I currently use an iHost along with several SNZB-02D temperature and humidity sensors placed throughout my home. I would like to control my boiler by connecting it to a clean-contact relay switch. However, I have noticed that the iHost scenes functionality is too basic to manage the complex logic required for boiler control.
Current Limitations
The existing scene options on iHost do not provide sufficient flexibility to manage temperature thresholds, hysteresis, or time-based logic typically required for a thermostat. Creating a reliable heating control system requires additional features, such as:
Setting temperature thresholds with hysteresis to avoid frequent switching.
Configuring time-based schedules (e.g., different temperatures during the day or night).
Combining multiple sensors for an average temperature or prioritizing specific sensors.
Adding manual override modes for user-defined control.
Feature Request
Would it be possible to implement a sort of virtual thermostat feature within iHost? This could act as a smart thermostat by integrating temperature sensors, switches, and advanced logic to:
Automatically control heating devices like boilers.
Allow users to set schedules, temperature ranges, and overrides directly from the app.
Use scene logic to include additional conditions like motion detection or energy-saving modes.
This feature would greatly enhance the usability of iHost and expand its applications for home automation, especially for heating and cooling systems.
Hi
For advanced scenaries, you better move to Home Assistant… It took me time to decide, but no regrets ; I have now really complicated scenes that, thanks to Copilot (AI), I easily made perfectly working. Moreover, with HSSA, you can use a lot of different devices together… Sonoff, Tuya, ECOWITT Weather Station… even pull weather infos from the internet and use them. HA is free, however I purchased the Home Assistant Green server and subscription to nabu Casa to have a secured access all over the world.
I think you could use node-net for more complicated behaviors.
Perhaps, you could use a virtual device in iHost with the state you want after analyzing the behavior of the other sensors, and depending on the state of that virtual device, act on your dry relay.
I have created other virtual devices with node-network in ihost (like push buttons or switches), but what I have not been able to do is to create a virtual thermostat.
I think that the solution would be for a Zigbee TH Device to have the features of the TRVZB but without the mechanical mechanism to operate the valve- I did suggest this a while back on this forum.
I did actually construct iHost scenes for the SNZB-02 to simulate a programable automatic thermostat but they were too cumbersome and a nightmare to manage if any changes were required. I assume that your home has radiators- have you considered using the TRVZBs on them ? The TRVZB will provide the features you seem to require and they can use your SNZB-02Ds as remote sensors, you will of course need them to control clean contact relays to fire up the boiler on a call for heat. For my own system I’ve tended to use a hardware solution and stuck to the iHost scenes apart from a few node-red virtual switches. This is a block schematic of my system. CENTRAL HEATING BLOCK SCHEMATIC ver 4.pdf (128.1 KB)