Thermostats Archives - The Smart Cave https://thesmartcave.com Make Your Home A Smarter Home Mon, 24 Jan 2022 20:53:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9 https://thesmartcave.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/cropped-tsc-no-words-32x32.png Thermostats Archives - The Smart Cave https://thesmartcave.com 32 32 Sinopé Smart Thermostat (for line voltage) Review: Compact, Quiet, and Efficient https://thesmartcave.com/sinope-smart-thermostat-review/ https://thesmartcave.com/sinope-smart-thermostat-review/#respond Mon, 24 Jan 2022 20:04:16 +0000 https://thesmartcave.com/?p=5725 Sinopé sent me the Sinopé TH1123WF thermostat free of charge to test and review. As usual, I am under no obligation to say nice things about it, but I will anyway because it’s a good product. The TH1123WF is a WiFi smart thermostat for line voltage devices (see more like this). I’ve been using it …

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Sinopé sent me the Sinopé TH1123WF thermostat free of charge to test and review. As usual, I am under no obligation to say nice things about it, but I will anyway because it’s a good product.

The TH1123WF is a WiFi smart thermostat for line voltage devices (see more like this). I’ve been using it for the past 4 months (as of Jan ’22) and have zero complaints.

This thermostat took the place of my old Mysa thermostat(1st gen), which I really liked. So far, the Sinope performs just as well. It’s just as reliable and includes basically all the same smart features. Plus, I prefer the look and the smaller footprint of the Sinope.

This thermostat is a clean, compact unit that looks right at home on the wall of a modern home. It has an informative display that keeps you up to date on the current temperature inside and outside.

It uses TRIAC control so that it runs your electric heater quietly (no on/off clicking noises) and efficiently.

It can connect it to all 3 major voice assistants for quick, hands-free control. Also, you can connect it to SmartThings for more advanced home automation.

Compact, Clean Looking Thermostat

Most people that need a line voltage thermostat are going to need a few of them throughout their home. Therefore, if one of these thermostats is hanging on the wall in every room, you want it to look nice.

The Sinopé thermostat has a clean, compact look. When I installed the Sinopé, it replaced a Mysa thermostat. I was surprised with how much smaller the Sinopé was, and I also feel it has a more “professional” look to it (my Mysa is a version 1 but they have since released a version 2 which is similar in size to the Sinopé).

It seems to be built pretty well, too. It has a sturdy plastic housing and a hard plastic cover to protect the display (not a touchscreen).

The display has crisp, white letters on a dark background which makes them easy to read.

The Sinopé’s display is filled with information including:

  • Inside temperature
  • Outside temperature
  • Time

However, the screen is fairly small which makes it difficult to see beyond a few feet. I am used to the Mysa which has less information, but constantly displays the current temperature large enough to see from across a room.


Quiet, efficient operation

Have you ever been around a thermostat that “clicks” every time the heat turns on or off? That click is caused by a device called a relay inside the thermostat.

This Sinopé thermostat doesn’t have a relay. Instead, it has a device called a TRIAC. What that means for you is that you will never hear the click noise when the heat turns on or off. The thermostat operates in silence.

Additionally, the TRIAC allows the switch to be turned on/off really quickly. The rapid switching capability allows your heater to operate at levels less than 100%.

That means with the Sinopé thermostat in control, you can get a more efficient, even heat. This is especially true with radiant type heaters. In my opinion, TRIAC control is a must have feature if you have a radiant heater.


Reliable WiFi

I know many people use these thermostats in cabins or other remote locations. For that application, you need a reliable WiFi connection. The last thing you want is to be miles away and suddenly your smart thermostat stops responding.

The WiFi connection for the Sinopé thermostat has been rock solid. I had a brief issue when I was initially setting it up, but since then I have had zero issues. It reliably maintains a constant connection and consistently recovers its connection after a power outage.

I’ve been reviewing smart home products for over 5 years now, and it blows my mind that there’s still companies that release products which can’t maintain a reliable WiFi connection. Fortunately, the Sinopé WiFi thermostat has no problems in this department.


What systems does it work with?

This smart thermostat is for line voltage systems, which usually means some sort of electric resistance heater.
It works with:

  • Baseboard heaters
  • Convectors (short cycle)
  • Fan-forced convectors (long cycle)
  • Radiant ceiling heaters.

Additionally, it can work with either 2-wire or 4-wire installations.

It will NOT work for central heating systems, which typically require a low voltage (24V) thermostat such as Nest or ecobee.

It is NOT designed to work with electric floor heat. However, Sinopé does sell this thermostat which IS designed to work with electric floor heat. Here’s a few others that work for electric floor heat as well.

Neviweb app is packed with features

The Neviweb app for the Sinopé thermostat works smoothly and reliably, and also includes a surprising amount of features.

It’s more than just an app for the Sinopé thermostat. In addition to thermostats, Sinopé also makes switches, outlets, and water damage protection products.They all can be connected using the Sinopé GT130 Gateway and subsequently controlled using the Neviweb app.

The app is required to link your thermostat to a voice assistant. Neviweb supports all three major voice assistants (Alexa, Homekit, and Google) and also integrates with SmartThings.

The Neviweb app also includes a native geofencing feature. This allows you to use your phone’s location to determine whether you are home or not.

In order to use the geofencing, you use the app to define a radius around your home. When you leave that zone, your Sinopé device will be set to “Away” mode. When you enter the zone, it will return to the “Home” settings.

As someone who has been using a smart thermostat for over 5 years, I’ve found that the geofencing feature (for any smart thermostat) has been the most useful feature for saving energy.

The last feature I wanted to point out is the energy usage statistics. The Neviweb app shows a graph of your energy usage. It can be broken down into monthly, daily, and hourly time periods.

Most other smart thermostat apps have a very similar feature. However, the Neviweb app takes it a step further by including all the other Sinopé devices that can be connected to it. Therefore, if you also have some of the Sinopé switches or outlets, the additional power used by those devices will be accounted for as well.


Which model should you choose?

Currently, Sinopé sells four different variations of this line voltage thermostat. They differ by wireless protocol (either Zigbee or WiFi) and maximum load as follows:

ModelWireless ProtocolMax Load
Sinopé TH1123WF WiFi3000W @240V
1500W @120V
Sinopé TH1124WFWiFi4000W @240V
2000W @120V
Sinopé TH1123ZBZigbee3000W @240V
1500W @120V
Sinopé TH1124ZB Zigbee4000W @240V
2000W @120V

The WiFi versions will connect directly to your router. Therefore, they don’t need any additional hub.

However, the Zigbee versions require a Zigbee hub. You can use either the Sinopé GT130 Gateway, or any other Zigbee hub. If you want to use the Neviweb app and the features it provides, you need to connect using the GT130.

Whether to get the 3000W version or 4000W version depends on the maximum load of your heater. The 4000W versions are a little more expensive, so if you don’t need the extra wattage, you can save a little money by going with the 3000W versions. However, the cost difference isn’t much, so if there’s any chance in the future you might need the extra wattage, you might as well do a little future-proofing and go with the 4000W capacity now.


