Jimbo.Automates Posted March 25, 2018 Posted March 25, 2018 11 hours ago, flynjets said: Any progress with Flair? @automationgeek released a nodeserver for Polyglot V2, not sure the status but it's there.
FLAIR Posted March 27, 2018 Posted March 27, 2018 It's been a busy couple weeks at Flair and I'm literally headed to the UPS store today to drop off the sample units! Thanks for your patience.
io_guy Posted April 4, 2018 Posted April 4, 2018 Just an update... The vent arrives tomorrow and I now have developer API access. Let the fun begin.
io_guy Posted April 19, 2018 Posted April 19, 2018 Next update... I have the code up and running, Flair support have been great in helping work out issues. I'm on vacation for a week but will release a version supporting pucks/vents on my return.
Scottmichaelj Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 On 4/18/2018 at 7:18 PM, io_guy said: Next update... I have the code up and running, Flair support have been great in helping work out issues. I'm on vacation for a week but will release a version supporting pucks/vents on my return. Quick question. If you are doing the API integration will there still be the need for a PUCK or will NodeLink/ISY basically eliminate this? I am hoping we don't need a PUCK. I have Aeotec MultiSensors in specific areas that the Flair vents will be. I rather just use those to call the Flair vent to open/close as needed.
paulbates Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 26 minutes ago, Scottmichaelj said: Quick question. If you are doing the API integration will there still be the need for a PUCK or will NodeLink/ISY basically eliminate this? I am hoping we don't need a PUCK. I have Aeotec MultiSensors in specific areas that the Flair vents will be. I rather just use those to call the Flair vent to open/close as needed. I wondered about this too. Their site has always said that "you need at least one puck to use our vents". The vents associate with the puck and the puck is communicated with by Nest, Ecobee.. or external controller like Nodelink. I would love the "puckless" solution too as I know the remote temps and and to simply adjust the flairs to a couple of positions based on tem. Paul
Scottmichaelj Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 8 minutes ago, paulbates said: I wondered about this too. Their site has always said that "at least one puck to use our vents". The vents associate with the puck and the puck is communicated with by Nest, Ecobee.. or external controller like Nodelink. I would love the "puckless" solution too as I know the remote temps and and to simply adjust the flairs to a couple of positions based on tem. Paul As I am thinking this through even more, I think the PUCK will be needed. Then the PUCK communicates with the vents on its own frequency. Otherwise the vents would need to connect to your network via WiFi but they dont have the "brains" - hopefully with the APIs it will at least allow the PUCK to work if the internet is down (local). If not this maybe a deal breaker. I am not sure why manufacturers make you have these "bridges". Then you have all these little bridges everywhere and if something "breaks" you need to figure out more equipment issues. Luckly this is small so I will be able to toss it in a structured wired can rather than inside the house.
paulbates Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 Hubitis.. Hub-sprall. The struggle continues. Yet another attack surface. Paul
io_guy Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 Puck still required. It's what has network connectivity.
Scottmichaelj Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 9 minutes ago, io_guy said: Puck still required. It's what has network connectivity. Does it still work if the internet is down?
io_guy Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 Nope, cloud based like Ecobee. The pucks will still talk to vents but not to NodeLink.
MWareman Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 Nope, cloud based like Ecobee. The pucks will still talk to vents but not to NodeLink. A shame. It seemed like such a good idea as well..What’s with the world going to temperature control dependent on an active Internet connection? It makes no sense!
paulbates Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 9 hours ago, io_guy said: Nope, cloud based like Ecobee. The pucks will still talk to vents but not to NodeLink. 53 minutes ago, MWareman said: A shame. It seemed like such a good idea as well.. What’s with the world going to temperature control dependent on an active Internet connection? It makes no sense! Yes that part wasn't 100% clear to me from reading their site. I have my system managed fairly well for comfort and being able to manually adjust a handful of vents between a few levels, but never off, would let me control comfort a little better. But I already have a "detection" system, I just need to be able to modify airflow a little with my ISY directly. Agreed with Michael that my HVAC system was one of the biggest investments in the house after the house itself. I'd like any management related conversations to stay within the walls vs. convenience functions like remote temp adjustments via mobile app. The convenience "app" features are the least important feature to me vs automatic management of comfort that is not dependent on an internet connection. In today's internet world that's not been a huge problem.. but there are a lot links in that remote chain. I think centralized software development and management an AWS type environment is why its designed this way. This might be a different story for somebody starting from scratch, and has Nest/Ecobee that can be integrated (eg No flair temp sensors mounted side by side with other products sensors). Paul
Scottmichaelj Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 This might be a different story for somebody starting from scratch, and has Nest/Ecobee that can be integrated (eg No flair temp sensors mounted side by side with other products sensors). Paul Even Nest and Ecobee users need a PUCK.
