Pay Yourself with the Ecobee3
If you answer yes to any of these questions, why aren't you paying yourself?
- Was your home built within the last 10yrs and certified as an Energy Star compliant home?
- Does your home have an HRV?
- Do you want to save money, in the long run?
Enter the EcoBee3 – HomeKit and Wink App
Now there are many options on the market but this one particularly has a unique feature that I will explain later. There are many wi-fi programmable thermostats on the market today and rightfully so. The Internet of Things (IoT) has spun many new innovations in home comfort and automation. The Ecobee3 sits among some tough competition and depending on what you already have and may want in your home below are the top three wi-fi thermostats on the market for residential use.
| Ecobee3 | Honeywell – Lyric | Nest | |
| Touch Screen | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $250 | $250 | $250 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible Apps | Less | etc.. | Many |
| Alarm System Integration | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Monthly Reports | Yes | No | Yes |
| Remote sensors | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CSA certified | Yes | No | No |
| Accessories | Remote Sensors |
Water Leak Frozen Pipe |
Smoke and CO2 detector Security Camera |
I can't speak for the Nest or the Honeywell but in relation to the Ecobee3 they all cost relatively the same and have various types of remote sensors. Most homes have more that one room and a thermostat that monitors where it's positioned does not take into account the rest of the home. Most homes have a variance in temperature throughout and the uniqueness about the Ecobee3 is that the additional sensors will use the average of all sensors or depending on your configuration can use the readings from the sensor on the main floor during the day and upstairs during sleeping hours. I have monitored a temperature variance of 1c between my top and main floor. Going to bed the sheets and everything was cold. I would wait for the furnace to kick in but it never would. After checking the app on my phone from bed I observed the main floor was warmer than upstairs. A quick modification to the setting to use the remote senor upstairs for a temperature reading and within 30 seconds the heat kicked in. I did not need to modify my temperature setting!
The monthly reports is another great feature and you can bet that during the summer I'm going to do some work around the house to improve my home efficiency score. A better score is money kept in the bank!
The break down of the report was also breaking it down to every cycle during the day when the furnace or HRV would operate based on the settings. I've programmed the Ecobee3 to drop the home temp to 15c when unoccupied and the HRV to run for 5mins per hour seen on the chart below.
There are many smart or programmable wi-fi thermostats out there and depending what you need or want will determine which one is best for you. The Ecobee3 similar to the Nest and Lyric, have many more features not listed here like filter change reminder and threshold settings for alerts that are similar among them all. I have no complaints about the Ecobee3 and for my multi room, multi floor home this was the right choice. The user interface (UI) and controls are just enough to be effective and not confusing
My next step is to integrate this Ecobee3 with my home alarm system. Not sure how I'm going to do this yet but I may have to go with the IFTTT route. I am also considering buying more sensors for my home to add to the overall effectiveness. So far, I'm a fan.
To be continued…