Troubleshooting

If I encounter any problems while using this device, I’ll make a little entry here. So far, I only had one minor issue.

  • Device won’t connect to WiFi

    When I initially installed the thermostat, I had a slight difficulty connecting it to my WiFi. Using the Neviweb app, I could find the thermostat and my WiFi network, but when I put in the WiFi password, it failed to connect the two together. I suspect it had to do with dual band WiFi on my router.

    The solution was relatively simple. I put my phone into airplane mode, but made sure that the phone was still connected to WiFi. Then, I repeated the connection process and it worked. Here is the Sinopé support page that helped me.

Final Thoughts

In my opinion, the Sinopé performs similarly to the Mysa thermostat which I had before this one. They’re both good products. But all else equal, I prefer the look of the Sinopé. To me, it looks more professional, whereas the Mysa looks kind of like a toy. Additionally, I like the extra information on the display. I use the weather info all the time. My thermostat is right next to the outside door, so a quick glance let’s me know if I’m dressed appropriately.

The Sinopé thermostat is a good smart product. I almost never have to think about it. It does its job, working quietly and reliably behind the scenes with minimal input from me.

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DIY: How to make a smart garage heater https://thesmartcave.com/how-to-make-smart-garage-heater/ https://thesmartcave.com/how-to-make-smart-garage-heater/#comments Wed, 22 Jan 2020 16:48:28 +0000 http://thesmartcave.com/?p=4432 In this article, I’ll show you how to take a regular 5000W electric heater and turn it into a smart heater using a low-cost WiFi smart switch and a relay. I recently insulated my detached garage and bought an electric heater to warm the space. I’m not in my garage every day, so it would …

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In this article, I’ll show you how to take a regular 5000W electric heater and turn it into a smart heater using a low-cost WiFi smart switch and a relay.

I recently insulated my detached garage and bought an electric heater to warm the space. I’m not in my garage every day, so it would be unnecessary and expensive to keep the space heated constantly. Therefore, on days when I want the garage warm, it will need to be heated from a fairly low temperature. Since it will take a little while to get up to a comfortable temperature, I want to be able to turn the heat on/off from the comfort of my house.

Initially, I thought it might be nice to use a line voltage smart thermostat. I already have a Mysa thermostat connected to an electric baseboard heater in my kitchen. It looks good, it’s very reliable, and I would happily purchase another for my garage. However, the 5000W garage heater is beyond the capacity of the Mysa and all other smart thermostats I found.

Another option would be to buy a heavy duty smart switch that can handle the load ( the 21 Amps of the heater is too much for any standard smart switch). However, all those heavy duty switches come with an enclosure. I prefer to put all my components inside the heater enclosure. So for my purposes, the included enclosure is an unnecessary added cost.

Ultimately, I decided to go the DIY route. Here’s how I did it:


Project plan and wiring diagram

First, I am going to connect a regular smart switch to the coil of a contactor (basically a big relay). The contactor terminals will be connected to the heater. When the smart switch is turned on, the contactor switches will close and the heat will turn on (see wiring diagram below).

If wiring diagrams aren’t your thing, don’t worry. I included step-by-step wiring instructions below.

Second, I’d like to power the smart switch and the contactor from the same power source as the heater. That way I only need to plug one wire into the wall.

Third, I’d like to enclose the Sonoff and the contactor inside the heater so the whole install looks nice and clean.

3 Major components

Here is an explanation of the requirements for the three major pieces of this build:

Electric Heater

Most electric heaters will work for this. The main thing is that you need to be able to set the mechanical controls to the “on” position. That way, when the power is turned on, the heat comes on:

heater switch in “on” position >>> power applied >>> heat

You don’t want a digitally controlled heater that requires you to press a button to start the heat:

power applied >>> screen comes on >>> press start >>> heat

Also, my heater is 5000W, but you could buy one with more power if necessary. You just have to make sure that the contactor you buy can handle the power (see below).


Contactor

There are 3 features to consider when you buy your contactor:

Current rating – The contactor will do the heavy-duty switching. Therefore, it needs to be able to handle the full current of the heater. The heater is 5000W running on a 240V outlet which means I can expect the heater to draw about 21 Amps (5000W/240V). I have to make sure my contactor exceeds this, so I will choose a 30A contactor.

Switch type – The contactor is DPST (double-pole single-throw). What that means is that it controls two circuits (double-pole), but can only turn them either both on or both off (single-throw). In the US, 240V electricity has two “hot” wires (both 120V). It is preferred to have a double-pole switch so that you can switch both “hot” wires.

Coil voltage – The contactor coil should be 120VAC. This will allow you to connect the smart switch circuit to one “hot” wire (120VAC).


Smart Switch

I decided to use a Sonoff Basic for my smart switch. I used it because it’s what I’m familiar with, and because I have spare ones laying around. You can use any switch you like, but consider the following:

Current rating – You might be thinking, “You can’t use the Sonoff for that! It’s only rated for 10A. You’re gonna blow up your Sonoff and burn down your garage!”

The Sonoff will not be connected to the heater’s load. The Sonoff switches the coil for the contactor which only requires a minimal current nowhere near the capacity of the Sonoff.

Any 120VAC smart switch with a 10A rating will be more than enough to handle this task.

Wireless protocol – I would like to have a WiFi smart switch (Sonoff is WiFi) to control my heater. I have Z-Wave and Zigbee devices (with a SmartThings hub) in the house, but the garage is too far for the signal to be reliable. However, I used a powerline adapter to extend my WiFi to my garage so that signal is strong.

DIY – The smart switch should have easily accessible wire terminals. You don’t want a fully enclosed smart switch that is designed to be plugged into an outlet. The Sonoff is easily disassembled. The circuit board can be easily accessed for attaching wires.


List of tools and materials

Here is a list of what you’ll need to complete this project:

Heater – I used a ProFusion 5000W heater from Menards, but there’s lots of models that will work.

Sonoff Basic – The smart switch for this build can be purchased by itself or with quantity discounts.

30A DPST contactor w/120V coil – There are many variations of contactors so either be sure of what you need, or buy this one.

Wire Stripper and connectors – You can do this project without a wire stripper, but having one makes it easier. If you don’t have one, the kit in the link is a great deal. The included connectors in this kit will be useful for this build.

10/3 wire– You will need about 1 foot of 10/3 wire (in addition to wire for the cord). I already had 15 feet of wire for the heater cord. The cord was plenty long so I just cut 1 foot from it.

16 gauge wire – The Sonoff terminals are too small for 10 gauge wire so I used 16 gauge wire for the contactor coil circuit. Hopefully you have some laying around because you don’t need much.

Wire clamp – Make sure to get the correct size for your knockout.

Self-tapping screws – You’ll need something to mount the contactor and Sonoff to the heater.


Step-by-Step Instructions

Alright, let’s get started!

1. Layout

Open your heater and find an appropriate place to mount your contactor and smart switch.

Make sure that the screw holes for the components will be in a safe place. You don’t want them to come through the other side and damage something.

2. Remove knockouts

Your heater should have some circular indentations (knockouts) on the case. These are designed to be removable in order to allow wiring to pass through. Find the knockout that is in the most convenient position for efficient wiring and remove it.

