Benefits of Z-Wave Thermostat

[grahamk]

My regular-old programmable thermostat has died and it's time to replace it. My immediate thought was to replace it with a zwave thermostat - but I'm wondering if that is the right choice. My home automation is 100% zwave.

 

How do these integrate with the ISY? I don't want to really do anything special, just a few setpoints at regular intervals in the day - but it would be nice to have an easy way to put in alternate programming if I am out of town.

 

Another big factor for me is the wife - she wants control over the thermostat. It would be nice to give that kind of control on her smart devices. But we use the Home Automation Dashboard web page pretty much exclusively and I'm wondering what a thermostat looks like in that page. How to you change the temp from 68 to 70 using that page, for instance? I do not want her to have to go mess around with the ISY.

 

I'm wondering if it might be a better solution to just get a wifi thermostat that has an app she can use. Feels a bit sacrilegious...but.... ??

 

Thanks for any advice.....

[oberkc]

Full disclosure...i dont use a zwave controller.

 

It sounds to me that all you are looking for is remote manual control of your thermostat. If so, I would not place high value on integration with the ISY and would not be hesitant to go with wifi version, based upon a good user interface. I have never placed high value on doing everything on a single phone app, so a separate app for thermostats is no big deal to me.

 

If, however, you are looking for automatically adjusting thermostat settings based, in part or wholly, on status of other zwave devices, or more complicated time or schedule constraints, then stay with zwave.

 

Unfortunately, i dont know how a thermostat looks on the dashboard.

[KeviNH]

I use a Honeywell Z-Wave thermostat, but not Home Automation Dashboard.  I went with Z-Wave rather than WiFi because I need the thermostat to be fully functional and controllable independent of WiFi and of cloud services.

 

I let the thermostat handle the routine scheduling,  automatically go to setpoints at regular intervals in the day, and then use the Z-Wave control to override these as needed.   I also have ISY programs tied to my home/away variable to put in alternate programming if I am away, and geofencing to automatically resume the schedule when I am returning home.

 

I do not want her to have to go mess around with the ISY.  I'm wondering if it might be a better solution to just get a wifi thermostat that has an app she can use

On an Android phone, you can make a shortcut to any webpage as an app icon, so she would have what looks like an App on her phone that goes directly to the thermostat, looks like this:

 

Alternately, could pay for the feature in the Agave app -- thermostat control is very simple in that app.

[Teken]

I would add if your going to invest more than $85.XX for a TSTAT. You might as well consider the long term benefits of having the *Option* of integrating said hardware to your home automation.

 

Keep in mind nothing is stopping you from leaving the Z-Wave unconnected and used solely as a standard TSAT.

[grahamk]

On an Android phone, you can make a shortcut to any webpage as an app icon, so she would have what looks like an App on her phone that goes directly to the thermostat, looks like this:

 thermostat-isyweg.png

 

 

This is extremely useful info - thanks a lot!!

[tgutwin]

I also have the Honeywell Z-Wave.  It has worked very well.

I used to use the built in Web Page for it. (as screenshot above)

 

Here is the screenshot of Agave App

[HeritageOaksGT]

Installed seven (7) zWave t-stats in our community clubhouse over past month.  One Honeywell 

YTH8320ZW1007/U and six Trane XR524's.

Both do the job, appear on Mobilinc Pro and Agave as expected.  

Trane's considerably less expensive ($85 vs $140).

 

ISY994i had no trouble enrolling all tstats.  

 

 

[grahamk]

Thanks all - due to the fact that I have no C wire and putting one in would be a major undertaking, I bought the go control which can run on batteries. I do not need it to be a repeater. I wish it held it's own schedule, but we will give it a whirl......

[stusviews]

The Venstar Add-a-Wire kit allows using a 4-wire system with a 5-wire system.

[KeviNH]

The Venstar Add-a-Wire kit allows using a 4-wire system with a 5-wire system.

The Honeywell YTH8320ZW1007/U SKU includes TH8320ZW1000 thermostat plus the THP9045A1023 wiresaver module.    I couldn't find a good price for the TH8320ZW1000 by itself, so now I have spare wiresaver modules I didn't actually need.

[grahamk]

The Venstar Add-a-Wire kit allows using a 4-wire system with a 5-wire system.

 

Unfortunately I have only 2 wires. My thermostat controls a furnace and nothing else. The guy that built the house put in nothing extra anywhere......

[stusviews]

An external power supply will allow you to use any thermostat of your choice. You need only run two low voltage wires between an outlet and the thermostat. The code allows running the wires from the thermostat in the wall to a hole below the thermostat through the hole in the wall and, then, along the baseboard.

[grahamk]

Well i installed the go control yesterday and it was a breeze. It has a nice interface in the Home Automation Dashboard too, which was a very pleasant surprise.

 

Now to write programs for this thing. Initial schedule setup was as easy as it can be - but it would be nice to take advantage of variables like "nobody is home so don't heat the house".  I don't have any home security - and geo-fencing seems like an awful lot of work (plus, my lovely wife might not like being tracked - whatever).

 

Is there an easy button for letting the ISY know that nobody is home and when they have returned? 

[paulbates]

I have a keypad key dedicated to that function; On means "Away" in this case. Programs that check that status and act. Here is an example with the 'if' watching the key. (Your actions for the "then" will be different)

HVAC Home / Away - [ID 0021][Parent 0017]

If
        Status 'Kitchen / Backdoor.Outside / Backdoor.Away' is On
 
Then
        Set 'HVAC / Family Room' Home / Away Away
 
Else
        Set 'HVAC / Family Room' Home / Away Home

[apostolakisl]

Why Z-wave vs Insteon enabled thermostat?  

 

Obviously there are multiple models of both, but is there a general difference in reliability or function?

 

As I'm looking at putting together a system for my church, I can use my old 99i with Insteon.  I would need to get a 994i with a zwave interface otherwise.

[grahamk]

I am 100% zwave. I do not use insteon. I made the switch from X10 directly to zwave a couple of years ago and have not looked back. I'd prefer not to mix protocols. Or maybe, I'd prefer not to have to learn two.

[apostolakisl]

I am 100% zwave. I do not use insteon. I made the switch from X10 directly to zwave a couple of years ago and have not looked back. I'd prefer not to mix protocols. Or maybe, I'd prefer not to have to learn two.

 

I can understand how zwave thermostat is best for you, already being a zwave home, but I was thinking more in general terms.

[nwchicago]

I have a mixed zwave / insteon environment, but it's much heavier insteon. I've bought both the insteon thermostat and the venstar add a wire kit. Any tips or advice from anyone? How does the insteon thermostat work with your isy?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[stusviews]

All three of my Insteon thermostats work well with the ISY. I even have a Dine Out button that changes the setpoints when we leave the house. If you have a portal and Echo, then you can use your voice to turn heating or cooling on or off and also change the setpoint.