Adding an electric radiator

DaveScott

Is there any way of adding a room with electric radiator to the Tado system?

Emcee

Hello @DaveScott

tado° is not compatible with electric radiators.

If you absolutely must add an an electric radiator to your set-up, please seek the help of a professional installer.

They can refer to the Manual for Professional Installers for generic instructions to wire and set up tado°.

policywonk

You'd have to link a wired Tado thermostat to a small box which has a relay in it. It isn't difficult. Here's the explanation.

1. I believe Tado thermostats, like most smart thermostats, are designed to handle a switching current of no more than 3 amps. I've never tried to have a Tado switch more than 5 amps.
2. A 1kw radiator would demand a peak of about 6amps. A 3kw radiator would use a hot mean load of about 13amps. Hence a 3kw radiator would knacker a Tado thermostat (based upon my belief about its limits).
3. One way to overcome this - I have this in my bathroom, where the underfloor heating is electric - is, where the power supply to the electric heating is controlled by a small relay. A box about 100mm x 150mm x 80mm would be enough to hold the relay and the wiring joints. The Salus relay identified here (below) should do the job and fit in the box.
4. These are the steps:
   1. A Tado wired wall thermostat would need to be fitted first. I presume you know how to handle that. This needs to be wired into a local 240v feed in the room, the thermostat would trigger switched live at the right temperature - and you need to take the switched live output and use it to drive the relay. The relay would then drive the radiator.
   2. If you've never fitted a relay and relay box, it is best to get a sparkie to do it for you but watch closely.
      1. It needs a watertight box,
      2. Its only about an hour's work, costing about £50-100.
      3. Parts would be about £50, plus the cost of the Tado wired thermostat.

@wateroakley once suggested that this relay (which looks excellent by the way) would be appropriate. I havent used it yet but plan to use one next week.

RM16A_EN_Manual_V005.pdf (saluscontrols.com)

Its a simple bit of wiring and the RM16A is dead simple to wire. All you have to do is complete the wiring and put it in a nice box out of the way.

DaveScott

Very helpful. It's a pity Tado can't produce a standard device though - especially as electric heating is becoming ever more prevalent.

JT165RDV

I have been asking Tado to deal with electric heating for years. They keep saying that they will but do absolutely nothing about it. It is infuriating and, as far as I am concerned, damaging to their reputation.

Rob

@DaveScott

I do see your point, but there are lots of 'niche' products for which we could produce devices. I do believe we will increase/widen our portfolio, although I don't want to speculate with what. We do keep track of these requests.

The best solution for electric heating and tado is what is described above. We do not support it directly. Let tado control a third party heavier duty relay, which controls the electric heating. Preferably installed by a professional.

Catcher

So there is mains cable running from t'stat to relay box?

policywonk

@davescott. Unless you feel really limited in handling wiring, this is really simple. One needs to research the wiring a little, but really it isn't difficult.

DaveScott

The RM16A unit looks pretty easy to use. Can someone confirm which Tado thermostat should be used to link to it that will also link to the app?