My knockout did not come out easily. In fact, I nearly destroyed the heater case and threw it out the window in the process of removing it. Luckily, a few choice words and some focused breathing prevented me from doing something I regretted.

Breathe, Eric. Relax, and just breathe…

I ended up needing a wire snips, a pliers, and a tiny bit of patience (compared to my normal amount of zero) to get the job done.

3. Install wire clamp

The wire clamp will provide a clean point of entry for your electrical wires and also hold them in place.

Install the clamp in the hole from the knockout you just removed. Place the screws for the wire clamp on the inside of the case. This will provide a cleaner look. Also, make sure the screws face a direction that is accessible with a screwdriver.

To tightly fasten the wire clamp to the heater case, use a screwdriver and small hammer.

4. Fasten smart switch and contactor to case

I used 1/2″ #6 self-tapping pan-head screws.

Again, make sure when your screws poke through the other side, they are not going to damage anything important.

NOTE: Before fastening the components make sure you can easily access all the wire terminals. If not, you may want to wait until the wiring is done to permanently fasten them.

5. Connect your ground wire to GND on the heater

If your heater doesn’t have a clearly labeled GND terminal, you can drill your own hole and attach the ground wire anywhere on the metal case.

6. Connect L1 and L2 to contactor input

Your L1 and L2 wires should be the black and red wires. Trim the wires to the appropriate length and strip about 1/4″ off the end. Fasten the stripped ends using the screw clamps of the contactor.

NOTE: L1 and L2 terminals on the contactor are arbitrary. If they are not labeled, just assign one to be L1 and the other to be L2.

7. Connect L1 and L2 of contactor output to L1 and L2 of heater

For each connection, measure the appropriate length of 10 gauge wire. Strip about 1/4″ off each end and fasten using the screw clamps.

8. Connect Sonoff L input to L1 of contactor input

Cut an appropriate length of 16 gauge wire. Strip both ends and insert one end into the L input terminal of the Sonoff. Attach a spade connector to the other end of the wire. Plug it into the L1 spade terminal of the contactor.

9. Connect Sonoff N input to neutral

Cut an appropriate length of 16 gauge wire. Strip both ends. Insert one end into the N input terminal of the Sonoff. Connect the opposite end to the neutral wire (white) using a wire nut.

10. Connect Sonoff L output to contactor coil A

Cut an appropriate length of 16 gauge wire. Strip both ends. Connect one end to the L output terminal of the Sonoff. Connect the other end to a spade connector and plug it into the spade terminal of contactor coil A.

NOTE: The contactor coil terminals are located on the side of the contactor. They may not be labeled. If they are not labeled, just assign one to be A and the opposite side to be B. Polarity does not matter.

11. Connect Sonoff N output to contactor coil B

Cut an appropriate length of 16 gauge wire. Strip both ends. Connect one end to the N output terminal of the Sonoff. Connect the other end to a spade connector and plug it into the spade terminal of contactor coil B.

12. Plug in and set up Sonoff

The wiring is done! Now, plug the heater into the wall outlet so that the Sonoff has power. Use the mobile app (eWeLink) to setup your Sonoff. You may want to leave the case open to allow for a better wireless signal.

13. Close heater and test signal

Once the Sonoff is setup, try closing the heater and see if the wireless signal still works. If it does, you’re good to go. If not, you may have to relocate the Sonoff to the outside of the heater case. It’s also possible to add an antenna to the Sonoff, but I haven’t needed to do that yet.

14. Set heater to desired settings

Set the mechanical switches and dials to your desired settings so that the heater turns on when the power is applied. My heater has several different heat intensities as well as a thermostat dial.

15. Add desired automation

Okay, the hard part is done. Now, the fun part.

I use Alexa for nearly everything. Therefore, I named my Sonoff “garage heat”. That way I can say, “Alexa, turn on garage heat.”


Final Thoughts

I know this is a fairly simple project, but it’s one of the most useful smart home projects I’ve done. I hope you find it useful, too.

This works great for an electric heater, but there’s no reason the same method couldn’t work for other heavy electrical load applications.

Feel free to suggest any modifications/improvements in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!

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Here’s what you need to know about smart AC controllers https://thesmartcave.com/best-smart-air-conditioner-controller/ https://thesmartcave.com/best-smart-air-conditioner-controller/#respond Fri, 09 Aug 2019 19:50:31 +0000 http://thesmartcave.com/?p=3848 If you’ve ever wished you could control your air conditioner from the convenience of your phone, smart AC controllers are here to save the day. They give you the tools to manage the temperature of your home, whether or not you’re there.  However, there are a wide variety of these smart switches on the market, …

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If you’ve ever wished you could control your air conditioner from the convenience of your phone, smart AC controllers are here to save the day. They give you the tools to manage the temperature of your home, whether or not you’re there. 

However, there are a wide variety of these smart switches on the market, and it’s tough to know which features are important and why. 

Here is everything you need to know about choosing the best smart air controller, plus five reviews of the best options available. In no time at all, you’ll be ready to make your air as smart as you are.

Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:


What is a smart ac controller?

A smart ac controller gives your “dumb” air conditioner brains. Using infrared technology, it connects with your air conditioner unit and allows you to add smart controls. 

They often connect with your existing smart home technologies and devices to upgrade your appliances, without buying all new air conditioning units. It works on any ac units that work with a remote, including window units, portable air conditioners, and mini splits. 

However, if you have a central forced-air system, you’ll want to get a smart thermostat, like Nest or Ecobee, instead. 


How does a smart ac controller work?

A smart ac controller mimics the infrared signal from your air conditioner’s remote while using your WiFi network to connect with an app on your phone. 

The end result is that you can control your air conditioner from the convenience of a mobile app. And better yet, some even connect with your existing smart home integrations, giving you whole-home control. 


Can’t I just buy a cheap IR repeater to do the same thing?

The short answer is yes, sort of. You could use something like the Bond controller. However, there are limitations to using a simple IR repeater. A smart AC controller gives you an app that is specifically made to control an air conditioner with nods to temperature, mode, and fan speed. 

So if you were to use a simple IR repeater, you would need to build a custom program for each function you need. This might be appealing to those who are technically inclined, but most people want fast and easy. 

And not only is a smart ac controller made specifically for air conditioners, it also makes set up more user-friendly, and most of them come with great customer support and troubleshooting.  

What’s more, these smart controllers also include a built-in thermostat and humidistat to give you real-time information on conditions in your room.


Does the smart controller sync with the remote?

This is not a question with a straightforward answer, because your smart AC controller only allows one-way communications. 

Your controller can send a signal to your air conditioning unit, but the ac unit cannot respond. That means that your controller doesn’t receive information on what your air conditioner is doing at any given time. 

For example, you can direct your controller to turn on your air conditioner. However, if someone walks by and manually pushes the off button, your controller will not get any notifications that your ac unit is no longer running. 

The reverse is also true. 

When someone manually turns on the ac unit, the controller will not know that it’s running. As you might imagine, this sort of “information disconnect” can cause problems with automation and can affect the climate in your home.

