Smart thermostat - ecobee3

[ganesh]

Anyone here has any experience with ecobee3?
It is highly rated in smartthermostat.com (4.5 stars out of 5) and from the review it looks like a very solid product. The bonus is that it is a Canadian Company.
http://smartthermostatguide.com/ecob...mostat-review/

I have a two zone furnace and looking for a smart thermostat. Up until now I was zeroing in on Lyric but this seems like a better product.

Any feedback will be much appreciated.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by ganesh
Anyone here has any experience with ecobee3?
It is highly rated in smartthermostat.com (4.5 stars out of 5) and from the review it looks like a very solid product. The bonus is that it is a Canadian Company.
http://smartthermostatguide.com/ecob...mostat-review/

I have a two zone furnace and looking for a smart thermostat. Up until now I was zeroing in on Lyric but this seems like a better product.

Any feedback will be much appreciated.

No experience other than I've been looking at it for a couple of months now. I like the remote sensors, as my thermostat is located in a terrible spot in the house. Would love to have one sensor in the living room, and another in the bedroom, and have them switch from one to the other at a pre-programmed time.

But just like the "nest", too much for my wallet.

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


But just like the "nest", too much for my wallet.

I'm of that mindset. I looked at the Nest. Very Cool!!! access from my smartphone....AWESOME!!! Learning a schedule...NEATO!

HOW MUCH, you say??? Meh....my $20 2/5 programmable stat does the job just fine right now.

[killramos]

Originally posted by C_Dave45

I'm of that mindset. I looked at the Nest. Very Cool!!! access from my smartphone....AWESOME!!! Learning a schedule...NEATO!

HOW MUCH, you say??? Meh....my $20 2/5 programmable stat does the job just fine right now.

That's why i justified it by fixing my own furnace one time

1 repair bill ~= 1 nest

But who knows i just installed it so maybe the thing blows, i don't know yet.

[ZeroGravity]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


No experience other than I've been looking at it for a couple of months now. I like the remote sensors, as my thermostat is located in a terrible spot in the house. Would love to have one sensor in the living room, and another in the bedroom, and have them switch from one to the other at a pre-programmed time.

But just like the "nest", too much for my wallet.

I have mine for about a month or so. From what I know, I don't think it can switch do use different sensors at a pre-programmed time.

However, you can use the "follow-me" feature. From the group of sensors selected to "follow-me", it will warm or cool your house until the average temperature of those sensor readings equal your set temperature. Sensors which have detected occupancy takes precedence in this calculation. If you have selected 5 sensors, and only 3 has detected occupancy, it will only use the 3 sensors for calculating the average temperature. But say when everyone is asleep, and none of the sensors has detected occupancy, it uses the last occupancy data and "gradually average" out until all selected sensor readings are used for averaging.

[Go4Long]

damn...that thing looks sexy (for a thermostat) hmmmm...I wonder if I can return the unopened WallyHome system that I just ordered to go with the Nest which I ordered for the wife.

[killramos]

Originally posted by Go4Long
damn...that thing looks sexy (for a thermostat) hmmmm...I wonder if I can return the unopened WallyHome system that I just ordered to go with the Nest which I ordered for the wife.

lol if you really decide you don't want it ill buy the wally off you for 50 less msrp :P

Win Win

[ganesh]

Originally posted by ZeroGravity


I have mine for about a month or so. From what I know, I don't think it can switch do use different sensors at a pre-programmed time.

However, you can use the "follow-me" feature. From the group of sensors selected to "follow-me", it will warm or cool your house until the average temperature of those sensor readings equal your set temperature. Sensors which have detected occupancy takes precedence in this calculation. If you have selected 5 sensors, and only 3 has detected occupancy, it will only use the 3 sensors for calculating the average temperature. But say when everyone is asleep, and none of the sensors has detected occupancy, it uses the last occupancy data and "gradually average" out until all selected sensor readings are used for averaging.

Did you do the installation? Or did you hire someone to do it for you?
I had a chat with ecobee and since mine has two zones they are recommending me to get it installed professionally. Not only that I need two ecobee3¡¦s because of the two zones. Man this is going to be pricey ƒº

[ZeroGravity]

Originally posted by ganesh

Did you do the installation? Or did you hire someone to do it for you?
I had a chat with ecobee and since mine has two zones they are recommending me to get it installed professionally. Not only that I need two ecobee3¡¦s because of the two zones. Man this is going to be pricey ƒº

We only have one furnace for the whole house and just one zone :P. But yes, I installed it myself. Didn't have the c-wire, but saw that they have two unused wires from the bunch, so I just connected the other end to the c terminal of the furnace and didn't have to use the power extension kit that it came with.

