Has Your NuHeat Floor Thermostat Failed? Build Your Own For Less Money than a Factory Replacement

In-floor heating is a pretty amazing creature comfort that most of us would love to have. And, thanks to kits from companies like NuHeat, heating mats are relatively easy and affordable to put under your own floors. Unfortunately for NuHeat customers, the thermostats that control those heating mats have a tendency to break from electrical spikes—and factory replacements aren’t cheap.

Sergey has NuHeat floors, and had already had to replace his thermostat twice. Unwilling to pay for another unit that would just fail again, he decided to build his own thermostat that is far more robust and customizable. Now, the NuHeat thermostat unit isn’t just a simple analog affair; it has a svelte touchscreen interface that Sergey didn’t want to give up.

To replicate that high-end feel, Sergey constructed his thermostat around a Raspberry Pi Zero W and a 7" touchscreen. Those, along with all of the required accessories and components cost Sergey $149.16, which is right about the same price as a NuHeat thermostat on Amazon. But, aside from the obvious flexibility and potential of a using a Raspberry Pi (why not control other things with it too?), Sergey’s design should also withstand those electrical spikes far better.

If you want to make your own, Sergey has provided all of the files to build your own. The schematic is simple enough for most people to handle, and shouldn’t take long to build. All of the software is also available, and the setup provides control both with the touchscreen and a web interface that include nice features like a weather forecast.