There’s good news though. There’s a solution, and it’s quite simple. Ditch the manual controls completely. Instead, only use your smart ac controller to adjust the settings of your air conditioner and you won’t have these issues.

What about when I use remote controls?

Depending on what type of controller you decide on, you may have similar issues with using the manual remote control. However, some controllers, like those made by Sensibo and Cielo, are remote control-friendly. 

In fact, this feature is part of what makes models like Sensibo and Cielo so popular. These controllers can detect the infrared signal your remote sends to the air conditioner. 

That means they can keep track of each time you push a button on the remote and know what your air conditioner is doing. This makes it much easier for you to have a smart and automated home.

With a little planning and automation, a determined smart home user could solve the problem of one-way communication with your cooling system. 

While true synchronization may not be possible, it’s worth considering a solution like plugging the air conditioner unit into a smart plug with energy monitoring. This would allow you to quickly (and easily!) check to see if the system is in use.


Smart home integration? IFTTT, voice control, smart hub

Smart ac controllers are compatible with lots of smart home automations. So, if having a smart home is important to you, you’ll definitely want to choose a model that works well with your smart home setup.

Many smart ac controllers can tell whether or not anyone is in the room. This is called geofencing, and it’s an especially great feature for large, frequently used areas like your living room or great room. Based on whether the room is in use, you can set your controller to automatically turn the ac unit on or off. 

Another great option is the ability to set a schedule that tells your cooling system when to turn on and off. This is ideal for spaces like your bedroom or home office. 

On top of that, your smart home integrations may even allow you to set up specific routines at different times of the day. Great examples might be turning your cooling system on or off as part of either a “wake up” or “goodnight” routine.

In my house, I have a window ac unit in my office. I use an ac controller with a motion sensor to turn my air conditioner on and off based on when I’m working. If you spend some time thinking about how you use each room, you’ll quickly determine what type of schedule or automation works best.


Do I need a controller for each ac unit?

Yes. If you have multiple air conditioner units, you’ll need a controller for each one. And because both the controller and the remote use infrared technology, they work by using line-of-site. 

So each controller will need to be in direct view of your air conditioner. But there are several different options for setting them up, including attaching them to a wall or setting them up on a stand. You can customize how you set them up based on what works best for your space. 


5 Smart Air Conditioner Controllers

Sensibo Sky

There’s a reason that the lightweight Sensibo Sky is one of the most popular smart ac controllers and consistently receives high marks. 

Because it has an open API, Sensibo also has a lengthy list of integrations, including Samsung SmartThings. If your smart hub model is supported, setup will be fast and easy, likely taking less than 5 minutes. 

If for some reason your smart hub isn’t supported, you can reach out directly to Sensibo support. They’re more than likely going to be able to find a solution for you. 

What’s more, the Sensibo Sky also connects with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. To connect with either of these, all you need to do is tell your device to learn the skill. 

You’ll be cooling your heels in no time!

Sensibo’s app also works with either Android or iOS, meaning that it works with most phones. This is important because the Sensibo sky is so small it doesn’t have space for buttons or a physical screen, and you must use their app in order to communicate with your cooling system.

However, the small size is not a drawback. Because the Sensibo Sky weighs in at 1.4 ounces (approximately the size of a business card), it’s discreet and easily mounts to your wall.

Other high points of the Sensibo are that it also supports a wide variety of options for customizing how it works for you. You can set up geofencing so that your cooling system only runs when the room is in use. 

It also allows you to define schedules so it runs during the times you are most likely to use a space. So if you usually use a specific room every day from 3-10 pm, you can set up your ac unit to run during those times. 

The Sensibo Sky also has a nifty Climate React Mode that uses both heat and humidity to determine the comfort level in your home. Based on that info, it turns on your ac as needed to maintain your perfect temperature. If the humidity rises sharply and your home feels hotter than normal, your cooling system will kick in.

Although it doesn’t monitor the energy use or have a motion sensor, this small controller does give you real-time readings on room temperature and humidity levels so you can keep an eye on things from wherever you are.

Sensibo Sky | Check Price


Cielo Breez Plus/Eco

Two of the newest kids on the block are Cielo’s Breez Plus and Breez Eco. The Plus is incredibly robust and can be installed on a wall, while the Eco gives you a great bang for your buck, coming in at half the price.

The Eco, like the Sensibo Sky, requires exclusive app use, since there is no readout on the physical unit. It can mount to the wall, but where Sensibo’s Sky mounts via a sticky back, the Eco needs screws to be placed. This makes installation not quite as quick, but it’s easier to move the unit around if needed.

The Plus takes the Eco’s smart ac game to the next level and acts more like a thermostat. It has 4 physical buttons that turn your cooling system on and off and turns your temperature up and down. 

If you want a physical display on your controller, you’ll love this unit. It gives you a readout of current temperature, set temperature, and humidity levels in the room.

Both of these units use the same smartphone app, so in theory, you could use a mix of the two depending on your needs for each room. 

On top of that, Cielo also has a web-based app you can access from any computer. Although you might not be wowed by the design of the interface, you’ll appreciate how easy it is to use. 

You can also easily add new devices and control them at the same time. Equally important, Cielo’s app team regularly updates the software to ensure that it’s current and bug-free.

One of the things I like best about Cielo is its long-term tracking options. You can compare your ac usage over time to track trends, but also to make sure everything is working correctly. And in case you also want to monitor how well the app is working, you can easily pull up the log of every command your controllers send to your cooling systems.  

One of the biggest differences between the Cielo controllers and the Sensibo Sky is that Cielo’s products do not integrate with your smart home hub. 

For most people, this isn’t a dealbreaker, but it does mean one more step. It also means your air conditioner smart functions must work independently of any other automated systems.

Ceilo Breez Plus | Ceilo Breez Eco | Check Price


Ambi Climate 2

This smart ac controller is an up-and-comer to the market. 

The pros? It has an ambitious plan with lots of great features…if they can work out all the kinks. Unfortunately, however, there are lots of reports of inconsistent performance.

Like the Sensibo Sky, the Ambi Climate 2 uses open api and can work with several integrations, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri. However, Ambi takes it a step further and uses a combination of machine learning and user feedback to create a highly personalized experience and profile for you. 

This is a really great idea because it takes into consideration a boatload of factors to make you as comfortable as possible. In addition to temperature, it also measures humidity and uses weather data to predict what you are probably wearing. 

If that isn’t cool enough, it also factors in time of day in order to account for your metabolic cycle and how hot or cold you may be feeling as a result.

Once the developers can make this work smoothly, this model has a great deal of potential. But, users continue to report quite a few bugs. 

Another drawback? With all the sensors and data, I’d like to know why the Ambi Climate 2 does not include a motion sensor. A simple PIR motion sensor would be great for small room occupancy detection and really improve the overall functionality.

And while all of these options only work with ac units that have a remote, this unit also requires that the remote has an LCD screen. So if your air conditioner remote doesn’t have this type of readout, you’ll need to choose another option.  

Ambi Climate 2 | Check Price


AirPatrol WiFi

Based in Europe, the AirPatrol Wifi smart ac controller is another popular option. It also works with both Android and iOS systems. 

