Can't set WiFI 'stat below 40, any hacks?

[scooterbum46]

Just changed my workshop system to a Honeywell WiFi Thermostat (RTH6580WF). I have always kept the temp in the shop to just above freezing to save on propane; the old mercury switch stat was easy, just mount it so you could tip it to get a lower set temp. The new one uses a thermistor which doesn't care about gravity and the firmware won't let me set a temp below 40 degrees. Do any of the pros here know any hacks to get in and set a lower minimum temp?

 

[The Cobbler]

if you can find the thermistor , and it's not surface mount you can install a resistor in series. not sure what value you would need.

 

[SGKent]

run with it or go back to the old thermostat. It is 2020 not 1959. That us why you chose a wifi one. Good Luck

 

[Gigem]

40 is close enough to freezing for me!

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[Maddog3355]

Yes 40 is close enough to freezing for me to, I wouldn’t chance it.

 

[kTHREE]

Two options, but they are hard to find as they aren't usually published instructions:
1. Adjust the temperature readout so it actually reads the current temp higher than what it's calibrated to.
2. Override the low temp protection.

Some have these features in the hidden menu's, some don't, it's going to be a **** shoot and even harder to find the info online.

 

[Showkey]

Considering the required minimum intake temp of most furnaces is suppose to be above 50-55*.........maybe a low set t stat is not the best idea ?

 

[fitter30]

kThree 1+. Have to contact honeywell to see how to get into that menu.

 

[scooterbum46]

Yes 40 is close enough to freezing for me to, I wouldn’t chance it.

Risk is less - no water in shop..

"Considering the required minimum intake temp of most furnaces is suppose to be above 50-55*.........maybe a low set t stat is not the best idea ? "

I know, but I've had the setup with the manual stat for 25 years with no problems. The reasons to change include being to monitor the temp from 1500 miles away and saving my lazy **** from having to back to the shop to turn the heat down when I forget to..

Two options, but they are hard to find as they aren't usually published instructions:
1. Adjust the temperature readout so it actually reads the current temp higher than what it's calibrated to.
2. Override the low temp protection.

Some have these features in the hidden menu's, some don't, it's going to be a **** shoot and even harder to find the info online.

Yeah, I was hoping there was a double secret squirrel second really really hidden menu...

run with it or go back to the old thermostat. It is 2020 not 1959. That us why you chose a wifi one. Good Luck

I think that was humor - thanks (been running smart stats forever, changed house to wifi when Honeywell introduced several years ago, but have never run the house lower than 50).

 

[chrismenke]

Don't reinvent the wheel on a thermostat that isn't designed to trigger under 40.

If the temp reads greater that 35, leave the heat off. Use software to set the heat to 40 when the temp reaches 35 and off at 40. This way the thermostat isn't living in heating mode.

Not sure what software comes with the thermostat, but all of the connected thermostats will accept instructions from any number of home automation packages.

 

[Kaizen]

Ummm wouldn’t wiring in another manual thermo in front of it work? So manual set at 40 and signal passed to WiFi thermo? Actually it’s reversed. WiFi sends to kick in but manual won’t complete circuit unless above 40. I’m not sure if fancy new ones have some kind of gizmos that would prevent it.


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[scooterbum46]

Don't reinvent the wheel on a thermostat that isn't designed to trigger under 40.

If the temp reads greater that 35, leave the heat off. Use software to set the heat to 40 when the temp reaches 35 and off at 40. This way the thermostat isn't living in heating mode.

Not sure what software comes with the thermostat, but all of the connected thermostats will accept instructions from any number of home automation packages.

And that's not reinventing the wheel? BTW - the Honeywell stats talk to the phone app through a proprietary remote server......

Really I have an answer, it just keeps me from remotely raising the temp without bypassing the second stat that would be put in series with the heat wire (W) of the Honeywell. Most of the time that won't matter , I'll be 1500 miles away and I'll still have monitoring, just can't raise the temp.. In the past the furnace has run for several months with a setting below 40 degrees..

 

[fitter30]

scooter bum got me thinking wire your mechanical stat in parrallel with wifi stat. Mech stat set at whatever leave wifi stat off can look at room temp and if you want to raise the set point just turn on wifi stat

 

[rjacobs]

I have a honeywell wifi thermostat so I know its limitations...

While not a true "fix" here is what I would do...

Leave the thermostat "off"...

Setup the notifications to alert you when temp is below ** degrees. You can set this as low as 32 degrees. Also set the thermostat to alert you when the temp is above ** degrees. You can also set this as low as 32 degrees. When it pings you that the thermostat is below whatever you set it at, go on your phone app and kick it on to say 40(or 45 or something to activate the heat)... When it alerts you again of your high temp, go back to the app and turn it off... The only pitfall to this is if your thermostat loses the wifi signal or something else happens, you then can't control the thermostat.

You can also go into the thermostat and calibrate it. You cant do it through the app. You could go in and just calibrate it wrong so it reads like 5 degrees high or something like that(I dont know what the calibration limit is).

 

[chrismenke]

And that's not reinventing the wheel?

If the Honeywell app won't let you do this, it doesn't sound like much of an app.

Post above seems like a manual kludge to do the same thing.

 

[TractorJeff]

House Thermostats typically have a "higher" lower limit than a Garage thermostat. I noticed this when I was researching Thermostats for my Shop project build! Call Honeywell!

 

[The Cobbler]

is there a "Heat off" option with your wifi?
wire your old mercury bulb tstat in paralell, set it to your low temp. turn off the wifi stat until you want to heat higher

 

[scooterbum46]

is there a "Heat off" option with your wifi?
wire your old mercury bulb tstat in paralell, set it to your low temp. turn off the wifi stat until you want to heat higher

scooter bum got me thinking wire your mechanical stat in parrallel with wifi stat. Mech stat set at whatever leave wifi stat off can look at room temp and if you want to raise the set point just turn on wifi stat

Ding ding ding ding ..Winners! Here's what happens when you overthink something - I'd gone through all sorts of permutations for fooling the new stat, probably thought about paralleling at some point and rejected, because it just didn't seem right . Now that it's been suggested to me, it makes sense, shut the heat off on the new 'stat, I still get monitoring even at the lower setting of the mech 'stat, when I want higher heat, turn the heat on on the new 'stat, it'll override the mech one, which will be off any time it's above it's set point..
BTW - yes, the system does have a C wire, so the new 'stat is happy..

Thanks for all the responses!

 

[scooterbum46]

Update - Just found out the Honeywell won't report the temperature below 40 either, which means that while my parallel 'stat setup works just fine, I can't remotely monitor the temp with the Honeywell app (@#$%^@**&^%).

The fix for that ? Cheap wifi camera already in the workshop, will now have a small thermometer in one corner of it's view..

 

[rjacobs]

Update - Just found out the Honeywell won't report the temperature below 40 either, which means that while my parallel 'stat setup works just fine, I can't remotely monitor the temp with the Honeywell app (@#$%^@**&^%).

The hell is it an option to monitor that low then....

Thats some ****...