Smart Thermostats

[DCarr2]

So, I been contemplating getting a Nest for the house, as I have heard nothing but good things about it - most notably that it turns off the heat when you leave, and turns it back on when your close to home...

This feature could save me a bundle since I use oil to heat my house...

However I would like further input from those who have used one, or experience with these gadgets

 

[polizei1]

Checkout youtube reviews, tons of them on there. I personally plan to get an Ecobee 4.

 

[mark11]

I've got an Ecobee 3 at home and had 2 2nd gen Nests at work but one of the Nests recently died. I like both but prefer the Ecobee so I replaced the bad Nest with an Ecobee. The Nest decided to run the AC and heat at the same time. An internet search revealed that 2nd gen Nests had a motherboard issue that caused that. Not saying Nest is bad at all just that I prefer Ecobee.

 

[Jinks]

I've had programmable thermostats in the last two houses. Two Honeywell's currently, forget what the previous were. My A/C guy fought me like cats & dogs against installing them, but I like 'em. One time programing them, 5 or 6 years ago, & don't touch them again unless you want a different program. A/C guy was used to old folks that didn't understand the programming. Claimed he'd be back out in a month to take them out. I'm old, but I'm not stupid. Mine run separate floors & keep the house at the temperature we want while saving the cost of running the A/C or Heat all day.

 

[Git]

I don't have a Nest - I have no need for a 'learning' type thermostat

I do have two of these Honeywell programmable thermostats with Wifi - they do everything I need and at a price that won't break the bank - $90

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Honeywel...n-Thermostat-and-Free-App-RTH8580WF/203356032

7 day programming from the convenience of my computer - I can easily pull up both thermostats and make changes. Plus they have a decent app for my android phone

 

[PCustoms]

I've got a sensi, as I thought it would be easiest to hookup (I didn't have a common wire).

Initially getting it to sync to the WiFi using the app on my phone was a bit tricky due to my phone bouncing between WiFi signals (the home network and the thermostat) once I got it connected it's been great for a heating season. Has temp and humidity warnings, and many more temperature profile options then I'll ever use.

 

[jayoldschool]

I have a Sensi, it works perfectly, was easy to wire, works from my phone/Ipad/laptop where ever I am. Nice to be at the airport and turn up the heat for when I arrive home.

 

[Stuff]

I've had a Nest for years and it has always been hit-or-miss on whether it detected I was gone. If I had to buy one now I would probably try an Ecobe.

 

[dogdog]

ecobee seems better, and easier to install.... installed it for a friend, simple, I have the honeywell... works and it is what I needed .....due to some F-ed up city laws .....

 

[winlinmac]

I don't use central air-conditioning. Only heat during the winter months. Is the ecobee smart thermostat still worth it for heat-only? I believe utility companies are giving a rebate as well.

 

[Jazzman442]

I have 2 Sensi's. Thy work great on all my devices and phones. It also works great with Alexa..

 

[dogdog]

I don't use central air-conditioning. Only heat during the winter months. Is the ecobee smart thermostat still worth it for heat-only? I believe utility companies are giving a rebate as well.

just don't use the Y wire and use the G (fan) if you are force air systems.... RH RC and C for just heat and other systems (steam , hot water heating).... Actually... their apps will tell you how to set it up steps by steps. Pretty clear cut.... except if you don't know how to identify your RC RH C... or G. then you are going to needed to hire out.... My friend's setup is just for AC, his heating is on a separate thermostat.... and of cause he was too cheap to buy 4 more echobee for each of the zones... it can be networked or meshed I think... check with them first if you have that setup... I know they come with a remote sensor as well that operates on coin battery.... Requires wireless and internet access.. if you want the full features. Haven't heard him complain about it yet. There is an echobee 3 and 4.... better read up which one suits you....

I think they are giving up to $80 here.... per home.... unfortunately not per thermostat.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

I have a Sensi, it works perfectly, was easy to wire, works from my phone/Ipad/laptop where ever I am. Nice to be at the airport and turn up the heat for when I arrive home.

Ditto, love my sensi, and not two hundred dollars either
https://www.cnet.com/videos/heres-why-sensi-might-be-the-smart-thermostat-for-you/

 

[jbwilkins]

If you're on a 'regular schedule' (EG come and go at the same times each day) and just want to be able to control the temperature when you're away sometimes then almost any WiFi enabled t-stat will do (Honeywell, Nest, Ecobee, etc.).....and several can be had cheaper.....

The Honeywell Lyric also has geo-fencing...but it's close to the price of a Nest.....

With Nest a lot of what you're paying for that 'design' and 'brand'...... don't get me wrong...they look good and are ****, but after 6 months you probably won't care....

Another thing......Nest is hemorrhaging money......Google has 'shut down' other products that weren't profitable (Google "Revlov")........If they shut down the 'cloud service' then it's just a programmable thermostat that cost you $200-$250......

 

[winlinmac]

Thanks, I'll need to look into getting a deal on this thermostat then. I believe the utility companies prefer if we buy the thermostat directly from them.