With quick and easy setup, it’s easy to use for people with basic technological skills. And, equally important, users report that AirPatrol’s support is responsive and their app offers regular updates. 

As with the other options, AirPatrol works well by helping you reduce cooling costs and keeping a virtual eye on the conditions within your home.


Tado Smart AC Controller

Rounding out the top 5 options is the Tado Smart AC Controller. 

Slightly more expensive than the Sensibo Sky, it also has a motion detector to help identify when a room is in use. 

However, the Tado also has the poorest reviews, especially relating to the software. Plus, it’s only compatible if your remote has a screen that tracks fan speed, mode, and temperature settings. These negatives mean that this model might not be your best option.

Tado Smart AC Controller | Check Price


Final Thoughts

Ultimately, smart ac controllers are a temporary fix to bridge the gap between old appliances and new smart technology. 

Before long, most new appliances will ship with integrated WiFi, eliminating the need for these smart controllers. 

This is especially true since one-way communication between the controller and the cooling unit is a limiting factor. However, before they go the way of the dodo bird, they are a good way to bring your home into smarter territory without buying all new appliances.

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Best Smart Vent: Room by room climate control…sort of https://thesmartcave.com/best-smart-vent/ https://thesmartcave.com/best-smart-vent/#comments Fri, 08 Feb 2019 23:39:18 +0000 http://thesmartcave.com/?p=3038 Smart vent systems offer the possibility of room to room climate control. This benefits you by allowing each room to be custom conditioned depending on the time of day or the preferences of the person in the room. Before the smart home, this was only possible with expensive zoning systems or decentralized systems such as …

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Smart vent systems offer the possibility of room to room climate control.

This benefits you by allowing each room to be custom conditioned depending on the time of day or the preferences of the person in the room.

Before the smart home, this was only possible with expensive zoning systems or decentralized systems such as baseboard heat. Now, several companies are perfecting smart vent systems that will work to increase your comfort and decrease your energy bill.

Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:



Do Smart Vents Work With Smart Thermostats?

Smart thermostats and smart vents are not competing products. In fact, smart vents have the potential to be the perfect compliment to a smart thermostat.

A Smart Thermostat’s Weakness

A smart thermostat only has the power to turn the heat on or off. It doesn’t have the power to direct where the air goes.

However, a smart vent system can redirect air flow. When a vent is closed in one room, increased pressure in the system causes more air to be redirected to other rooms.

In a smart vent system, the thermostat controls the on/off of the HVAC system and the smart vents direct where it goes.

It’s ideal but not necessary to have the two devices be able to communicate with each other.

An Example Of A Smart Thermostat’s Limitations

Ecobee’s smart thermostat comes with the ecobee sensors. The sensors allow you to get the temperature you want in a specific room. However, it will not even out uneven heating or cooling.

If you happen to have a room that is too cold, you can place a remote sensor in the room and tell ecobee to leave the heat on until that room is up to the temperature you want.

What will happen?

Well, it will turn the heat on until that room reaches the temperature you selected…and that’ll be nice. But, it will also keep heating the rest of the house because it has no control over where the air goes.

So, the end result will be one room at a comfortable 72, but the rest of the house at a balmy 76. Then, when your energy bills come, you’ll curse the person that told you, “Smart thermostats save money.”

How do you fix the problem? You need control over where the air goes, and that’s where smart vents can fill the void.


Do I Need To Replace All My Vents With Smart Vents?

In most cases, the more vents you replace with smart vents, the more effective the system will be.

According to Keen Home’s website,  “In our test home, 8 Smart Vents can create an 8 degree difference between rooms.”

Not Enough Air

First, understand that smart vents can only restrict air flow.

If you happen to have one room that doesn’t get enough air (cold in the winter and/or hot in the summer) that room would not need a smart vent.

Instead, you would need smart vents on many of the other vents in the house. Then, you could close some of those vents. That would increase pressure in the system, and force more air into the low flow room.

Too Much Air

The second case is a room that gets too much air flow (too warm in the winter and/or too cool in the summer). This is much more easily solved with smart vents.

You would only need to put a smart vent in the problem room. The vent would restrict airflow in the problem room and the system pressure would get harmlessly distributed across all the other vents in the home.

My Attic Example

I have a third floor attic that has been converted into a
living space. My HVAC equipment is in my basement so it’s a long run up to the
attic. Not surprisingly, it doesn’t get enough air.

I could install smart vents on all the other vents in my
house which would force more air up there, but that would reduce the flow quite
a bit and put a lot of pressure on the system.

Instead, I am going to get an inline booster fan (like this one) and install it in the duct that runs to the attic. The booster fan doesn’t come with the same pressure related risks as restricting air flow with vents. It does the opposite. It reduces the pressure in the system.


How Much Can Smart Vent Systems Save?

Manufacturers of smart vent systems estimate as much as 20%-30% can be saved using smart vents. That may be true in a few cases, but I think most people may only see a minor reduction in cost, but an increase in comfort.

How much you can actually save will vary widely depending on your current system’s performance and how you intend to use the smart vents.

If you want to use smart vents to even out poorly distributed air, you probably won’t see much of a change in your energy usage. In that case, the benefit of the smart vents is increased comfort rather than cost savings.

However, if your intention is to “shut off” certain parts of your home for large periods, you may be able to achieve significant savings. Although only in rare cases would you be able to save 20%, a five to ten percent reduction seems achievable.

Example Savings Calculation

Here’s an example situation that can give you an idea of how much you could save with smart vents:

Let’s say I keep my home at 70F all day every day and the average outside temperature is 20F. That’s a difference of 50F.

In order to reduce the amount of energy used to heat the house by 20%, I would have to reduce the difference by 20%. 20% of 50F is 10F.

So that means if I reduce my home’s temperature by 10F to 60F all day every day, I should be able to reduce my heating costs by 20%.

I doubt very many people would be comfortable keeping their home at 60F.

Let’s consider a more realistic example with smart vents:

Let’s break up the day into three 8 hour blocks and call them: Home, Work, and Sleep.

For the Home block, we want to keep 75% of our home at 70F. We keep a couple rooms that we rarely use at 60F, but most of the home at 70F.

During Work, no one is home so we want to let temperature get down to 60F for the whole home.

During Sleep, we only need to keep the bedrooms at 70F, so say 25% at 70F and 75% at 60F.

That setup would amount to:

.25*1/3*.2 + 1*1/3*.2 + .75*1/3*.2 = about 13% savings, not bad.

However, the savings during work could easily be achieved without smart vents. Any programmable thermostat could be used to set back the heat while you’re gone could do that.

If we subtract the benefit during our work time, we are left with about 6.5% savings from smart vents.


Is Closing Vents Bad for HVAC?

When you close vents, you cause pressure to increase in the ducts. The flow in the closed vent will be reduced, and the extra pressure will cause increased flow in open vents.

What you may not know is that when you increase the pressure, the overall amount of air that is being pushed out of vents will decrease.

If you close enough vents, you can restrict the air flow enough to cause mechanical failure with your expensive HVAC equipment.

