Returning home after a winter trip sometimes meant walking into a cold house.
If no one had been home for several days, starting the boiler only after arriving meant waiting quite a while for the place to warm up.
I wanted to start the heating before getting home.
I also keep an updated record of the smart-home devices and model numbers I actually use, including equipment mentioned in this series and changes to how I use it.
I first looked into Google Nest
One of the products I considered was the Google Nest thermostat. I was interested in trying it, but the installation seemed more complicated than expected. I wanted something that would let me replace the existing boiler controller relatively simply.
That was how I found the Kiturami NCTR-200 Wi-Fi controller.
It was closer to the replacement I had in mind, and I could link the manufacturer's account to SmartThings.
I chose Kiturami for this setup. I would still like to try a Nest thermostat someday if I get the chance.
About 30 minutes before arriving
Once the boiler was connected to SmartThings, I could change its settings from outside.
On the way home from a winter trip, I would open the app around 30 minutes before arriving and start heating.
It was much more comfortable than getting home to a cold place and only then starting the boiler. That small convenience became one of the remote-control features I used most often.
Switching modes was easier than building on/off routines
I could have made SmartThings routines to turn the boiler on and off. After trying different ways to manage it, though, I found something more straightforward.
I preset the boiler itself to heat for around 20 minutes, then rest for roughly three hours.
With that cycle already configured, I did not need separate SmartThings routines for every on/off action. I left the controller in Away mode when the house was empty and simply changed it to Heating when needed.
For a winter homecoming, that meant opening the app and changing just one mode. It was also easier to use in everyday life.
The time I forgot
Once, I forgot to switch the heating on during the trip home. I only remembered after arriving.
That gave me another idea: what if my phone could trigger the boiler automatically when I was within a few kilometres of home?
I set up a location-based routine to try it.
I even tried the same idea with the air conditioner
In summer I also experimented with starting the air conditioner before arriving home using a similar location condition.
After a few uses, I found the location-based approach more complicated to keep using than I had expected.
These days I generally prefer opening SmartThings myself and switching the boiler from Away to Heating. I might occasionally forget, but changing one setting on the way home is simple enough for me.