Thermostat Recomendations - Insteon or Z-Wave

[hedgehogfrenzy]

Does anyone have any recommendations on thermostats?  It's a surprisingly complicated topic given that all other Insteon products I have work really well 99% of the time.  There just don't seem to be a ton of options. 

 

I've had a Venstar with the build in Insteon module for a few years now, but that thing has gone wonky...the backlight doesn't work anymore, LEDs are broken and worse...it won't poll correctly anymore and causes massive hangups on the ISY while it's waiting on it's status to execute...causing other programs to hang for 60+ seconds at a time.

 

Looking at the following devices:

 

1) Smarthome Branded / Insteon Thermostat for Heat Pumps  (I have a heat pump)

2) Interlogix CT-32

3) Trane XL-624

 

Anyone have anything positive to say about any of these?  

 

I have the Z-Wave module for the ISY but honestly I've never used it.  I don't have any Z-Wave devices but the thermostat is only 8 feet from the ISY through one door/wall.  Do I need more than one Z-Wave devices in my system for it to be reliable?  Will a Z-Wave thermostat report temperature status and create events in the ISY on button presses just like an Insteon device does?

 

Thanks.

 

 

[Jimbo.Automates]

I have 6 of the Trane TZEMT400BB3NX and don't have any complaints, it reports all status to the ISY. I also have a never used Venstar T1700 that I will sell if it will work for you.

 

Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk

[G W]

I would recommend Z-Wave over Insteon. I switched from Insteon to Z-Wave earlier this year and I've gotten much better results.

 

I'm running a RTS TZ45 and I have had no issues with it.

 

I'm Gary Funk. Pay no attention to this message.

[DennisC]

I'm using a Honeywell Zwave thermostat number TH8320ZW. I have not had any problems with it. I have all programing (time based temperature changes) done by the ISY.

 

Dennis

[KeviNH]

I'm using the Honeywell TH8320ZW1000 (aka YTH8320ZW1007), have been very happy with it.   I have the time-of-day changeover done by the thermostat, and use the ISY to set it to "energy save" mode based on occupancy sensors.

 

Thermostat reports status to the ISY and I can trigger programs based on when the heat or AC actually is running, for example I have a program to track furnace runtime by day.

 

Main reason I have the thermostat doing the time-of-day settings is because Honeywell thermostats include a feature called "Adaptive Intelligence recovery". when using the internal schedule. Each day, the thermostat tries to reach your set temperature for the set time, so if I set "Wake - 7AM - 66F" in the schedule, it will start the furnace at 6:50AM to try to hit 66F by 7AM.    If it doesn't actually make that temp. until 7:05, then tomorrow it will start at 6:45.

 

I have the Z-Wave module for the ISY but honestly I've never used it. I don't have any Z-Wave devices but the thermostat is only 8 feet from the ISY through one door/wall. Do I need more than one Z-Wave devices in my system for it to be reliable?

Communication shouldn't be an issue in that situation. I use a few Aeon multisensors with plug-in power to both get temp/humidity from other rooms and as repeaters.

[larryllix]

I have two Insteon wireless thermostats that I only use for probes.

 

I have two Venstar T7900 stats that control some parts of my heating system.

 

The Venstar have a schedule built into them with adaptive intelligent recovery which I do not use as I find stat logic too stupid.

 

I use ISY to perform adaptive intelligent recovery as well as adaptive intelligent setback so that the house is cool enough to sleep on the milder nights. I haven't found a stat that can do that natively, yet. This us based on the current outside temperature and wind speed influence on the house's temperature change speed.

 

If the ISY algorithms fail the later stat programming does it anyway.

 

These are read and controlled by NodeLink on a RPI.

[hedgehogfrenzy]

Thanks for all the input.  It looks like a thermostat is going to be my first Z-Wave device...it may open the door to a whole 'nother world of devices.  I've ready a lot of goor reviews about the Honeywells, but I honestly think they look ugly...we have a bunch of those same design (without Z-Wave) at my company and they are unnecessarily complicated.

 

I'm leaning toward the Trane unit but we'll see....

[hedgehogfrenzy]

Just to report back, ended up with a Trane XL624. Enrolled it in a snap, ton of settings, humidity sensor (if your into that kind of thing)...reports all settings and statuses...updates way faster than my Venstar EVER did.  

 

Thanks for pushing me towards a Z-Wave Thermostat...it was a good decisions.

 

BTW...got mine from this listing on eBay:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/201753611302?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

Brand new, in box, took an "offer" of $50.  That's less than half the price on Amazon if anyone is in the market for a Thermostat.

[Teken]

Is the TSTAT actually black in color as noted in the EBAY Advert? 

[jetfan101]

I thought the trane had to use the nexia bridge?

[larryllix]

I thought Trane was just rebranded Honeywell thermostats.

 

Sent from a tiny keyboard. Response may be brief.

[stusviews]

Honeywell and Trane are entirely different companies. Trane a subsidiary of Ingersoll Rand, Honeywell is entirely owned by Honeywell International, Inc.

[hedgehogfrenzy]

Sorry. Didn't have notifications turned on and didn't see the replies.

 

Taken...its very dark gray....not black. And with colors in my home...looks a heck of a lot more attractive than a typical white thermostat.

 

JetFan....You don't have to use the Nexia bridge. It's just a Z-Wave device on the back end and paired with my ISY in 3 seconds.

 

Larry....not a rebadged Honeywell. While the interface has a couple of similarities...there are a lot of differences.

 

4 days in and right now I've impressed with this little thing.

[Teken]

Sorry. Didn't have notifications turned on and didn't see the replies.

 

Taken...its very dark gray....not black. And with colors in my home...looks a heck of a lot more attractive than a typical white thermostat.

 

JetFan....You don't have to use the Nexia bridge. It's just a Z-Wave device on the back end and paired with my ISY in 3 seconds.

 

Larry....not a rebadged Honeywell. While the interface has a couple of similarities...there are a lot of differences.

 

4 days in and right now I've impressed with this little thing.

 

Unfortunately, my paint scheme and decor would not blend too well with either TSTAT color besides the boring white.