This guide is about Hive heating system. If you are wondering ‘how does Hive heating work?’, then carry on reading.
Hive heating system is developed by British Gas. It is one of the best-selling smart heating systems in the UK. It helps you control your home’s central heating system through a smart thermostat, a smart phone, or a tablet. They system is very easy to use and setup and very user friendly.
Hive heating system consists of three components
Hive heating system has three components. Two of the components are mandatory while third is optional but highly recommended.
These three components are:
A smart thermostat which runs on batteries. It can be fixed to a wall or freestanding.
A receiver which is wired to your boiler running on mains power
A smart hub (optional) which connects to your broadband router and runs on mains power
So, if you are wondering how does the Hive heating system actually work and read on for the answer!
Hive smart thermostat monitors the temperature
Hive system includes a smart thermostat which is a digital device and has built-in temperature sensor. You can set the target temperature using the smart thermostat. The temperature sensor monitors the temperature where its place. Once the target temperature is reached the heating system automatically turns off while the room temperature matches the target temperature.
Hive smart thermostat connects wirelessly to a receiver
The hive smart thermostat connects wirelessly to your boiler through a receiver. You can use the Hive heating system to control your heating, if you have a Hive thermostat and a receiver. However, by just using a thermostat and receiver, you can only control your heating with the help of smart thermostat.
Buy a Hive smart hub for full functionality
Additionally, you can also buy a Hive hub.
The hub connects to:
Your broadband modem with the help of an ethernet cable
To hive receiver wirelessly
With the help of a smart Hive hub. Your central heating system can be connected to Hive app on your phone. Once it is connected to your smart phone or tablet you can control your home heating system through your smart phone. This even allows you to control your heating system remotely while you are away from home. You can also set the target temperature using your smart phone instead of the hive thermostat.
Hive smart hub works with Alexa
Furthermore, Hive hub is compatible with Alexa which is Amazon’s virtual assistant. Meaning, you can control your heating with voice.
You can use commands such us:
Alexa, turn on the heating
Alexa, turn the heating off
Alexa, Turn the heating up!
Alexa, What’s the temperature in my living room?
Hive heating schedules examples
Hive heating system lets you set heating schedules. For example, if you want to wake up in the morning in a warm house. You can set heating to turn on 15-30 minutes before your waking time and set the schedule to turn off when you leave the home in the morning. Similarly, if you want to come back to a warm home from work, you can set heating to turn on automatically while you are on your way back from your work place.
If you do not want to set the heating schedules, you can use the boost option which turns the heating on for 2 hours with a single tap. However, you can change this duration. Additionally, you have the option to turn the heating on/off manually. For example, if you are unsure what time you will be coming back from work. You can manually turn the heating on while you are on your way back from work.
Also read: Hive Smart Home Thermostat, Ultimate Troubleshooting Guide
