# Economical WIFI Thermostat Recommendation?



## velvetfoot (Dec 27, 2012)

Would any of you have a recommendation for an economical WIFI thermostat?  This is for my oil/hot water system.

Thanks.


----------



## webbie (Dec 27, 2012)

The variety of stuff out there these days is crazy!

I think you have to make a decision as to exactly what you are going to use it for - and possible expansion of your system in the future. There are various standards around in terms of how these things talk to each other and to the web, etc.

Lowes is pushing a system which has good ratings and uses a standardized system:
http://www.lowes.com/cd_Comfort+and+Control+Kit_663889394_#3-Comfort+Control+Kit

There are a couple standards fighting for home automation - zigbee, insteon, Z-wave, etc...

Z-wave, which is Lowe's, GE and others, seems to be pulling ahead...but who knows?


----------



## kingquad (Dec 27, 2012)

I've got the Honeywell touch screen wifi model.  Got it from Home Cheapo.  Think it was $150.  It's easy to setup and program.  Can be accessed through a website with email addy and password.  Supposed to have an iphone and ipad app, but I haven't tried to download it.  The program setup is a bit simplistic, but should handle most peoples needs IMO.  My biggest complaint is that I would like to have the ability to set up two separate 7 day programs that I can swap between for when I'm away at work (work far from home doing 60 rotations).  It's not a big deal though.  It only takes me a few minutes to change it.


----------



## velvetfoot (Dec 27, 2012)

Does the Honeywell, and maybe all of them, depend on the manufacturer website to work?


----------



## woodgeek (Dec 27, 2012)

I got the Nest for $250 and like it a lot.  Others favor te EcoBee.


----------



## kingquad (Dec 29, 2012)

velvetfoot said:


> Does the Honeywell, and maybe all of them, depend on the manufacturer website to work?


yes


----------



## woodgeek (Dec 29, 2012)

velvetfoot said:


> Does the Honeywell, and maybe all of them, depend on the manufacturer website to work?


 
It depends on what you mean by 'work'.... 

If your local wifi or manufacturers servers go down, the unit on the wall still runs your system, and (at least in the one I have, nest) still operates on a setback schedule.  Mine has also recovered gracefully from a couple power outages, including a 5-day outage (i.e. picked up where they left off w/o human intervention).  IOW, I think the reliability needs for a stat mandate fully autonomous 'local' operation w/o a network.

BUT, of course if the wifi router, wifi connection or website goes down, then you get no remote access/control until it comes back.  I think they can all be controlled completely from the built in interface without any network connection.

So, if the company goes under (nest labs is a startup), then you have a non-wifi programmable thermostat.  Mine also has a non-replaceable Li-battery in it that I suspect will last only 5-7 years.


----------



## velvetfoot (Dec 29, 2012)

Ok, thanks.  Even a relatively cheap one is a 100 bucks.  It would be nice to check on house temp remotely and warm up the house before arrival, for domestic tranquility reasons. 
Another thing is there are two zones, upstairs and downstairs, each with a thermostat.

Another wrinkle is that most require a 24volt source-I think mine is 2 wire, so a transformer would be needed.  I saw one somewhere that just required batteries, but I don't know how long they would last with the wifi radio.

The argument can, and was, made to get into home automation.  The example noted earlier for a z wave product through Lowes also didn't take into account that interfacing equipment is only available through Lowes.  Throw in cameras, alarm, obsolesence, etc, and jumping into home automation can be costly.  Interesting, but costly.


----------



## woodgeek (Dec 29, 2012)

The nest (and others I think) can steal power from the two-wire system (pulling enough current to power themselves, without closing the circuit to fire the system) to charge an onboard battery.  But most of the negative reviews would indicate that that doesn't always work out well.  I have a 'C' wire.  Your system has a 24VAC supply somewhere already to run the logic....are you sure there isn't a C-wire in the stat wire bundle already, or an unused wire you could 'repurpose'?


----------



## velvetfoot (Dec 29, 2012)

I will look, but I'm pretty sure it's two conductor.


----------



## velvetfoot (Feb 18, 2013)

http://motison.com/index.html
I just ordered this one for $76.5.  It does depend on the servers of a company that will last who knows how long, but I'm hoping for the best.  What I like about is that it supposedly can restore itself after a power outage, whereas the Honeywell and the RadioThermostat (Filtrete) don't seem to (I emailed and chatted with their Support).  The controlbyweb.com solution would have been more powerful, but for me, trickier to set up, as well as about 3 times as expensive after the sensor cover is included.  Anyway, I'll report after I get it installed (have to run some wire.)


