The Eve Thermo is a smart radiator valve that improves efficiency and convenience in home heating at room level. Featuring a sleek design and easy installation, it integrates natively with Apple HomeKit.
I’ve been using the Eve Thermo in our kitchen to fine tune output from the radiator for a few years. The device is especially useful when ovens are in use.
This post will specifically guide you through the Matter update. This update significantly expands the Eve Thermo’s compatibility, allowing it to seamlessly work with multiple smart home platforms, with our current favourite being Home Assistant.
Table of contents
The Eve Thermo: A Smart Radiator Valve
The Eve Thermo functions as a radiator thermostat that offers precise temperature control, enabling users to schedule heating based on their daily routines. It’s an excellent solution for optimising comfort and energy efficiency. You can set up basic routines in the Apple Home App and slightly more sophisticated control in the Eve App.
The Eve Thermo Matter Upgrade
Upgrading the Thermo for Matter support is a straightforward process. The update is available for the fourth-generation Eve Thermo models (product number 10EBP1701 or model number 20EBP1701) that introduced Thread support.
I upgraded my Thermo using Eve’s app, and I found that removing the Thermo from the radiator made the process easier. Remember to use the process in the app before unscrewing from the valve. Open the Eve app and select the Eve Thermo device to start the upgrade.
During the upgrade, you’ll be asked to scan the original Apple HomeKit QR code. After scanning, the Eve app will generate a new Matter QR code.
Save this code as it’s essential for linking the device with other Matter-compatible systems. In addition, the Eve mobile app also stores the codes of any upgraded devices.
The entire upgrade process takes approximately ten minutes. Afterward, the Apple Home app will prompt you to re-add the Eve Thermo.
This process is quick but requires you to be near the thermo for it to successfully reconnect. As my first attempt to re-add didn’t work I had to reset the Eve Thermo by pressing the small button inside the battery compartment. The second attempt was successful.
Updating to Matter resets any historical data on the Eve Thermo. Data already in the Eve app is unaffected. The update also removes the device from any previously created automations.
At this point, it’s as if nothing happened. The Eve Thermo will be in the Apple Home App and you can add it again to your routines and scenes. Quietly, in the background, the Matter feature creates a whole new, exciting chapter.
Adding Eve Thermo to Home Assistant
Once you upgrade the Thermo to Matter, adding it to Home Assistant is simple.
1. Open the Apple Home app, and go to the settings of the Eve Thermo device (small gear icon at the bottom of the screen).
2. Select “Turn on Pairing Mode,” and the Home app will provide a unique pairing code for the Eve Thermo. I normally do this on my mobile app however, the screenshot below is from the desktop Apple Home app.
3. Now, open the Home Assistant Companion App on your mobile device.
4. Go to Settings > Devices and Services > Matter and click on the devices option (mine currently shows “4 devices”).
5. Click the blue “Add Device” button at the bottom-right.
6. Now paste the pairing code provided by the Apple Home app.
7. After a few minutes, you should see a confirmation that the Thermo has been successfully added to Home Assistant.
Using Eve Thermo in Home Assistant
Once added you can now use Home Assistant’s dashboards and automations to control the thermo directly.
The default thermostat card will display the radiator controls, this includes current and target temperatures.
There are several sensors that poll data to Home Assistant:
- Battery level
- Voltage
- Valve position
- Temperature
Eve’s child lock can also be toggled on or off directly from Home Assistant.
Temperature Logging in Home Assistant
One feature I really enjoy is logging the temperature. Below is an example of the native Home Assistant graph showing historic temperature data from the Eve Thermo.
As I only recently upgraded, Home Assistant is a little light on data. The graph shows the last five hours.
I have added the radiator thermo to a dashboard and used a Mini Graph Card to create a more compact and visual display (you can find more details on this in “Getting Started with Home Assistant“).
Conclusion
The Thermo is a low-energy, accurate, and reliable device. I have replaced the batteries once in three years.
Like all motor-based thermostats, it isn’t completely silent. While it performs well in living areas, I would be cautious about using it in bedrooms due to the slight noise it produces when opening and closing the valve.
Over the years of ownership, I’ve finely tuned the temperature thresholds. These tend to differ from the main thermostats due to the Eve’s proximity to the heat source.
We plan to add three more Eve Thermos in the very near future (unfortunately this involves changing the valves on the radiator so I need a professional). It will be interesting to explore using Home Assistant presence sensors along side the Eve Thermos.
I Love Smart Home Data
I’ve always appreciated the data retention in the Eve app, but this new integration with Home Assistant takes data analysis to the next level. I suspect I will fine-tune my automations even further in the months ahead.
If you’re looking for a radiator-based thermostat that doesn’t require a dedicated hub, then the Eve Thermo with Matter could be the perfect solution. The addition of Home Assistant offers more advanced features for those looking to optimise their smart home setup.
Get the Eve Thermo (Amazon Link).
Links:
Home Assistant Green – the getting started guide
Getting Started with Apple Home
The Eve Aqua Smart Garden Watering System
Eve Home
