gweempose

That's super cool. Thanks for the link!

Just a heads-up. The Echo is on sale for $100 today.

There are actually quite a few commands that will work which do not require a program. For example, you can turn the thermostat off by saying "Turn off (thermostat name)". It will turn back on again if you issue a temperature command such as, "Set (thermostat name) to 70 degrees". If the temperature you requested is higher than the ambient temperature, it will turn on the heat. If it is lower than the ambient temperature, it will turn on the AC. You can query the ambient temperature at the thermostat by asking, "What is the (thermostat name) temperature?" or "What is the temperature in the (thermostat name)?" You are not crazy. I believe the command is "Increase/decrease (thermostat name) x degrees". It is important to note, however, that this command will not change the mode. So if the thermostat is set to cool, it will not switch to heat no matter how many degrees you increase the setting. In order to switch modes, you must first turn off the thermostat using the command I mentioned above.

Just a reminder that today is Amazon Prime Day. The Echo is $90, and the Dot is $35.

Thanks, guys! In my case, I think doing the programming in the thermostat itself makes the most sense. I'm not looking to do anything complicated, and this will give the best reliability. I can always override it from the ISY if I choose to.

I've now upgraded all three of my thermostats to Insteon ones. They are working great, and I'm enjoying controlling them from the ISY, Echo, Agave, etc ... I do, however, have a question about programming them. Does it make more sense to create the programs in the thermostat itself, or to let the ISY handle all the programming? What would be the advantages/disadvantages of one method vs. the other?

If you have Android, I'd highly recommend Agave in conjunction with the ISY Portal. The app is great and is being actively developed, and the Portal will eliminate the need to open up ports in your firewall.

I will second the recommendation for the Philips warm glow LED bulbs. I have them all over my house and couldn't be happier.

Dumb question, but how do I check the firmware version on my Echos and Dots?

I'm still discovering myself how to fully use the Echo to control the thermostat. I'm not sure if there is a way to have the Echo turn on a specific mode from the Smart Home skill. I think if you tell it to set a specific temperature, it will turn on either the heat or the AC based on the current temperature in the room. You can definitely do what you want using programs, though.

Thanks for the info! I don't know why I forgot about this. I already have programs that I've been controlling this way for a while ...

Cool, which brings me to my next question. How do I control programs from the Echo? I've never done this. Can I control them directly, or do I have to use scenes?

I just installed a 2441 thermostat yesterday. It's working great, and I'm able to control it with my voice, but I'm trying to figure out what exactly can and can't be done via the Echo. Does anyone have a list of all the voice commands that can be used to control this thermostat? I'm hoping there is a way to change the fan from "auto" to "always on" using the Echo. If this function is not directly supported, I assume I will have to set up some sort of program and trigger it indirectly from a scene.

That did the trick. Thanks again!

Thanks! I'll give that a try.

Ever since I swapped out my PLM, I've noticed that there are certain devices that don't turn off and on consistently with the other devices in the scene. What is the best way to correct this problem? Should I remove the devices from the scene and then re-add them back, or is there a better option?

Well, I appear to be back up and running. A few devices didn't update properly, but they seem to be working fine after manually updating them. I had to do all the leak sensors one at a time, but the Z-wave locks all updated by themselves during the normal PLM replacement process. I guess even though they are battery operated, they are always awake. Thanks for all the help, guys!

Thanks for the link! I've read through the procedure and think I fully understand it. Once the PLM restore is complete, it sounds like I'll need to go through each battery powered device one by one, put them into linking mode, and then manually update them. I'm a a little nervous because I have so many devices, but hopefully I won't have too many problems. Wish me luck!

I'm reviving this thread because I finally got around to picking up a new PLM. I'm ready to do the swap, but I have a couple questions. I have some battery powered devices such as leak sensors, z-wave locks, etc ... Should these be excluded when I do the swap, and then added back in afterward? If so, how do I do this? Is it simply a matter of making sure "Automatic Writes to Battery Powered Devices" is grayed out?

I don't have any motion sensors. What do you mean by " ... program triggers that include the same device as a Then statement"?

My ISY-994 has been pretty rock solid for years, but I suddenly started having some issues out of the blue the other day. About 75% of the Insteon devices in my house turned on spontaneously, and ever since then I have been having a tough time connecting to the ISY. Sometimes it works just fine, and other times I can't even access the ISY's admin console. My PLM is a 2413S (v 1.0). It has served me well for a long time, but I'm thinking it may finally be time for a new one.

This is excellent information. I will certainly keep this in mind when setting up time based programs in the future. Thanks for all the help, guys!!!

I didn't realize you could have one program run another program even if the second program is disabled. Good to know. Excellent! That's exactly what I want it to do.

Thanks! You made me realize that I was keying off the status, when I should be keying off the control. I just tweaked the program. I think this will do what I want it to ... Entry Lighting - Front Door - [ID 0026][Parent 0025] If Control 'Z-Wave / Lock - Front Door' is switched Unlocked by Keypad And From Sunset To Sunrise (next day) Then Set Scene 'Entry Lighting' On Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

I created a program that is supposed to turn on an "Entry Lighting" scene if the door is unlocked via the outside keypad after the sun has set. As it stands, the program is turning on the lights every day as soon as the sun sets. What am I doing wrong? Entry Lighting - Front Door - [ID 0026][Parent 0025] If Status 'Z-Wave / Lock - Front Door' is Access Code 1 And From Sunset To Sunrise (next day) Then Set Scene 'Entry Lighting' On Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')