[Go4Long]

Originally posted by killramos


lol if you really decide you don't want it ill buy the wally off you for 50 less msrp :P

Win Win

It seems like the Wallyhome does some things that the Ecobee doesn't. The ecobee's remote sensor just tells the Ecobee that you want THAT room to be the desired temperature, while Wallyhome seems to focus on trying to balance the home...don't know if that's true or not, but I'll give it a shot...and get credit for 4 gifts :P

[ganesh]

Endure Electric who is the authorized installer for the ecobee quoted $1,100 + Tax for the job. They want $ 400 + for each of the thermostat even though the listed price at ecobee is $ 249. They refused to just do the install.

[ZeroGravity]

Originally posted by ganesh
Endure Electric who is the authorized installer for the ecobee quoted $1,100 + Tax for the job. They want $ 400 + for each of the thermostat even though the listed price at ecobee is $ 249. They refused to just do the install.

Ouch. That's quite expensive. I'm not familiar with 2 zone systems, but isn't it essentially one furnace connected to two thermostat which independently can turn on the furnace and have the air flow directed to the zone that turned on the furnace? I would assume it is just a matter of replacing the two existing thermostat with two ecobee units. Then pair the remote sensors with the correct ecobee main unit. I suppose wiring the additional c-wire could be more tricky.

[killramos]

Originally posted by ZeroGravity


Ouch. That's quite expensive. I'm not familiar with 2 zone systems, but isn't it essentially one furnace connected to two thermostat which independently can turn on the furnace and have the air flow directed to the zone that turned on the furnace? I would assume it is just a matter of replacing the two existing thermostat with two ecobee units. Then pair the remote sensors with the correct ecobee main unit. I suppose wiring the additional c-wire could be more tricky.

It depends, some systems talk to each other some don't. My parents have 2 furnaces, old school system. The furnaces don't talk to each other and run independently off their own thermostat.

I know Nest can accommodate such systems but will "talk" to try and improve overall system efficiency.

Then there are systems with 1 big furnace with automatic dampers that direct heat flow to 2 or more zones. Those are MUCH more complicated and I am not sure if consumer grade thermostats can always accommodate them depending on number of zones, voltage, control systems for the dampers etc.

Things aren't black and white in this case. Nest uses the "works with 95%" of systems" nomenclature for this reason. Almost everyone has a simple system esp in the US where it by and large doesn't get that cold and fancy furnaces are more of a moot point.

This is why if your system is even a modicum of complicated they tell you to call a pro so you don't fuck things up.

[killramos]

Originally posted by ganesh
Endure Electric who is the authorized installer for the ecobee quoted $1,100 + Tax for the job. They want $ 400 + for each of the thermostat even though the listed price at ecobee is $ 249. They refused to just do the install.

Same reason you cant bring car parts to your mechanic and ask them to install them...

[ganesh]

Originally posted by killramos


Same reason you cant bring car parts to your mechanic and ask them to install them...

Thanks for the education

[Go4Long]

Contact ecobee and tell them their recommended installer is price gouging.

[ganesh]

Originally posted by Go4Long
Contact ecobee and tell them their recommended installer is price gouging.

I already did that and they are following this up with the regional manager.

[jwslam]

FML

Just bought a honeywell wifi thermostat on price match.
Get home and realize I don't actually have a C-Wire. (no clue how the last home owners were running a nest).

Anyone here able to do my wiring (or recommend someone)? Or Find me another solution?
THANKS

[mix123]

Anyone know if this would work well for a thermostat in a bad location? We just moved into a new house and the tstat is right by a drafty patio door and above a heat vent. In this cold weather heat runs super frequent from the drafty doors. Just wondering if this would help average the temp between the thermostats reading and another warmer room where the remote sensor could be until we get the doors replaced.

[killramos]

Originally posted by jwslam
FML

Just bought a honeywell wifi thermostat on price match.
Get home and realize I don't actually have a C-Wire. (no clue how the last home owners were running a nest).

Anyone here able to do my wiring (or recommend someone)? Or Find me another solution?
THANKS

My nest is hooked up without a Common wire. It works fine if you run your system regularly.

There was a post in one of the 69 thermostat threads on here on a kit that adds a wire. Poster said he had an extra. Try searching through I cant rmeber which thread.