Any smart vent you buy should have some mechanism to account for pressure. All the smart vent systems listed in this article have a pressure monitoring system that keeps air flow from becoming too low.


What Do The Pros Think?

If you search the web for advice on smart vents, HVAC pros will often advise against them. Their main concern is the pressure problem I mentioned above. While not wrong, most advice that I’ve seen is exaggerated.

It’s true that usually, the best way to solve an uneven heating or cooling problem is properly sized ducts and HVAC equipment. However, in a home that’s already built, that sort of renovation can be way too difficult or expensive.

Also, traditional zoning systems that are often recommended by HVAC pros will not be able to address individual rooms on the same level as smart vents.


Features To Look For


Pressure Monitoring – This is essential. A smart vent system that doesn’t monitor pressure will not be able to effectively distribute air flow and protect your expensive HVAC equipment at the same time.


Temperature Sensors – A smart vent needs temperature feedback to do its job. It needs to either come with its own, or be compatible with third party temperature sensors.


Battery Life – Very few people have wires running to their vents, so most people will be running their smart vents off batteries. If I’ve got ten plus smart vents scattered around the house, I definitely don’t want to be replacing batteries very often.


Smart Home Integration – Is it compatible with your smart thermostat? Is it compatible with other smart sensors, or will I need to rebuy sensors that work with my vents? Can I control it with my voice or use IFTTT to customize my experience?


Correct Size – As I write this, the companies selling the smart vent systems are having a hard time keeping a variety of sizes of their products in stock.

Measure your vent sizes from the duct opening. This means remove the existing vent cover and measure the opening of the duct. Don’t measure the outer dimensions of your existing vent.


4 Smart Vent Systems

The idea of a smart vent has only recently been made feasible by the rise of the smart home. As a consequence, the available smart vent companies and products are quite new. So, if you choose to buy in, consider yourself an early adopter.

I’ve found four companies that are working on smart vent systems for the home. Ecovent is the most complete system, but is the most expensive by far. Both Keen and Flair have shipped their products and are in the process of refining their products. Alea is the newest of the group and is getting ready to ship their first products.


Flair Smart Vent

To me, Flair has the most promising smart vent system. It has a few unique features that have the potential to set them apart from their competitors.

The Flair smart vent system consists of two components:
smart vents and Pucks.

The Flair vents are unique. Unlike their plastic
competitors, their vents are constructed with steel. Also, they can be battery
powered or optionally wired for 24VAC power.

The Flair Pucks are especially unique. A single Puck is
designed to be a dedicated thermostat for each room.

The Puck can control a smart vent located in the room. It uses
its onboard temperature, pressure, humidity and occupancy sensors to manage each
room’s environment.

In addition, it has an IR blaster which gives it the ability
to control window ACs and mini-splits.

Every system requires at least one gateway Puck which needs
to be plugged in. The gateway will connect all your vents and any remaining Pucks
to WiFi. Additional Pucks can be added to the system as needed with the option
of battery power.

One of the necessities of a great smart home product is
compatibility, and Flair understands this.

Flair’s product is compatible with ecobee, Nest, and
Honeywell Lyric smart thermostats. It also works with Alexa and Google
Assistant, so you can use your voice to check or set the temperature.

Flair is especially compatible with ecobee. ecobee’s sensors can be used by Flair and Flair Pucks can be used as temperature sensors by ecobee. Isn’t it great when products from different companies and countries just work together and get along??

Flair Smart Vents | Check Price

Flair Pucks | Check Price


Ecovent

Ecovent has what I would consider the most complete product in the space, but they’re also priced about twice as much as their competitors. Their smart hub alone retails for $300, while Keen’s is about $60.

They have a nicely designed vent with a silent open/close mechanism. The vents monitor system backpressure to make sure your HVAC continues to operate safely. The vents are powered by 4AA batteries that will last for 3-5 years.

The system needs at least one smart hub and a compatible smart thermostat. Each room requires a vent and a wall sensor.

The app allows you to view individual room temperatures and
create and schedule scenes.

Ecovent’s parent company is Emerson, the makers of the Sensi smart thermostat. It’s no surprise then that Ecovent is compatible with the Sensi. However, it’s not compatible with the two most popular smart thermostats, ecobee and Nest. Furthermore, Ecovent does not work with any third-party sensors or other home automation platforms.

As far as I can tell, Ecovent does not market towards the small customer. They don’t list individual components for sale on their website. Instead, they only list complete home system packages (I suspect this is a business strategy to minimize the resources required to handle customer service calls, which is totally understandable).

However, you can buy individual Ecovent components from a few retailers. Unfortunately, the in stock items are still pretty limited so you may have a difficult time getting the vent sizes and color you want.

A few Ecovent components are now available on Amazon:

Ecovent Floor Vent| Ecovent Wall Vent |
Ecovent Smart Hub | Check Price

But, I found more variety at smarthome.com:

Ecovent Smart Vent Components | Check Prices


Keen Home

Keen Home has been around for a couple years. They got a big boost in publicity after making an appearance on Shark Tank. For many people, if there’s one smart vent maker they’ve heard of, it’s Keen.

However, they’ve had some ups and downs. They had some quality issues early on, but after a redesign they’re back with some quality smart vent hardware.

The complete smart zoning system includes smart vents, external temperature sensors, and a smart bridge.

The vents work seamlessly with Nest and ecobee smart thermostats. They are also compatible with the Samsung SmartThings hub.

The Keen vents connect to your network through the Keen
smart bridge. They use Zigbee communication which is low power and a widely
used home automation protocol. The vents are battery powered and have a 2+ year
battery life with 4 AA batteries.

Each vent includes embedded temperature and pressure sensors. The pressure sensors are used to monitor backpressure and make sure the vents don’t put too much stress on your HVAC system.

External temperature sensors are also available for purchase. The external sensors detect temperature and humidity and run on a coin cell battery. It’s not necessary to have an external temperature sensor in each room, but it will improve the accuracy of the room’s temperature reading. Alternatively, ecobee’s remote sensors also work with Keen smart vents.

Keen Home | Check Price


Alea Labs

Normally, I shy away from writing about companies that haven’t officially shipped a product yet, but since there’s so few smart vent makers, I decided to include Alea.

Like any good smart vent system, you can schedule your temperature preferences for each room, then Alea works with your thermostat to do the rest. Alea will initially be compatible with Ecobee, Nest, and Honeywell Lyric thermostats.

The vents are packed with sensors, 11 total. They use the
sensors to measure…well, basically everything. Perhaps this quote from their
website says it best,

“Alea measures, analyzes, verifies and adjusts based on your
individual room settings, room usage, time of day, local weather, sun exposure,
and more.”

Beyond that, Alea vents will include a couple features that
no other smart vents have.

Each smart vent includes air quality sensors. Cool! I can see possible integrations with smart air purifiers in the future.

The vent’s main power source is 4AA batteries, but they are also equipped with a rechargeable battery which uses energy-harvesting to prolong battery life by 20-30%.

When I first heard “energy-harvesting”, I imagined a tiny wind turbine running off the flowing air. It seemed pretty ridiculous to me so I investigated further.