----------



## velvetfoot (Feb 24, 2013)

Update:  It wouldn't work for me.  I connect to wifi but something happens to the signal going from their server to the thermostat.  It might have something to do with the cell modem but they weren't going to do any more troubleshooting.  I'm returning it.  The company seems to be a small startup out of the University of Kentucky.  I talked to what probably was a principal of the firm today, Sunday, which was very impressive.  You have to wonder how long it'll stay in operation though, since the thermostat, remote use  as well as programming, depends on their server.  
Back on the hunt.


----------



## woodgeek (Feb 24, 2013)

My nest did recover fully from a 5 day power outage, without human intervention.  Of course, the price may be an issue.


----------



## wenger7446 (Feb 24, 2013)

What about the 3M Filterete CT-30 or CT-80. Look at the spec Perhaps that will work for you.


----------



## velvetfoot (Feb 24, 2013)

I think I am going with the Ecobee EB-SmartSi-01.
http://www.ecobee.com/solutions/home/smart-si/

I dig the vivid colors.


----------



## velvetfoot (Feb 27, 2013)

I installed the thermostat.  Very easy.  Connected to WIFI right off the bat.  It is located on the first floor.  I wired it to both zones, and still have the origiinal programmable stats in place.  I figure I'll use it when I'm out and about for a while and the place cools off, so I can turn on the heat for a while before we get home.  It's pretty advanced, not that I'll probably use it.  It shows the outside temperature (rough-from Internet), and can use it in its algorithms to start the system at an appropriate time so that the set temp is met at the programmed time.  It also display humidity, though it can't control a humidifier. You can also call up the day's, or the next four day's weather.  Programming the setbacks and schedules may be done on the web portal or the unit.  The unit is programmable either on the unit or from the web portal.  The web page works well to control the thermostat.  I'm still trying to download the Android app, so I can't say anything about that.  Anyway, so far, so good.


----------



## velvetfoot (Feb 27, 2013)

Installed the app.  Doesn't let you program, but lets you control most everything else.  The temp on the thermostat and on the app is one degree off, for whatever reason.


----------



## woodgeek (Feb 28, 2013)

How did you work out the 2-wire issue?


----------



## velvetfoot (Feb 28, 2013)

I ran a 5 wire cable.  It's on the first floor.  I can't see an easy way to get up to the second floor, but for me, that might be even more money wasted.


----------



## velvetfoot (Feb 28, 2013)

You can get some nice reports. Run time, temp history, humidity history, outdoor history


----------



## velvetfoot (Mar 1, 2013)

Here is a (the) built in graph report:


----------



## velvetfoot (Mar 1, 2013)

It's interesting to see the house temps coast down.  It was 82 shortly after the stove was loaded around 10 AM, and it's 70 now at 9 PM, with a general temp of a little below freezing. (The graph shows mid thirties, but it's alway colder here at 1500 feet than where whatever weather station it uses for my address.)  I imagine it could tell me about the heat loss characteristics of my house, but I don't know how I'd calculate that, yet.  Anectodally, it's way easier to heat the house when temps are around freezing, compared with colder.


----------



## RSNovi (Mar 1, 2013)

How much did the Ecobee cost you?


----------



## velvetfoot (Mar 1, 2013)

160.95 at eComfort, no tax for me and free shipping
http://ecomfort.com/eb-smartsi-01-home-series-smart-si-programmable-wireless-thermostat-29328.html

Let me reiterate.  It's been rock solid so far.  You can download 5 minute interval data, as I mentioned, and I haven't seen a drop so far in a couple of days.  I might try a power failure test tomorrow, although we've already had a momentary interruption since I installed it.


----------



## Mykayel (Mar 3, 2013)

Do you have to pay a monthly (or yearly) service fee for the web access?  Or is that included in most of these thermostats?


----------



## velvetfoot (Mar 4, 2013)

It's included with the ecobee.  I'm not sure about the rest.


----------



## kingquad (Mar 4, 2013)

Mykayel said:


> Do you have to pay a monthly (or yearly) service fee for the web access? Or is that included in most of these thermostats?


It's free with my Honeywell.


----------



## bmblank (Mar 4, 2013)

Ditto. Honeywell app seems pretty good too. I don't think it does the data recording like I've seen somebody else post. But it does have the ability to change programs pretty easily and whatnot.


----------



## velvetfoot (Dec 19, 2013)

Hey, I got another one for the second floor.  In a change of policy,  , we're using the oil boiler to heat the second floor, to some degree.  It'd be nice to see how much it runs.


----------

