having one installed to replace a hive that isn't modulating which is what I'm after. Seen a review posted just a few hours ago that was far from complimentary which is a bit worrying but then again there are more singing it's praises so it's an bit confusing really. One thing I am a bit concerned about is the signal range from the boiler to the thermostat which I believe uses ZigBee and isn't supposed to be very reliable. Anyway interested in any opinions good or bad. Thanks

[@craigcawkwellphotography]

I have just had an ideal vogue max 40kw combi with the halo installed. I came from a system boiler with a hive thermostat and didn’t like it plus the boiler was nearly 20 years old. I have had some issues with the halo with regards to connections. My router is in the loft and the boiler is in the garage. I have had to add a wireless access point in the garage via ethernet so that my phone can talk to the boiler on the WiFi. Before it would give me a timed out session or would say off line and is only about 10m away but ideal claim 30m max range. Also I am having issues with the halo thermostat as well with zig bee communication and have been advised to buy the zig bee booster which seem to be unavailable everywhere. Now I have the Wi-Fi at least 100% solid I am happy but really want to get the thermostat working as well. Forgot to add when it works now that it can see the Wi-Fi at least it’s much better and easier to use than the Hive. Hope this helps.

[@murfad]

i'm late, but i recently had a vogue max 26kw fitted, thermostat will probably stay the ones i have now (EPH), but i want to update to some nicer ones in the future. in this video on the smart phone setup it seems to asks explicitly for 2.4 ghz wifi. i do have a 2.4ghz for our old tablets etc, but both my and my wifes phones are on 5ghz. is this an issue? i suppose i could connect to the 2.4 for the setup, but will it work then when i switch back to the 5ghz? i would not think so since 2.4ghz and 5ghz are separate and have separate names.

[@kabukidreamboy]

yes it will be absolutely fine

[@muzza1683]

I have just had one fitted CR version. Shown CR01 fault on Halo lost connection . It turned heating on. Not to impressed.

[@mgbroadsterJ]

Is it open therm ?

[@mgbroadsterJ]

Hi could you do a tutorial on setting up weather comp .

[@sanjayp2683]

Is it opentherm?

[@cyrixtam]

Yes it is opentherm

[@suewarrington8155]

👍Sue Warrington

[@aerenewables]

Halo is not open therm and does not support priority hot water beware!!!

[@cyrixtam]

Yes it only support the Combi. S-Plan/Y-Plan with 1 CH zone/2 CH Zone with DHW Cylinder tank