Smart Thermostat

I tried to get one a few years ago when it was being offered free by Hydro One (I think). They came to install it and couldn't because the motherboard in my furnace (??) wouldn't support it. I haven't bothered to look at any since.
 
I have the full Ecobee, not the lite version.

I generally like it, but some of the telemetrics it's supposed to collect (house efficiency, etc) seems to be on crack sometimes.

The hardware, and the accompanying smartphone app is solid, however. And it's a Canadian company which is why I bought it over a Nest. Well, that and I bumped into a former employee online who had a 50% discount code or something like that (plus $100.00 Enbridge was offering at one point) which basically meant I paid something like $99 for it.
 
GateKeeper said:
Too bad this offer is now over...

https://www.greenon.ca/greenon-installations

Was a great way to get a free one...
Click to expand...

Just got an email from that program at 3PM this afternoon actually stating that they were moving people off the waiting list to the potential list, so might still be worth applying. If I get an application (I applied, but I can't use it as existing smart thermostat owners are excluded) I can pass it on to someone here if they want it.
 
I have the honeywell wifi version, not lyric. Very happy with it. Mobile apps all work well. Email alerts, and pretty good scheduling. Just wish all the functions, preferences etc could be accessed remotely. Be aware most of these thermostats work off the cloud and not your local network. If you have a internet outage or if their services go down you can't access your thermostat (remotely anyway). Also as long as you have a more modern furnace with a "c" wire (power) you should be ok to install.


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I just got a nest installed last week Tuesday. South Mississauga. My sister called to join on Monday and she has install appointment for tomorrow (Thurs). Oakville area.
Installer has to take 2 pictures of the old and the new thermostat. 1. Thermostat on the wall 2. Thermostat wired to wall. And he has to take your old thermostat with him.
My install with the Nest did not need the C wire. Pretty sure the Ecobee documents said it can be installed without the C wire too.
Ecobee has the option of multiple sensors which Nest can't do. But on the Lite, extra sensor is not included.
 
Got the Ecobee about a year ago and am happy with it. Installed it myself and after the code, and enbridge discount it cost $100.
 
Can't comment on the others, but

won't go wrong with Nest. I'm still on the older version 1 and it works great. Excellent software and interface. No wonder Goodle bought them out.

just about every review I've seen and read so go with the cheaper E version.
 
We're on a Honeywell 7 day programable from 2005, and will stick with it for the near future. While, it might be nice to crank up the heat from bed, it would be a bother if someone else outside your house was cranking it back down.
 
Had this discussion at work around the water cooler.

Someone said the real cost savings is in the furnace blower itself.

Something about a DC motor drawing less electricity when in operation.


As for programable thermostats, it was debated the cost of these smart thermostats don’t really pay for themselves in energy savings over a regular programmed thermostat.

Thoughts?

Just moved into a new place, has a programme thermostat by lux. Seems to do the job but like the idea of controlling things from my phone. Is it more of a novelty than what is already out there?

I haven’t decided. Thus my post.


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I don't have any experience with the listed thermostats but when our old programmable thermostat sh*t the bed last year my wife was rather interested in getting the Nest. After some research and discussion we decided to go with a Honeywell 7 day programmable wifi thermostat. The added cost of the "smart" thermostats didn't seem to really pay off IMO and I suspected the modern interface would have tempted the kids to play with it, at least until the novelty wore off. The wifi feature barely gets used but I will admit it has come in handy a few times when out of the country or when waking up in the middle of the night and one of the kids has decided they need it to feel like the carribean.
 
nakkers said:
Had this discussion at work around the water cooler.

Someone said the real cost savings is in the furnace blower itself.

Something about a DC motor drawing less electricity when in operation.


As for programable thermostats, it was debated the cost of these smart thermostats don’t really pay for themselves in energy savings over a regular programmed thermostat.

Thoughts?

Just moved into a new place, has a programme thermostat by lux. Seems to do the job but like the idea of controlling things from my phone. Is it more of a novelty than what is already out there?

I haven’t decided. Thus my post.


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This is my logic. It is more of a novelty than to save energy. Programmable ones will do the same. As people around the house is always at home, the benefits almost disappears.
 
nakkers said:
Had this discussion at work around the water cooler.

Someone said the real cost savings is in the furnace blower itself.

Something about a DC motor drawing less electricity when in operation.


As for programable thermostats, it was debated the cost of these smart thermostats don’t really pay for themselves in energy savings over a regular programmed thermostat.

Thoughts?

Just moved into a new place, has a programme thermostat by lux. Seems to do the job but like the idea of controlling things from my phone. Is it more of a novelty than what is already out there?

I haven’t decided. Thus my post.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


I was thinking the same thing. I simply have the heat down at bedtime, and when we leave with the house empty.
But Im an anomaly. I don't have a cell phone or device. and I don't want either. All these gadgets...does anyone else see us becoming organic robots lol ?
 
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I got in for the free thermostat.

Still waiting on it. I'll be going with the ecobee lite.

I SHOULD get the sensors for my rooms as theres quite the discrepancy between even my master bedroom and each of my 2 kids' bedrooms... and then there's the main floor that's always warm... it's too bad we can't control the vents electronically: "close off basement and main floor vents and get all the heat in the upper rooms" would be a nice to have feature of my hvac.

But yes, there are a few times that i'm trying to hold still with the infant and don't wanna get up to increase the heat. Just means i get a blanket instead.
 
LePhillou said:
I got in for the free thermostat.

Still waiting on it. I'll be going with the ecobee lite.

I SHOULD get the sensors for my rooms as theres quite the discrepancy between even my master bedroom and each of my 2 kids' bedrooms... and then there's the main floor that's always warm... it's too bad we can't control the vents electronically: "close off basement and main floor vents and get all the heat in the upper rooms" would be a nice to have feature of my hvac.

But yes, there are a few times that i'm trying to hold still with the infant and don't wanna get up to increase the heat. Just means i get a blanket instead.
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If you have cooler and warmer rooms something is wrong, I would ask someone with heat/vent experience to check out your home.
 
boyoboy said:
If you have cooler and warmer rooms something is wrong, I would ask someone with heat/vent experience to check out your home.
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My homes is from the 70s, townhouse complex, my neighbours have similar issues with the same rooms. Even if i were to get a high efficiency furnace there's weird stuff that was being done in the 70s lol.

Also a big thing that sucks is the lack of access to the duct dampers (what opens and closes the duct at the source therefore you can get more 'pressure' through certain ducts) but the good news is im redoing my whole basement so i might try to find a way to make them more accessible so i can manually adjust them depending on usage/season.

Another source of discrepancy between the temps in the different rooms' siding that need to be redone by the condo corp, since its a condo townhouse. And once that's done, i'll be redoing the attic's insulation which should result in a more even on the different floors and different rooms.
 
nakkers said:
Had this discussion at work around the water cooler.

Someone said the real cost savings is in the furnace blower itself.

Something about a DC motor drawing less electricity when in operation.


As for programable thermostats, it was debated the cost of these smart thermostats don’t really pay for themselves in energy savings over a regular programmed thermostat.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I heard that since the DC motor has to convert the energy from AC there is no savings. I dunno what to believe in that.

With either programmable and WIFI programmable/accessible thermostats as long as you have a schedule it should be better then blasting the heat all day long. There should be savings there.

I have mine set to turn down the heat at night when going to bed and mid day when the temps usually rise a little. Then back up in late afternoon. Works for me.
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