Why Heatmiser Neo Is the Smartest Thermostat for Water Underfloor Heating in 2026

Getting water underfloor heating to feel effortless

Water underfloor heating has a certain magic when it is controlled properly, the warmth feels even, drafts soften, and rooms stay comfortable without the hot and cold swings that can happen with quicker emitters. The catch is that hydronic floors behave differently, they respond slowly, they hold heat for longer, and they reward steady, well planned control.

Heatmiser Neo has earned its reputation in that exact sweet spot. It gives you room by room scheduling, reliable app control, and proper zone management that matches how wet underfloor systems are built in the UK, especially when you are using a manifold with actuators and a wiring centre.

The point of this guide is simple, help you understand what's in the Neo range, why it suits the UK climate so well, and how it fits neatly with water underfloor heating packages supplied by ThermRite.

A well zoned underfloor heating system is not about chasing temperature minute by minute, it is about setting stable targets per room, then letting the floor do what it does best.

Heatmiser Neo range breakdown for wet underfloor heating

Heatmiser Neo is a system, not a single thermostat. A typical setup has thermostats in each room or zone, a hub to connect everything to the app, and a wiring centre or receiver to switch actuators, pumps, and valves.

Heatmiser NeoStat V3 (wired smart thermostat)

The Heatmiser NeoStat V3 is the go to choice when you already have cabling in place or you are in a renovation where running cable is straightforward. It is mains powered, designed for fixed wall mounting, and it uses a wireless mesh back to the hub, so the app side stays robust even in larger homes.

Key reasons people pick NeoStat for hydronic underfloor heating:

• Zone scheduling at the thermostat with a clear on screen interface
• App control when paired with a NeoHub Gen 3, so you can override, boost, or adjust setpoints remotely
• Volt free switching that plays nicely with wiring centres and manifold control logic
• Mesh networking where each thermostat helps relay signal back to the hub, useful in multi storey properties

Heatmiser NeoAir V3 (wireless smart thermostat)

The Heatmiser NeoAir V3 is the flexible option for awkward rooms or finished spaces where you do not want to chase walls. It is battery powered and communicates wirelessly, which can simplify zoning upgrades in existing homes.

Understanding the neoStat versus neoAir comparison helps ensure you match the right technology to your project constraints.

neoAir tends to suit:

• Loft conversions where wiring routes are limited
• Rooms with tiled walls where you want to avoid disruption
• Projects where thermostat placement needs freedom to avoid solar gain or cooking heat

Heatmiser NeoHub G3 (the gateway that unlocks the app)

The Heatmiser NeoHub Gen 3 is what connects your Neo system to the Neo app, enabling remote access, multi zone control, and integrations. Heatmiser specifies control for up to 32 zones per hub, which is plenty for most domestic UFH layouts with room by room zoning.

Practical benefits of the neoHub in day to day use:

• Remote access to every zone from one place
• Centralised scheduling if you prefer managing routines from the phone rather than room by room
• Holiday style set back control for the whole property
• Smart home compatibility through supported platforms, helpful if you want scenes and voice control

UH8 wiring centres and RF switching (where the real UFH work happens)

For wet underfloor heating, thermostats do not power the manifold actuators directly in most multi zone systems. The wiring centre handles the switching, coordinating:

• Calls for heat from each thermostat
• Opening the relevant electrothermic actuators on the manifold
• Enabling the underfloor heating pump
• Triggering a boiler or valve output so heat is available

Heatmiser's UH8 family is a common choice for this job in Neo based systems because it is built around the logic a manifold needs. In wireless layouts, the UH8 RF version can pair with neoAir and still give you proper actuator switching.

The three features that matter most in 2026

Plenty of thermostats can switch heating on and off. The reason Neo keeps appearing on wet UFH designs is the way three features come together.

1) Zoning that matches how you actually live

A hydronic floor system shines when each room can run its own schedule and temperature target. That means:

• Bedrooms can drop back earlier in the evening, then warm up gently before waking
• Kitchens can avoid overheating when cooking adds free heat
• Home offices can run a workday pattern without warming the whole house

Neo makes that approach simple because every thermostat is a zone, and the app keeps all zones visible at once.

2) App control that is useful, not fiddly

Remote control sounds like a luxury until you use it for real. A few common situations where it earns its keep:

• Changing a setpoint when plans shift, without walking around the house
• Checking which zones are calling for heat when you are diagnosing comfort issues
• Setting a consistent setback during holidays, then returning to comfort before you get home

3) Scheduling designed for slow response heating

Underfloor heating is steady, so a control system should encourage steady routines. Neo's schedule based control supports predictable patterns per room, which helps avoid the temptation to constantly tweak temperatures and accidentally push the system into wasteful overheating cycles.