That’s not how they do it.

They actually use the temperature difference between the room and the air coming out of the duct to create a thermoelectric effect. Thermoelectric effect?…Ahhh, that takes me back to my days as a young, nerdy engineering student. From one nerd to another, thanks for the nostalgia, Alea!

Alea Air | Check Price


Final Thoughts

Smart vent systems have the ability to be a game changer for smart homes if they’re done right.

A whole home smart vent system is a big investment, and because of that, I haven’t had the opportunity to personally test these out yet.

After doing hours of research, I’ve found mostly mixed customer opinions from all brands.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has had experience with these products in the comments below.


FAQ’s

What is a smart vent?

A smart vent for a smart home is a system of electronically controlled vents that can provide room-by-room temperature control using an existing forced air HVAC system. Current popular manufacturers are Ecovent, Flair, and Keen.

Do smart vents work with smart thermostats?

Yes. Smart vents have the potential to be the perfect compliment to a smart thermostat. A smart thermostat only has the power to turn the heat on or off. It doesn’t have the power to direct where the air goes. However, a smart vent system can redirect air flow. In a smart vent system, the thermostat controls the on/off of the HVAC system and the smart vents direct where it goes.

Do I Need To Replace All My Vents With Smart Vents?

No. However, in most cases, the more vents you replace with smart vents, the more effective the system will be.
Current smart vents can only restrict air flow. They cannot boost air flow. Therefore, only a room that gets too much air could be helped by a smart vent. A room that gets too little air flow wouldn’t benefit from a smart vent.
In that situation, the solution would be to add smart vents to the rooms that get too much air. Then, more air would be forced to the room that initially didn’t have enough air flow.

Do smart vents save money?

Manufacturers of smart vent systems estimate as much as 20%-30% can be saved using smart vents. How much you can actually save will vary widely depending on your current system’s performance and how you intend to use the smart vents. If you want to use smart vents to even out poorly distributed air, you probably won’t see much of a change in your energy usage. However, if your intention is to “shut off” certain parts of your home for large periods, you may be able to achieve significant savings.

Is closing vents bad for HVAC?

It can be. When you close vents, you cause pressure to increase in the ducts. Increased pressure causes reduced air flow. If you close enough vents, you can restrict the air flow enough to cause mechanical failure in the HVAC equipment. Any smart vent system should have a pressure monitoring system to keep air flow from becoming too low.

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Mysa Smart Thermostat Review: Automate Your Electric Baseboard Heaters https://thesmartcave.com/mysa-thermostat-review/ https://thesmartcave.com/mysa-thermostat-review/#comments Fri, 16 Nov 2018 01:33:11 +0000 http://thesmartcave.com/?p=1659 For the past couple years, I’ve been patiently waiting for a truly smart thermostat to be created for line voltage heaters. People with low-voltage systems have had Nest and ecobee to play with for years, but people with line voltage systems have been left behind. That’s no longer the case. Mysa reliably delivers the basics …

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For the past couple years, I’ve been patiently waiting for a truly smart thermostat to be created for line voltage heaters. People with low-voltage systems have had Nest and ecobee to play with for years, but people with line voltage systems have been left behind. That’s no longer the case.


Mysa reliably delivers the basics so you can extend your smart home to your line voltage heaters with minimal effort. It offers easy installation and setup without the need for any extra hub. Expect a reliable WiFi connection and a simple, smooth app experience. Advanced features like geofencing and SmartThings integration are just icing on the cake.


It’s not that there hasn’t been ANY smart thermostats available for line voltage. There are a few models (here’s a list) that have been available for several years. But, I’ve found that they usually fall into one of two categories:

a) attempt to be a full-featured smart thermostat but fail due to terrible connectivity and unusable apps.

b) a nice connected product that does what it’s supposed to but requires a third party hub and lots of user programming.

Since the vast majority of potential buyers are looking for a product that makes their life easier, neither option seems too appealing.

What does sound appealing?

How about a smart thermostat that does the basics really well? Reliable connection, no extra hubs, easy scheduling and zoning.

And perhaps once the basics are in place, some advanced smart features could be added? Voice control, IFTTT, geofencing, energy reports.

Is that too much to ask?

Mysa is a smart thermostat for line voltage heaters. It’s made by Empowered Homes. The manufacturer was nice enough to send me a Mysa smart thermostat free of charge so I could test it and write this review. If it’s terrible, I’ll let you know. But, **spoiler alert** its not terrible. In fact, I think it might be the line voltage smart thermostat we’ve been waiting for.


For The Many, Not The Few

Oh, Hi there, Mysa 🙂

When I think of the types of people that buy smart home products, I think of two different extremes:

  1. One extreme is the hardcore geek that wants to be able to have complete control over their device and program it themselves.
  2. The other extreme is the person that wants everything done for them. They want to be able to plug it in and it just magically works.

Mysa is somewhere in the middle but leans more towards the person who wants a smart thermostat that just works.

It connects directly to your home WiFi router. There’s no need for an extra hub. Then, you can use the app to create zones which makes it very easy to automate control of all your electric heat.

It also has a few features that give you the ability to do some moderate custom automation:

  • IFTTT support – Potentially useful, but currently limited to only one action and no triggers
  • Samsung SmartThings support – Create advanced actions with the popular smart hub.
  • Voice Control – Create groups and routines with the Alexa app to enhance the Mysa experience

However, if you’re an automation geek, Mysa may not be your best choice.

In order to control the thermostat remotely, you create a Mysa account and connect to your account in the cloud. That means you don’t have local control of the device. Plus, there are currently no plans to release a public API, so you are dependent on the manufacturer for any third party integrations. Instead, I would recommend one of the Z-Wave or Zigbee options. The Stelpro Ki is probably the best option for someone that isn’t interested in extra apps and done-for-you features.


Easy Installation

The thermostat they sent me was a fully functional Mysa, but it was a demonstration unit. Instead of the required wires to install it to a heater, it just had a cord to plug into the wall.

Therefore, I could plug it in and power on the thermostat, but it wasn’t actually connected to any heater. I could use the app and test the features on an imaginary heater, but I couldn’t control a real one.

A Little Light Soldering Action

I wasn’t satisfied with not being able to test an actual heater with it, so I decided to take it apart and inspect it. Perhaps I could easily convert it from a demonstration model to a functional thermostat.

I promise the red wire was missing. This was taken after I soldered it on.

A quick look and I saw the only thing missing was the red load wire. I soldered a red wire onto the pcb and put it back together.

Here’s a closeup.

Then, I cut off the power cord and stripped the wires inside it. I put everything back together and was ready to install the thermostat in its permanent location.

Crazy Idea: Use The Manual

I followed the instruction manual included with Mysa. The exact wiring configuration varies depending on whether you are wiring for 120V or 240V. I could see by the wires in my existing electrical box that my setup was 240V.

One thing to note with a 240V wiring is that you have two red and two black wires. The two black wires need to be connected to the Mysa. It matters which connects to which but there’s no easy way to tell which is the correct way. So, just choose. You won’t damage the thermostat if you choose incorrectly. When you turn the power back on, if nothing happens, then it means you chose poorly. Just shut the power off and switch the wires to the other configuration.

