Clueless Needs Help Extending Wifi
8 years ago
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- 8 years ago
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My experience with a Nest & Ecobee smart wifi thermostat
Comments (28)One of my thermostats recently died after 10yrs so I started looking for a "smart" thermostat. After browsing the web I concluded I'd try the Nest (crowd fav) and the Ecobee3 (newest model but ecobee seems to have a very good reputation online). I wanted to share some of my initial thoughts between the two since there isn't much out there yet. Before buying these stats I realized I needed the 24v common wire connected and luckily our house was wired with 6 strand wire and all I had to do was hook up the 5th wire to the C terminal. This made life easy for me. I bought the Nest from Lowe's so I had that immediately. The Ecobee3 was bought direct a week later and it was 2 day shipping. The Nest had more heft and solid feel. It felt like it was worth the $250 whereas the Ecobee3 is very lightweight plasticy cheap feeling like my existing stat was. It was a bit hard to believe it was more then the Nest. I did have some cosmetic damage on my Ecobee3 and am in the process of exchanging the unit with them. Installation was similar on both. I had 5 wires and both units started right up after I turned the power back on. Ecobee3 has more initial questions than the Nest if I remember correctly. Once setup the Ecobee3 definitely has more things configurable for your HVAC system vs the Nest. The Nest app is smoother to operate. Ecobee3 app is a little clunky but has more settings to customize. Ecobee3 doesn't show the energy savings/usage yet but it says that feature is coming soon. The one thing that really interested me was the remote sensor on the Ecobee3. This stat is on our 2nd floor. We primarily occupy 2 bedrooms and if this thing can average the two rooms to better even out the temperature that would be great. We have tried adjusting the vents but there is still quite a bit of difference. Its a bad time to review these stats right now because my HVAC system isn't really running much. Just a tad at night to keep the house warm. I've decided to keep the Ecobee3 and return the Nest based on the more configurable settings and the remote sensor with comfort in mind....See MoreAttic Storage Help! Clueless...have photos
Comments (3)You can enclose the insulation. Just do not compress it or put any type of vapor barrier over the top. (Vapor barrier should be on heated side of insulation) Also, make sure you have enough insulation before enclosing - if not enough then toenail on some 2x4's or 2x6's to give you more space for insulation. Then fasten your floor over the top....See MoreHelp needed with WiFi thermostat
Comments (11)Update on my original post. I did buy the thermostat from Lowes which is part of their home automation system called Iris. I originally liked it, although to get all the advantages I had to get their service at $10/month. I could track my temperature usage using my iPhone or my desktop computer. Then, about a year later, they discontinued the model of hub and sent me a new one (for free). I am very dissatisfied with the new service, it won't work with the desktop computer. But, most of all, their service is very poor. When I call, it may take an hour or more on hold before I get someone, and the most that person will give me is "I don't know". Before I switched hubs, I needed another WiFi thermostat for my new vacation home, so I got another Iris one, this time with the same, lame hub. Same problems and, in addition, the thermostat itself failed with no compensation from Lowes. The heating installer recommended a Honeywell 9000 series, which he got and installed. It works very well, so when I needed another Tstat for another zone, I got another and installed it myself (the box says "Pro", but I had no problem). Honeywell has a nice free service (mytotalconnectcomfort) which keeps track of my heating and if the tstat fails to connect, I get periodic messages telling me so (usually this is caused by either a router/cable-supplied internet failure or a power failure). I'm thinking about replacing my Iris tstat at my primary residence with the same model Honeywell, just to get the peace of mind of knowing that it's working. The 9000 series Honeywell cost $215, but they have many look-alikes at Home Depot and Lowes for about half that price, and I don't know what the difference is. I would like to have this new one on the same Honeywell as the ones I already have. Any input here?...See MoreClueless guy seeks area rug help!
Comments (93)Since privacy isn't an issue,you could consider Arlo blinds on Overstock when on sale https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Arlo-Blinds-Dali-Native-Cordless-Lift-Bamboo-Roman-Shades-with-60-Inch-Height/22158775/product.html?refccid=AEYVUL65EQTKL2CORS5IQJREHE&searchidx=14 (ask landlord to share costs),window film on lower portion only,roller shades (see here https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-designers-make-roller-shades-look-super-chic or just go bare. ps--Ask landlord before mounting any bracketed cornices....See More- 8 years ago
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