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What's the remaining Smart Valves remaining position when getting out of battery??

Mikelius
Mikelius
edited March 2022 in General Questions & Topics

Hi,

I'm a relatively new Tado user with a multizone system with multiple Smart radiator valves, and I'm tracking how long the batteries last for which I've seen some other posts; so far I'm seeing a batt lifespan of about 2-3 months which is slightly worrying. The idea with a multizone control is powerful but the achiles heel are the batteries on the smart valves.

Question:

-If a smart valves gets out of battery, what's the remaining/standing valve position when finally getting out of energy and a smart valve not being able to actuate anymore? Is it middle point of the control temp scale?

Reason of asking:

  • If you have multiple smart valves, and still a Tado thermostat measuring temperature and able to control on/off the heating system but not doing much if you have smart valves around with battery...if when the smart valves get out of action (due to no batt) then they could default to midway of the scale (rather than fully opened or fully closed)...
  • So, worst case scenario, if all smart valves get out of battery and stay mid-way (where you might set a manual traditional dumb valve)...then the Thersmostat could take over the control and the overall system would start to operate like a "traditional thermostat only system".
  • If you have smart valves are alive, then you have a multi-zone control...but the overall system/smart valves could change to a "fail safe mode to behave like a traditional single thersmostat control"...(smart valves staying mid way, thersmostat is alive and still controlling the system)

Not sure if this question has been reaised before...or may be is a new one and I'm giving Tado a product design tip to consider in the product roadmap is it's not already in the actual product/firmware.

Appreciate hints on the above important failsafe topic.

Regards, Mike

Comments

  • UKenGB
    UKenGB

    The valves just end up where they were when the batteries finally are insufficient to move the motor. So that zone may then just stay cold, or stay hot. Or could be just right I guess if you're lucky. But obviously it won't change.

    Your battery life is about what I'm seeing and it makes a mockery of the supposed 'savings' they keep telling me about. An annoying lie quite frankly as they CANNOT possibly know what we would have used otherwise. Anyway, despite their wild guesses about savings, I'd say they would be more than offset by the cost of continually replacing batteries, not to mention the environmental impact of all the old, used batteries.

    I say used, but they are far from empty and can be used up in torches, remote controls and anything light duty that uses that battery size.

    If rechargeables could be used, it wouldn't be so bad, but they didn't figure that at the design stage. Originally claimed over a year of use I seem to recall. Boy, they got that wrong.

  • GrilledCheese2
    GrilledCheese2 ✭✭✭

    @UKenGB you can use rechargeable batteries if you have the VA02 version of the smart valve.

  • JohnWH
    JohnWH ✭✭
    edited March 2022
    @UKenGB
    @GrilledCheese2 is correct.
    See here for more information on which rechargeable batteries to use:

    https://support.tado.com/en/articles/3403608-what-type-of-batteries-should-i-use-in-my-tado-devices-how-do-i-replace-them

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