FAQ
Radbot works with all gas or oil central heating systems that use radiators. It is not suitable for electric storage heaters or heat pumps.
It continually monitors the occupancy pattern of a room and only heats the room when it predicts someone will be there. By avoiding heating empty rooms Radbot is able to save up to 30% of your heating energy bill.
It monitors and detects changes in light levels within a room, such as lights being turned on/off or curtains being opened/closed. It also monitors user interaction with the device (e.g. setting the temperature or pressing the boost button). It uses this information within its unique occupancy algorithm to predict when a room will be occupied or unoccupied and sets the heating pattern accordingly.
To maximise energy savings, we recommend installing it in the busiest rooms in your house – such as the living room, kitchen, children’s bedrooms, and so on. Make sure it isn’t hidden behind radiator covers, curtains or furniture.
If you already have thermostatic radiator valves, then no – it’s easy to install Radbot yourself. You just unscrew the existing valve and replace it with Radbot. If you don’t (i.e. if the valves on your radiator don’t have a numbered scale on them), you’ll need to get a plumber to change your valves before you can use Radbot.
With a thermostatic radiator valve (also called a TRV), you set the valve to the temperature you’d like a room to be. The valve then changes the flow of hot water to the radiator until it reaches that temperature. TRVs usually have a numbered scale around the top which you change by hand.
Each Radbot valve uses two 1.5V (LR6) AA alkaline batteries and they last around two years. You can easily change them yourself when it’s needed.
Radbot works completely independently to control the radiator on which it installed so it will not interfere with the operation of your smart home thermostat.