Are there commands to ask for and set thermostat modes (heat, cool)?  I thought I read the older skill could do it, but i can't hit upon any phrase that seems to work in the SM optimized one.  Some "ask isy" phrase?

 

Alexa misheard me last night and turned off the thermostat.  Wish there was a way to get it to turn it back on.

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.

Changing modes is not part of the skill yet. This thread discussed the up-to-date set of features from Amazon. My recollection is that Benoit has updated the ISY skill set to support all of these.

 

Paul

All my Echo/Dot vocal commands go through ISY, with it's more supreme intelligence. If I had it turn the stat off, I would probably have a timer and sensing of bad temperatures to turn it back on, again.

 

As it is, I don't allow my Echo/Dot to control my thermostats. I fiddle with them spring and fall and use the automatic feature in them to regulate the temperatures. This took some time to get there, though, making sure they were installed mechanically correctly, without draughts, and setting experimention.

 

In addition, deep windchill compensation, intelligent recovery, and intelligent SETBACK, programs using ISY, helped.

 

ISY is your friend.