As long as you already have an electrical box installed, you shouldn’t need to drill any holes. Mysa fastens to the wall using the existing threaded holes in the box. This insures that Mysa will be firmly attached to the wall and you won’t have to fuss with any drywall anchors.

Most of my install time was spent a) twisting the wires together so I could be sure they stayed when I crammed all the wires back into the box and b) running downstairs to switch the power on/off. At no point did I find it frustrating or difficult. In all it took me about 15 minutes to install the thermostat.


Using Mysa

I’ve been using Mysa for about 6 months. It’s performed reliably with everything it’s supposed to do. However, it’s still pretty new and some of the smart features leave me wanting more.

Reliable Wireless

One thing that is always the kiss of death for a smart home product is poor connectivity. That sort of failure makes a smart product useless if you’re trying to control it remotely. Plus, it’s extremely frustrating.

My Mysa has been great with connectivity.

Initially, my Mysa had a cord and plugin attached to it (the manufacturer sent me a demonstration unit) instead of bare wires for connecting to a heater. This was a plus for testing the thermostat.

I was able to easily move it around my house and check the wireless connection performance from many different areas. The maximum range I tested was about 50 feet with several walls and two floors in between. It performed flawlessly over the course of a couple weeks.

I even tested its ability to reconnect after a power outage by shutting off the breaker. Each time Mysa dutifully reconnected within a minute.

I also left the power off for an extended period of time. After an hour I received an email from Mysa letting me know that my thermostat had been offline for an hour.

Zoning Is Essential

Many people with line voltage heating have multiple thermostats throughout their house. Therefore, any line voltage smart thermostat should have a way to group the thermostats together into zones, so that one action can simultaneously control multiple thermostats.

It’s easy to create zones inside of the Mysa app.

A single thermostat can be added to more than one zone. For example, I might create 3 zones for my house called “basement” “main floor”, and “upstairs”. Each zone could have multiple thermostats and heaters within it. I could then create another zone called “myhouse” and place all thermostats within the other three zones inside “myhouse”. Then I could have the option to control individual floors, or use the “myhouse” zone to control all of the thermostats in the house with one action.

It’s also possible to create groups with the Alexa app so that you can control multiple thermostats at once with your voice.

A potential improvement would be to make it so that the Alexa app recognizes an entire zone as a single device. Then you could use voice control on a zone without having to first use the Alexa app to create a group.

A similar situation currently limits the IFTTT integration. In fact, the IFTTT integration is fairly primitive for now. There is only one action and no triggers available for creating applets with Mysa.

The single action available is to change the setpoint of a single thermostat. Therefore, if you want to use IFTTT to change the temperature of an entire zone, you have to create separate applets for each thermostat.

Minimalist Display

The minimalist appearance blends in well with any light colored wall. For now it’s only available in white.

In standby mode it displays the current temperature. Press the up/down arrows once and the display temperature switches to the set point temperature. Press up/down again to change the set point.

If for some reason you need to reset your Mysa, just press and hold both arrows at the same time.

Hold both up and down arrows to reset Mysa.

That’s basically it for controls on the thermostat itself. All other settings and programming need to be controlled from the mobile app.

Precise Heat Control

My first impression of the Mysa was, “wow this is kinda big”. In fact it’s much bigger than the ancient Honeywell thermostat it replaced. Like any good tinkerer, my first question was, why?

It didn’t take much investigation to figure it out. I took off the faceplate and right underneath filling up the whole case is a giant heatsink.

Mysa uses a type of integrated circuit called a TRIAC instead of a relay. The TRIAC requires a sizable heatsink to cool properly. When the heaters are on for any length of time, Mysa will get warm to the touch. This is normal.

The TRIAC allows the thermostat to heat at different intensities. This has the effect of producing more even and efficient heat.

When the difference between the room temperature and the set point is high, Mysa will use the full power of the heater. As the room temperature gets closer to the target temperature, it uses less intensity. See the screenshots below:

Future Smart Features

Empowered Homes has done a great job of creating an easy to use and reliable smart thermostat. However, I’m basing my high rating on the expectation that they continue the good work by expanding on Mysa’s smart features.

Expand Voice Control

Voice control is my preferred way to make unscheduled changes to my thermostat. Mysa has support for all three major voice assistant platforms including Apple’s HomeKit. However, the only  system I have in my home is Alexa.

Right now, Mysa’s voice control is limited to individual thermostats. I would like to see the ability to control an entire zone with one voice command. It is currently possible to do it, but you have to create a group in your Alexa app. It would be better if once you created the zone in your Mysa app, you could then just tell Alexa to control that zone without having to create another group within the Alexa app.

Expand IFTTT

In the meantime, it’s possible to use IFTTT to create your own geofencing feature. If you follow my tutorial, it works pretty well and can be used with multiple family members.

Again, the problem with the current IFTTT implementation of Mysa is that you cannot control an entire zone with a single applet. Instead each Mysa thermostat requires its own applet.

So, if you have 5 different thermostats, you’ll need to create 2 applets for each thermostat to add geofencing. That’s a total of 10 applets. Now, there’s nothing stopping you from doing that. However, if you ever want to make changes to your applet, you’ll have to go through and repeat the process for all 10 applets.


Will It Last?

One of the things that sometimes makes me shy away from tech products by new companies like this is the fear of my product becoming obsolete. Sometimes new businesses go out of business. Sometimes they end up releasing version 2 right after you buy version 1.

I don’t know what Empowered Homes’ plans are, but I don’t really have that fear with Mysa.

Future proof

From a hardware standpoint, a high voltage thermostat is not that complicated of a device. I don’t really see much improvement that’s possible. Perhaps they could redesign the heatsink and make it possible to shrink the form factor. Or, maybe add a full color touchscreen. Other than that the design is basically set.

All the improvements that Mysa is promising in the near future will be software improvements.  Therefore, your thermostat can receive all the updates wirelessly without the need to be upgraded.

Customer guarantees

They have a great website which basically answers any question you might ever have about their product. They have fast and friendly support. And, I just get a feeling that they’re a good company.

If that’s not enough, Empowered Homes provides a 2-year limited warranty on Mysa.

And if that’s still not enough, they also offer a money back guarantee. If you don’t save money on your electric bill in the first 100 days, you can return your Mysa for a full refund.


Final Thoughts

Mysa is impressive so far. The hardware looks great and works well. The features that have been rolled out are reliable and useful. Plus, more features are on the way.

Empowered Homes is a young but ambitious and effective company. Everything I’ve learned about their company so far leads me to believe they will succeed on delivering those features.

You can buy Mysa right now and have a solid, reliable smart thermostat for your line voltage heaters. You can also expect to have a full-featured smart thermostat in the near future as they continue to add to Mysa’s capabilities.

Where To Buy?

For one-click convenience, Mysa is available on Amazon.

You can also buy from the manufacturer’s website. If you plan on buying multiple units, the Mysa website is the way to go because you can get quantity discounts.

Buy Mysa Smart Thermostat from Amazon | Buy from Mysa


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