Why smart thermostats suit water underfloor heating in the UK climate

The UK sits in a heating led climate, with long shoulder seasons where mornings can feel chilly, afternoons can brighten up, and evenings cool down again. Underfloor heating copes well with that pattern when zoning and scheduling are done thoughtfully.

A smart thermostat helps because it supports two ideas that matter in real UK homes:

• Right temperature, right room, right time, rather than one blanket setting
• Setbacks instead of full off, since floors recover gradually and comfort is easier to maintain with gentle setpoints

Met Office climate datasets use heating degree days as a way to represent heating demand, and that demand remains significant across much of the UK even as winters vary year to year. That is exactly where zoning pays off, rooms that do not need heat for parts of the day can sit at a lower target without affecting the spaces you are using.

Integration with systems supplied by ThermRite

When you buy a wet underfloor heating package from ThermRite, you are usually working with a familiar building block layout:

• Professional manifold assemblies serving multiple loops
• Electrothermic actuators, often one per loop or per grouped zone
• Wiring centre to coordinate actuator outputs and a heat enable signal
• Room thermostats, one per zone

Heatmiser Neo fits that architecture cleanly.

Typical Neo based wet UFH control stack

A common approach looks like this:

1. neoStat or neoAir in each zone to measure temperature and run the schedule
2. UH8 wiring centre to switch actuators and handle pump and boiler outputs
3. neoHub to bring everything into the app for remote access and quick changes

That structure scales well. Starting with four zones and growing to eight or more later is often practical, because the control concept stays the same, you just add zones and actuators in a consistent way.

Compatibility notes worth knowing

A few points that come up in real projects:

• The Neo wireless mesh means neoStats do not have to be physically wired to the hub to communicate, which can help where the router location is not central
• Wired and wireless zones can sit in the same overall Neo setup, useful for mixed renovation work
• The wiring centre is where manifold actuator voltage and pump switching should be handled, which keeps thermostat wiring tidy and predictable

First time installer tips: placement and wiring that prevent headaches later

Control performance often comes down to small practical decisions. These are the ones that save call backs.

Thermostat placement: measure the room, not the radiator wall that used to be there

Underfloor heating aims for even temperature. Put the thermostat where it will see a representative room temperature.

Good practice placement usually means:

• An internal wall in the zone, away from direct sunlight
• Not above heat sources such as ovens, towel rails, or entertainment equipment
• Not behind curtains or inside shelving recesses
• A height that avoids floor level cold spots and ceiling level warmth

If the room has big glazing, position becomes even more important. Solar gain can nudge readings up and cause the zone to underheat later when the sun drops.

Wiring tips for neoStat with a manifold and wiring centre

The neoStat is often wired back to the wiring centre as a switched input for its zone. A tidy method is to:

• Label every thermostat cable at both ends before termination
• Keep mains and signal conductors arranged exactly as the wiring centre expects
• Test each zone call for heat before closing the wiring centre cover

A small habit that pays off is documenting which room corresponds to which wiring centre zone number, future you will thank you.

Floor probe and sensing strategy

Some thermostats can use a floor probe in certain modes. For wet underfloor heating, many systems focus on air temperature sensing because the floor temperature follows more slowly and the goal is room comfort. A probe still has value in spaces where you want to cap floor temperature for comfort or surface protection, so it is worth checking the specification of the chosen thermostat model and the floor finish requirements.

Commissioning mindset: slow heat, slow feedback

Underfloor heating does not show immediate results after a tweak. Commissioning works best when you:

• Set schedules and targets, then watch behaviour over full day cycles
• Adjust flow rates and actuator operation methodically per zone
• Keep setbacks gentle, big swings can cause the system to chase comfort and overshoot

Heatmiser Neo review 2026: who it suits best

Neo makes sense for most wet underfloor heating homes, yet it fits especially well when:

• You want true multi zone control across living areas, bedrooms, and extensions
• Your property has varied heat demand by room, such as north facing rooms or large glazing
• You want to keep control simple for guests and family, since the wall thermostat still works even if nobody opens the app

The system also suits retrofit projects where you want smarter zoning without redesigning the entire heating plant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Heatmiser Neo a good choice for water underfloor heating thermostats in the UK?

Yes, it lines up with how wet UFH is normally built, room thermostats call for heat, a wiring centre switches actuators and enables the heat source, and the hub brings the whole system into the app for remote access and zone management.

How many zones can a Heatmiser Neo system handle?

Heatmiser specifies control for up to 32 zones on a single neoHub, which covers most domestic underfloor heating designs, including homes with multiple manifolds.

Should I choose neoStat or neoAir for a new hydronic underfloor heating install?

neoStat suits projects where cabling is available and you want a wired wall thermostat, neoAir suits projects where placement freedom matters and chasing cables would add disruption.

Where should a Neo thermostat be installed for accurate readings?

Position it on an internal wall in the same zone, away from direct sun and local heat sources, and avoid spots with restricted airflow such as behind curtains or inside shelving.