I'm we can still override the programming and manually toggle on the heat by raising the temps just like any other traditional thermostat.

just don't use the Y wire and use the G (fan) if you are force air systems.... RH RC and C for just heat and other systems (steam , hot water heating).... Actually... their apps will tell you how to set it up steps by steps. Pretty clear cut.... except if you don't know how to identify your RC RH C... or G. then you are going to needed to hire out.... My friend's setup is just for AC, his heating is on a separate thermostat.... and of cause he was too cheap to buy 4 more echobee for each of the zones... it can be networked or meshed I think... check with them first if you have that setup... I know they come with a remote sensor as well that operates on coin battery.... Requires wireless and internet access.. if you want the full features. Haven't heard him complain about it yet. There is an echobee 3 and 4.... better read up which one suits you....

I think they are giving up to $80 here.... per home.... unfortunately not per thermostat.

 

[memphisnate]

Ecobee > Nest. Ecobee has remote sensors that you can set in different rooms/areas that can determine when to run the thermostat. Like at night, the remote sensors in our bedroom and our kid's bedroom drive what the A/C & heating does rather than the actual thermostat in the hall.

 

[6768rogues]

I just use a dumb thermostat. If the smart one could do my taxes I might be interested.

 

[Jamie V]

I don't have a Nest - I have no need for a 'learning' type thermostat



I do have two of these Honeywell programmable thermostats with Wifi - they do everything I need and at a price that won't break the bank - $90



http://www.homedepot.com/p/Honeywel...n-Thermostat-and-Free-App-RTH8580WF/203356032



7 day programming from the convenience of my computer - I can easily pull up both thermostats and make changes. Plus they have a decent app for my android phone

I have three of the same ones (got them for $79 on BF) I don't use the 7 day program feature but the remote access from my iPhone is awesome!

 

[sns1938]

I have a Nest (latest, a 3rd gen? Purchased end of 2016 or early 2017). I love it, but would say:

1) It sometimes reverts a manual adjustment you make. So if you think ''I'd like it to be 2 degrees warmer now, as I'm cold'', it will do that for an hour or so, then it will decide that ''you always want it at 72 at 5pm, so I'll turn it back down from the manually set 74''. This is frustrating, as my wife and I would assume the other one had kept adjusting it.
2) Being able to log in on the way home from a trip, and turn the AC or heating on and have the home nice when we get home is great. In summer, with no AC, the house will hit 87F, so I turn it off when we're away a week, and turn it on first thing in the morning on our way home. Brilliant.
3) Yes, defaulting to ''away'' when we're not home is great.

If I could add a feature, I wish it could control my gas hot water heater too. I'd love to be able to turn it to vacation from my phone, and then on the morning before we come home I turn it back on.

Oh, it doesn't sense my dog. So if I'm out, and my dog is at home alone, it will think nobody is home. When you're out, it doesn't turn it off, but has some limits for max and min temp that I have set, so the dog won't freeze/cook, but will get a little warm

Oh, and it looks beautiful, and has many face options, and they turn on when it senses you walking past.

 

[dogdog]

If I were ever to look for a new one, I would like something that does logging over a season.... for heating or cooling.... that would be nice... to generate a detail report of the system on time, temp , outside temp etc relevant to the cost of operating my Furnace/AC.

 

[zeeway]

Another vote for the Ecobee3. I used it with an IFTTT app and a Life360 app, so that thermostat will setback when both my wife and I are out (setsback based on last one to leave), and then it reverts to normal program when first family member returns.

It will also show run time and temps for last 30 days.

At our previous house, I had installed Ecobee3's and by my calcs we were saving 20-30% on electricity bill in summer from AC savings. Winter savings were not as much (gas heat)...but probably at least 10-15%.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Ecobee all the way. I can't count how many nest and other smart stats I've replaced with them. Easiest consumer operation, great options & IMO unmatched functionality. If they made zone valve controllers I'd do it in my house in a heartbeat.

Tommy

 

[Chopperpilotjeff]

I've got the Honeywell's that you see above. They work great wherever I am on the planet on all of my iOs devices.

 

[BoostAddiction]

Another Ecobee user- we have two of them, and they are great.

 

[Whiskeymike]

We have 3 ecobee’s And love them. I don’t use the proximity features. But I use iPad/iPhone all the time to control it. Also works with Alexa for voice control. I’ll start AC in the shop a couple hours before I get home and it’s nice and cool when I go out.

I also haven’t had much luck with the room monitors. If you don’t have a problem with temps in a different room than thermostat, I wouldn’t spend money on extra monitors.

 

[shepherd]

Do any of these automatically send an email when your 14 year old decides to turn the A/C down to 17 degrees celsius in the middle of summer? Every night I come home and the a/c is set to a ridiculously low temperature...even when it's colder outside than in....

 

[memphisnate]

Do any of these automatically send an email when your 14 year old decides to turn the A/C down to 17 degrees celsius in the middle of summer? Every night I come home and the a/c is set to a ridiculously low temperature...even when it's colder outside than in....

You can definitely do that with Ecobee when you pair it with IFTTT (If This, Then That). Anytime the mode/temp changes on the device whether it's manual or automatic, I get a notification.

