Anyone have any experience with the Ecobee3 thermostat?
I have a zone board on my HVAC with 3 zones. The main zone is used the most for the living area. A second zone for guest bedrooms which are rarely used. And a third zone for the home theater. All 3 have Honeywell thermostats right now. Those work fine but I am wanting to go wireless on the theater zone and most likely the main living area zone.
The theater is only heated/cooled when I plan to use it and that's usually last minute. Rather than going upstairs to turn it on, it would be nice to do it on the phone. Especially when out to dinner and then deciding to watch when we get back to the house. Rather than waiting the hour or whatever for the room to cool, it can be ready when we get home.
I know the Nest is the hot item right now and they sure charge for it. But the Ecobee3 seems like it would be great alternative. I am interested to see what people think of the remote sensors for it. You put the sensors where you are most of the time: kitchen, bedroom, living room and then it senses where people are and adjusts the temp to make that room comfortable. So if the thermostat is set to 72 in the living room but you are in the kitchen where it is 75, then the sensor in the kitchen recognizes that and makes the kitchen 72 like you wanted it. Or if nobody is sensed in any areas, it will save power and raise the temp by itself. Or at least that's the way it claims to work on paper.
So I'm interested in real world experiences with the unit and/or the sensors. Personal or professional experience is fine. I might go with voice control down the road and I know both the Nest and the Ecobee3 are capable of that with Alexa. The Ecobee4 has Alexa built into it if anyone is interested.
Aledo, Texas
Large BGE
KJ Jr.
Exodus 12:9 KJV
Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
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Work around, I've turned the main thermostat off and only run it when it's in away mode. When I'm home, the system knows via wifi and smartphone location being paired to it, and switches the remote sensors as the primary sensors for air/heat. my sensors are in the upstairs bedrooms, kitchen, and main thermostat. The more sensors he better job the system does at averaging out the heat/cooling.
At at night the downstairs sensors get kicked to "off" for comfort settings while sleeping.
You can program the schedule everyday for home/away/sleep and as many combos as you see fit. Perhaps you at home at 8, leave at 8;30, back at 12, leave at 1, back at 5, sleep at 10, and wake up at 4am. The system can be programmed to do such.
Lastly, it has a learning mode to start and stop the heat/air once it learns how long and which sensors adjust quicker. Thought being, it may take your AC unit 45 minutes to cool the house 5 degrees. It will start up sooner as it anticipates your arrival at home. So instead of starting at 5, and your house is hot until 6, it will start the AC sooner around 4:15.
My only complaint thus far is the dual comort settings. Meaning you can have both air and heat on for fall/spring type seasons. In the morning you may want heat and afternoon the AC. The temp spread is 5 degrees, if it goes below 70 it will kick on the heat, or over 75 in the house it turns on the AC. You can widen the spread beyond 5 degrees, but not narrow it. It's because the program is designed to protect the AC compressor from kicking in and off very quickly damaging the unit. Idea would be if the spread was 70/71. Heat would kick on and overshoot the temp, then at 71 the AC will kick on to lower the temp. This Cycling will damage your units...5 degrees seems to be the buffer, I just wish it was 3 degrees.
Ecobee is working on a hub system for wifi sensors that work with aftermarket register grates for folks that have one zone heating. Seems cool, pretty pricey and I have no experience with the units. I just know its Being developed.
Side note, I've had my system for 3 years and the lithium batteries (watch style) are starting to need replaced. Seems to be fairly good, especially when the sensor recognizes when you walk into the room and "occupy" it.
hope this helps!
Edit: I read your post again, and the iPhone app works well. It has a bug when you go to look for the local weather, the screen locks up, but I just re boot it. You can turn it on/off, switch sensors to run the system on the phone. Turn on the fan, turn off the system, etc. the iPad app has more function due to comfort settings and program history. It will track your historical usage and compare to other ecobee in your area to see how energy efficient your home is. The iPhone app doesn't have these extra features.
Then his10 year old 5 ton went out. Replace the whole system heater and all.
Now has a 5 stage system and the install crew rework a few duct runs and returns. Put a 3rd zone in the stairwell (Really is a conditioned air dump location) Now system is at a .51. With the new system he got new stats.
So I snagged his Ecobee3's and remotes. I need to order the C wire kits and then I can install it.
I also have it hooked up to Samsung Smartthings. I have Smartthings monitor for large temperature deviations between rooms and automatically turn on the furnace fan to help equalize temp differences or if the basement (large reef tank) or daughters room get too hot.
There is a lot of different things that can be done and like I said...totally worth it to me.
https://yourhome.honeywell.com/en/products/thermostat/wi-fi-smart-thermostat-rth9580
The upstairs zone is run with this one:
yourhome.honeywell.com/en/products/thermostat/wi-fi-7-day-programmable
I think @nolaegghead and @Eggcelsior also have these.
The programming works well and I like them. The Nest would not have worked well because there isn't much traffic past the thermostat location . I had a similar issue like @RedSkip had with sun light hitting the thermostat and causing it to cool or heat inappropriately , so I hang a hat over it and the problem resolved.
You will need a "common" wire to power the thermostats, which is often already there. You may have to get someone to run one for you, if you don't have one.
I have the same thing (earlier gen, I think). The wifi works well. I have 2 units, one with 2 zones and one single zone, and my house holds temp pretty well. We have crazy insulation, so other than one hallway that gets a ton of direct afternoon sun, we stay pretty comfortable.
Yes, 3 units is a lot. But when one unit goes out, I'm not cooking in the Texas heat because the other 2 units can hold me over until the repair guy comes... And then have to wait for the home warranty people to approve it.
Large BGE
KJ Jr.
Exodus 12:9 KJV
Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
Nest won't run a zones system. Nest uses a thermometer that is part of the device, and I am not aware of remote sensors that "Work With Nest".
My friend works with Mingledorf's, a major HVAC supply house and they really like the Ecobee devices.
LBGE #19 from North GA Eggfest, 2014
Stockbridge, GA - just south of Atlanta where we are covered up in Zombies! #TheWalkingDead films practically next door!
2 Large Eggs - Madison, AL
Boiler Up!!
https://www.georgiapowermarketplace.com/collections/featured-energy-saving-products/products/ecobee4-wifi-thermostat
I know I have gotten fliers from the power company for a Nest. I might have to see what they are charging for them. But honestly, the Ecobee seems like the better system.
Large BGE
KJ Jr.
Exodus 12:9 KJV
Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
LBGE #19 from North GA Eggfest, 2014
Stockbridge, GA - just south of Atlanta where we are covered up in Zombies! #TheWalkingDead films practically next door!
That is correct
Large BGE
KJ Jr.
Exodus 12:9 KJV
Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
Large BGE
KJ Jr.
Exodus 12:9 KJV
Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.