Home Heating with Moes Zigbee Radiator Actuator and Home Assistant.
Introduction: Hey there! Are you looking to save some money on your energy bills? I know I am! In today’s article, we’re going to explore the Moes Zigbee Radiator Actuator and how to integrate it into Home Assistant. If you want to maintain different temperatures in various rooms of your home, then this could be the perfect solution for you. Let’s dive in and learn more!
Comparing the Competition: Before we get started, let’s take a quick look at some of the competitors in the market. We have the Hive Radiator Valve priced at £54, the Tado Valve just under £60, and the Bosch Valve just under £58 (At time of writing). They all fall within a similar price range. However, if we compare them to the Moes Zigbee Radiator Actuator, we can see that the Moes Zigbee is nearly half the price.
Unboxing and Installation: Inside the box comes instructions, adapters, and of course, the valve itself. The installation process is fairly straightforward. Start by removing the current Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV) by unscrewing and pulling it off. Insert the batteries into the Radiator Actuator, making sure to note the correct polarity. Once the batteries are in, the actuator will light up. Now, screw the new actuator onto the radiator. It’s as simple as that!
Calibrating the Actuator: After installation, it’s time to calibrate the actuator, which is not quite so simple. Press the house icon on the actuator, and you’ll see some flashing indicators. Ignore the time-setting instructions if you wish and continue with the calibration process. Note that the buttons on the actuator can be a bit hard to press, but keep trying. When you see the “AD” indicator, it means the actuator is calibrating. Once the calibration is complete (a minute or so), the actuator will display the current temperature.
Pairing with Home Assistant: With the actuator in pairing mode, open the Home Assistant dashboard and navigate to the integration section. Scroll down to the Sonoff Zigbee section (or whatever Zigbee coordinator you have), and click “Add Device”. Wait for Home Assistant to find the device, which might take a minute or so. Once found, you can name the device and assign it to an area if desired. Now, the new device will appear in the device section.
Creating Automations: Now that the Moes Zigbee Radiator Actuator is installed and integrated into Home Assistant, you can create automations to control the temperature based on specific times or events. Let’s create a basic automation triggered by the sunrise. For this automation select a trigger of “Sun” and then select the Action of “Call Service” and find the “Climate: set temperature” service, and choose the desired temperature, such as 21 degrees Celsius. Select the Moes Zigbee Radiator Actuator entity from the list, and you’re all set. Now, when the sun rises, the radiator will adjust to the specified temperature.
Final Thoughts: I’ve been using the Moes Zigbee Radiator Actuator with Home Assistant for a few months now, and I’m quite pleased with the results. It allows me to regulate temperatures in different rooms by turning the radiator on and off at different times of the day. There are many additional settings and features that I haven’t explored yet, but Home Assistant does a great job of handling the complex tasks. If you’ve played around with any of those settings, be sure to share your findings in the comments!