In addition, you could put access control on the Ecobee so only people who know the code can make changes. (https://www.ecobee.com/2015/08/feature-friday-access-control/)

I would guess you could do something similar with Nest.

 

[yeldogt]

Do any of these automatically send an email when your 14 year old decides to turn the A/C down to 17 degrees celsius in the middle of summer? Every night I come home and the a/c is set to a ridiculously low temperature...even when it's colder outside than in....

The Honeywell will send you an alert if the rooms get outside a range -- so you could do it that way. The interface is so quick -- you can just pull it up on your phone and check.

I have a carrier infinity system -- they have a very slick system and control ... it only works with the infinity system ... tells you everything that's going on.

 

[Stuff]

Do any of these automatically send an email when your 14 year old decides to turn the A/C down to 17 degrees celsius in the middle of summer? Every night I come home and the a/c is set to a ridiculously low temperature...even when it's colder outside than in....

Instead of an email you could just set a minimum temp to use with a/c and avoid the whole situation.

 

[Falcon67]

Looked hard at Nest - when we buy it'll be Ecobee. I like it much better and it's cheaper.

We currently have a Honeywell wifi unit and it's a POS. It's going in the trash soon. Wifi was OK for a while, no data storage in the cloud like the older Filtrete, wifi then got intermittent and then died. Control panel doesn't always respond to touch. Will trigger emergency heat if setback is more than 2 degrees below ambient and no way to change that criteria. Came highly recommended - not now from me anyway.

 

[Git]

Do any of these automatically send an email when your 14 year old decides to turn the A/C down to 17 degrees celsius in the middle of summer? Every night I come home and the a/c is set to a ridiculously low temperature...even when it's colder outside than in....

The Honeywell will do that - you can set a high and low temperature with a duration and it will send an email. Here is an example

 

[mark11]

Do any of these automatically send an email when your 14 year old decides to turn the A/C down to 17 degrees celsius in the middle of summer? Every night I come home and the a/c is set to a ridiculously low temperature...even when it's colder outside than in....

You can just lock the thermostat with a code and nobody can change it on you.

 

[6768rogues]

You can just lock the thermostat with a code and nobody can change it on you.

I thought that when I worked at the public school. Then the teachers figured out that they could put a wet (hot or cold) paper towel over the thermostat and fool it, especially using a cold wet towel to get more heat. The whole system was on Johnson Controls from my office, so I programmed it so that their thermostats only gave them a 3 degree band of possible temps. They could turn it up and put paper towels on it all day and they would still be in my preset temperature range. They preach the green lifestyle to the kids, but then show up to work inappropriately dressed for the time of year and get cold. I never got a complaint from a parent who had a cold kid, only from teachers. I told them it was winter and they should wear a sweater. The kids were dressed more appropriately than the teachers.

 

[DadGarage]

We're currently on Honeywell. It went quite well on the first 6months but recently it keeps on disconnecting itself from the internet. -.- So the "smart" feature is gone and we'd have to do every adjustment manually.

 

[Denwood]

We have nine Ecobee3 units, zero issues with any of them over 2 yrs.

They play well with automation, will function perfectly with no web connection (although external automation needs web to work with Ecobee API), and you can restrict access to some or all functions with a pass code. Additionally you can set heat/cool ranges. This is how we lock down these stats in a tenant/commercial installation.

The external sensors can be used to detect when occupants have left (takes about 30 min to toggle "away") so we use this information to arm security zones automatically and force HVAC into away modes as well. The external sensors cannot really be used for lighting as they are designed with delays to prevent HVAC systems from constantly turning on/off.

Ecobee also works with Keen vents so an ecobee external sensor in a room can control Keen vents, offering a version of zone controls in an otherwise single zone system.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I thought that when I worked at the public school. Then the teachers figured out that they could put a wet (hot or cold) paper towel over the thermostat and fool it, especially using a cold wet towel to get more heat.

$8.00 t-stat lock boxes prevent that...

Tommy

 

[Trey T]

I like Nest; own three of them. Easy to use, no fuss with it.

It would be nice by the time I need new AC unit replaced, Nest or Ecobee will be compatible w/ the inverter-driven units.

 

[risc]

Early Nest adopter, it is the dumbest 'smart' device I've ever encountered. The last straw was when we had a recent heat wave and I needed to keep the AC on for the dogs. Turns out there's no way to disable the "away" feature and it will shut off the AC whenever it wants.

 

[tedo2007]

Early Nest adopter, it is the dumbest 'smart' device I've ever encountered. The last straw was when we had a recent heat wave and I needed to keep the AC on for the dogs. Turns out there's no way to disable the "away" feature and it will shut off the AC whenever it wants.

Wrong, this is a setting error / user error.


Ours has worked well and we have never had issues with it and will be getting another for the garage when it is finished


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Falcon67]

We're currently on Honeywell. It went quite well on the first 6months but recently it keeps on disconnecting itself from the internet. -.- So the "smart" feature is gone and we'd have to do every adjustment manually.

Yep. Ours is back to "seeing" the wifi but won't connect. Haven't bought a replacement yet, had to back up and buy a bunch of network equipment to outfit a home office workstation.