paulbates Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 22 minutes ago, Scottmichaelj said: Even Nest and Ecobee users need a PUCK. Yes, understood. But it would definitely be funky to have an ecobee thermostat or sensor in a room, and then have a Flair thermostat right next to it. It would look funny and drive the family insane in the case of 2 thermostats... which one do I do what with? I'm assuming in my previous comment, that where you have ecobee/nest, that the "puck" can be hidden away with the ISY, Pis and other infrastructure items. Agreed that I still wouldn't do it due to it requiring cloud to operate. Paul
FLAIR Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 Quote But it would definitely be funky to have an ecobee thermostat or sensor in a room, and then have a Flair thermostat right next to it. It would look funny and drive the family insane in the case of 2 thermostats... which one do I do what with? You don't need it in that situation—any room with a sensor or thermostat does not need a Puck.
larryllix Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 So the Flair stat has a built in "Puck" and one is not needed in proximity to the vents. Can the stat be used for a bridge from other Ethernet devices like ISY. Is there a local API for the thermostats and/or the PUCKs for complex heating control independent of the cloud?
paulbates Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 1 hour ago, FLAIR said: You don't need it in that situation—any room with a sensor or thermostat does not need a Puck. Right. That whole post was supporting the positives of Flair support when you have either of those brands of thermostat. It doesn't make sense to have to have 2. Paul
Scottmichaelj Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 2 hours ago, FLAIR said: You don't need it in that situation—any room with a sensor or thermostat does not need a Puck. I think a lot of us who have an ISY already have devices linked to it that can tell individual room temperatures. The idea for the flair is to help even the temperatures out or change them for specific areas. So can you explain more about the PUCK? How many PUCKS can control the Flair vents? Seems at $100 for a PUCK and then vent plus shipping the minimal investment is $200 not including additional vents. How does the PUCK integrate with NEST and ECOBEE?
io_guy Posted April 23, 2018 Posted April 23, 2018 If you already have temp sensors (I use 1-wire) I personally wouldn't integrate Flair to the stat itself. I would use the ISY and your already existing sensors to control the vents.
Scottmichaelj Posted April 24, 2018 Posted April 24, 2018 If you already have temp sensors (I use 1-wire) I personally wouldn't integrate Flair to the stat itself. I would use the ISY and your already existing sensors to control the vents. This is confusing. So based on what your saying, most would assume you don’t need a PUCK. But you said regardless of the ISY you do. Confused!?
io_guy Posted April 24, 2018 Posted April 24, 2018 Puck is the gateway. It is required. What i said was i wouldn't use a puck-stat link to control vents.
larryllix Posted April 24, 2018 Posted April 24, 2018 Perhaps the manufacturer could produce a small flow diagram to show the signal paths. AFAICT the thermostats and pucks are the same thing, based on their shape.
automationgeek Posted April 24, 2018 Posted April 24, 2018 I have this setup, since November. The PUCK can be used a Sensor only or a Hub/Temp Sensor. But you need 1 Puck setup as Gateway(Hub) to communicate between vents and cloud. I believe from what I read in the past they use 915MHz Radio . You can link your Ecobee account to their Flair Account and then from the app, you create room and assign vent and temperature sensor to them. I believe all the logic is done in the Cloud and the Puck is used for reporting Temperature Or/And communicating with the vent. Currently I have it setup that I use my Ecobee Room Sensor for temperature and let Flair use those to control the vent. Flair use the Ecobee, current setting ( Home/Away, Current Program and Set Point) Then I use my Node Server with Polyglot, to control different set point for some of the rooms. I have Puck that I hide in my basement and only use it has a Gateway. But if I didn't have the ecobee setup already, I would probably do what io_guy suggested since it a lot less investment. Using a 1 wire sensor and then create you own logic to control the vent using Nodelink/Polyglot I personally don't really like the PUCK, seem a bit flimsy, large, expensive and find them unaesthetic. I would have preferred a more powerful hub, that we can control locally. But overall, for me it was wort it, it did the job and did fix some issue I had with my HVAC, without having to open wall add motorised damper etc...
larryllix Posted April 24, 2018 Posted April 24, 2018 I just want cloud charged batteries in the vent.
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