@richrobuk 

Good news! Could you please ask specifically about Matter, which works locally and not through the cloud? And why they cannot use "idle" status/action as well? It's already included in Matter specification.

  @Trobalabau 

Replying to this thread to subscribe as I have installed KH100 and three KE100 and would like to see the requested features get implemented by TP-Link.

 Subscribing to the thread. I was just about to buy this valve but I think I will wait until the Matter things are sorted out. I need this to work with Home Assistent locally without any issues.

scr4bble wrote

I need this to work with Home Assistent locally without any issues.

  @scr4bble What are you wanting to do with Home Assistant and the valves?

This ia from My Home Assistant - 

I can set the target temperatures easily from within Home Assistant and see what they are doing.

The biggest 'fail' for me with these units is the fact that they have the temperature sensor within the valve, which is right next to the heat source.  You can use an external temperature sensor but it has to be a TAPO one (which I consider expensive) rather than one of the many other sensors that you could plug into Home Assistant like a home made ESP32 based sensor.  I did get a script written that appears to allow more control (but half my heating system is out of order right now and the temperatures are starting to reach the point where it isn't need so I cannot really confirm it is fully working).

But changing targets etc in Home Assistant is not a problem, and have no Matter kit on my system.

gordon861 wrote

...
 

I can set the target temperatures easily from within Home Assistant and see what they are doing.

 

The biggest 'fail' for me with these units is the fact that they have the temperature sensor within the valve, which is right next to the heat source.  You can use an external temperature sensor but it has to be a TAPO one (which I consider expensive) rather than one of the many other sensors that you could plug into Home Assistant like a home made ESP32 based sensor.  I did get a script written that appears to allow more control (but half my heating system is out of order right now and the temperatures are starting to reach the point where it isn't need so I cannot really confirm it is fully working).

 

But changing targets etc in Home Assistant is not a problem, and have no Matter kit on my system.

  @gordon861 thanks for quick reply, the insights and for the screenshot.
 

I expected exactly this to be a big issue. I do not expect myself to rely on these sensors, so I need to be able to control the "heating/idle/off" status from within Home Assistant—based on external thermal sensors and possibly other automations.

There is no way I will rely on the internal valve-integrated thermal sensors and just set the target temperature. That completely lacks flexibility and doesn’t allow for any meaningful custom automation.
 

Another big obstacle for me is the need for a proprietary hub in combination with cloud dependence. I don’t mind having it connected to both the Tapo app/cloud and Home Assistant, but I require the Home Assistant integration to be independent and fully operational locally, without internet access. So the hub need itself is fine, but the reliance on Tapo cloud and cloud integration to HA is a no-go.
 

I’m still researching and weighing my options. These valves are getting solid reviews and seem well-made, which is why I was interested in them. But unless they meet my requirements—full control over the heating state and reliable offline/local integration—they’re not the right choice for me.

And honestly, I think this is a fairly common requirement among Home Assistant users, so it’s something Tapo should really take seriously.
 

  @scr4bble Looking at this page - https://www.tapo.com/uk/faq/377/

The system still works locally without internet connection.

I have not checked this myself, but this was a concern before I bought them.

From Home Assistant, the plug-in on the Devices page does not indicate that it requires an internet connection, as it does on the Tuya system.

The failed device is a Tapo Plug that is not plugged in right now.