Hi, look at the virtual thermostat app or a rule engine like SmartRules or Core for your specific requirements…
My smartapp calculates the avg temp from many sensors and adjusts the setpoints accordingly (just like the ecobee3’s follow me feature).
Regards.
Thanks and I do understand. My point was that some rooms run colder/hotter then others, so an average of all rooms would not account for this. Would it be possible in your app (I paid for it) to have the ability to isolate to one sensor instead of using all sensors and the main ecobee device?
Hi,
I understand that you contributed to my DTH (My Ecobee device).
If you want to use only certain temp sensors for your colder/hotter rooms at different times of the day, then you can use ecobeeSetZoneWithSchedule smartapp which can create virtual or physical zones (with smart vents) in your home. The avg calculation can then be done on your choice of temp sensors by creating a zone which can be enabled at certain times of the day.
http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=EcobeeSetZoneWithSchedule
You should look also look into smart vents.
EcobeeSetZoneWithSchedule is available at my store:
http://ecomatiqhomes.com/store
Regards.
Thanks. Your apps are good but very detailed. Takes a while to get a handle on them.
So by using @yvesracine’s app, does the Ecobee3 lite have essentially the same functions as the Ecobee3? I need to buy two new thermostats for a new build and the $139 price tag on the lite’s is looking pretty good right now. Does anyone have an comments or suggestions on why the lite wouldn’t be sufficient? Cheers!
With the Lite, you’ll be dependent on ST. That’s probably fine. Yves’ software is good. But still. Future independence costs only $30 or so more. (If you buy more remote sensors, then it’s a little more. I bought two extra. Unless you have a very sophisticated house, you’ll probably have no need for more than 3 sensors. That’s all I have. Two would have been fine.)
You’ll also loose a lot of data on the Ecobee reports. You won’t have the follow me report. I guess that’s not a big deal. You’ll still have the general system and weather impact reports. Those are the most useful. If you want room by room reports to see how they are affecting the average, you’ll have to roll your own. That’s not so hard. It is a small minus though. . . . I’m not sure what the schedule report will look like. I think it will just indicate a long hold, as the software adjusts things using holds. Again, no big loss.
If you get the normal E3, then you have options. If you buy the lite, you have something nearly as limited as a Nest on its own. You can get a lot of power from Yves software either way. If you have the lite, you are stuck with ST + Yves to get much out of the product. That’s not so bad. But I would pay more for the option to ditch ST. I did, pay more, that is. I still have ST and use some of Yves software for changing modes. . . .
Same notes in the Android update. That’s pretty significant, as there is almost feature parity between the two now.
I found some comments interesting that the ecobee Facebook page has been posting. For instance, they posted links to the ecobee3 lite and saying things like “grab them before they’re gone”. Questions people asked were answered with things like “we only made a certain amount and they’re almost gone” and “stay tuned for updates”.
Sounds like maybe they’re prepping for a new product release, and the eb3 and eb3 lite feature differences will be easier to support long term is there’s not much difference between them at all.
Yes, there is an eb4 coming as I was asked to be part of the beta (but I was finally not selected at the end).
The target release date would be probably around October (the usual date for ecobee HW release).
It could also be released sooner…
Regards.
Anyone know if ecobee lite can control whole house fans? Based on weather. It says it has smarts for pending weather changes. Guessing it just turns off earlier.
My zoned heating/cooling solutions (available at my store) can control whole fan or evaporative cooler switches based on an outdoor temp threshold or based on an internal humidity/temp table.
Regards.
I noticed that too. Anyone actually done this yet? I’d be game to buy a few sensors to go with my Lite except would like someone else to be a guinea pig first selfishly as they aren’t cheap.I only have 1 sensor that goes with my other unit so its already paired.
Check out CoRE by @ady624 This community app can just about do anything you can think of. Plus there is unparalleled forum support for it. …oh yeah, and it’s free. 
Hi @dalec,
Yes, Core is an option, but although Core is a powerful Rule Engine, there is no way that it can reproduce the logic in my zoned Heating/Cooling Solutions to orchestrate vents/whole fan/damper/ evaporative cooler switches, zone & room thermostats efficiently; all in one package.
There is more than 3000 lines of code in each of my smartapps… Good luck to translate this kind of logic to Core…
Regards.
respectfully, you assume that your control logic is correct for all my friend. , No need to translate all, just what is needed and in the case of @joel_eggenhuize who I responded to for weather and whole house fan… it’s a walk in the park. As I love quoting @JDRoberts Choice is good.
Yes, options are good. As long as you compare oranges to oranges, not apples to oranges…
Now the big question is do I get 2 Ecobee 3 lite’s for my house or wait until EB4 is released. Unfortunately there is also no rebates in my state for thermostats.
I’d wait to see how well the E3 Lite integrates with the sensors. They just updated to say they will but so far haven’t seen anyone report how it works.
Thanks all. Getting my new central hvac next week. And ecobee lite just shipped via amazon!
I don’t have a whole house fan but am thinking why can’t I use just the fan mode of my hvac. The inlet is right near a door so i can probably set SmartThings to notify me ecobee has switched fan on only and to open the door to let the cold/hot air in. What do you guys think?
Saw the sensors go on sale on Amazon for 20% off so may get a couple. Anyone else tried it yet? Was just doing some reading and realized the E3 lite doesn’t register motion. When its just the main thermostat it doesn’t matter since it’s always just measuring from that one unit, but if you add sensors and turn on follow me, I wonder if it always assumes the main unit is present or not present. I would have to think present.