Ready to plan your zoning properly?

Heatmiser Neo gives you the core things wet underfloor heating needs in 2026, dependable room by room schedules, app control that stays useful after the novelty wears off, and straightforward zone expansion as the house evolves.

If you are choosing components for a new manifold setup or upgrading older controls, speak with ThermRite as a supplier about matching the right Neo thermostats, hub, and wiring centre to your zone count, wiring realities, and future plans.

Heatmiser Neo key features, explained in plain English

A spec sheet can look impressive while still leaving you wondering how it helps in a real home. These are the Neo features that show up in day to day use, especially on water underfloor heating.

Reliable remote access, even in larger properties

Neo uses a hub based setup, with thermostats forming a wireless mesh. In practice, that tends to mean fewer dead spots than single device WiFi thermostats, because each mains powered Neo thermostat can help carry the signal.

Remote access is useful for comfort, it is also useful for fault finding. When a room feels cool, the app view makes it easier to check whether the zone is calling for heat, whether it is in a setback period, or whether it has been manually overridden.

Proper zone management for manifold based systems

Wet underfloor heating is already built around zones. Each loop or group of loops is driven by an actuator, and each actuator is assigned to a room thermostat. Neo supports that way of thinking, so you can build a system where:

• Each room has a clear identity in the app
• Schedules are set per room, not per whole house
• Rooms can be temporarily overridden without breaking the rest of the schedule

This is where Neo often feels "smarter" than generic controls. The system treats zoning as the default, not as a bolt on.

Simple scheduling that encourages stable comfort

Underfloor heating performs best when it is allowed to cruise. Neo's scheduling supports consistent routines, and that helps you take advantage of the floor's thermal mass.

A practical pattern for many UK homes is:

• A morning comfort period
• A daytime reduced target for rooms that are not in use
• An evening comfort period
• An overnight setback, especially in living spaces

If your home office is only used on certain days, that schedule can sit on its own, while the rest of the house follows a different rhythm.

App control plus wall control, no single point of frustration

People use smart heating differently. Some love the app. Some never want to open it.

Neo works well in shared households because the wall thermostat remains a complete controller for that room, while the app gives the owner a top level view of every zone.

Smart home integration when you want it

Heatmiser supports integrations through its hub ecosystem, including popular voice assistants and automation platforms. That can be genuinely helpful when it is used for simple routines, for example a "goodnight" scene that sets living areas to a lower target and keeps bathrooms comfortable.

A quick note on efficiency and comfort

Heating efficiency is not a single feature. It comes from good design, good commissioning, and good control habits.

Neo helps with the control habits side because it makes zoning and scheduling easy to keep up. If it takes two taps to change a schedule, you keep it current. If it takes twenty minutes at the wall menu, the schedule stays wrong for months.

Comfort improves for the same reason. When bedrooms, bathrooms, and living areas each have their own targets, the whole house feels steadier.

Practical setup examples that work well with wet UFH

The best schedule is the one that matches the property's insulation, floor build up, and how the rooms are used. These examples are safe starting points for many UK homes.

Example 1: family living areas

• Morning: comfort setpoint for breakfast and school run
• Midday: reduced target during work and school hours
• Evening: comfort setpoint for dinner and downtime
• Night: gentle setback to avoid wasting heat

Example 2: bedrooms

• Late afternoon: a small rise to take the chill off before bedtime
• Night: lower target for sleep comfort
• Morning: short comfort bump for getting up

Example 3: bathrooms

Bathrooms often benefit from shorter comfort boosts, timed for morning and evening routines. A separate bathroom zone is one of the most appreciated parts of a zoned underfloor heating system, since it keeps the rest of the house from being overheated for the sake of one room.

Product selection guidance when buying through ThermRite

When people say "I want a Heatmiser Neo thermostat", the real question is how your zones are built and how much wiring freedom you have.

A sensible selection flow looks like this:

1. Count zones based on rooms that need independent schedules.
2. Decide wired vs wireless per zone based on access for cabling.
3. Choose the hub so app control and integrations are available.
4. Match the wiring centre to your zone count, actuator voltage, and the outputs you need for the pump and heat source enable.

ThermRite can supply the full control stack in a way that matches a typical wet UFH package, so you are not piecing together incompatible bits.

Meaningful wrap up and next step

Heatmiser Neo remains a strong pick for smart thermostat for hydronic heating because it is built around zoning, it supports steady scheduling for slow response floors, and it gives you remote access without making the wall control redundant.

If you are planning a new build, an extension, or a controls upgrade, the fastest way to get the right result is to map your zones on paper first, then choose the Neo parts that match that plan. Speak with ThermRite as your supplier to confirm zone count, wiring centre choice, and thermostat type, then set your schedules with patience and small adjustments so the floor can settle into a stable, comfortable rhythm.