Can someone recommend a thermostat and a smart lock that integrates will with ST? The door I use coming in from the garage does not have a deadbolt, just a knob. The front door is both a locking knob and a deadbolt.
I don’t want to buy something and find out that it doesn’t integrate well or has issues falling off the network or something.
I’d love a doorbell that integrates, but where my doorbell is mounted is barely wide enough for your standard doorbell and I doubt would be big enough to handle a smart doorbell.
I’m just curious as to what others use as a solution.
Different things work for different people, so we do have to ask a few questions first.
what country are you in? The device selection does vary somewhat.
are you using a smartthings hub, and if so, which exact model?
which version of the smart things app are you using, the older the two classic app or the new V3 app? You wouldn’t think this would make a difference, but there are actually devices which only work with the new app or only work with the old app so we do have to ask.
The other thing to do is just to check the official “works with smartthings“ list as devices on that list generally will work well.
And remember the first rule of home automation: the model number matters. Quite often there will be devices which look exactly the same on the outside, but which use different radios or have other feature differences. So always look for the specific model numbers, and if you have any questions, post the model number along with the question.
I am using the Yale Locks B1L zwave that I bought on ebay for $80 open box replacing my front deadbolt. i have had it for 8 months without a failure or drop off. The only issue I had was that it required a larger hole in my door than was originally ther. That was a challenge.
I look forward to hearing about the non-deadbolt door as I want to do the same fro the door between my house and garage.
OK, i’m sure you’ll get lots of recommendations then. I use the ecobee thermostat, which I like a lot, but there are many choices.
As far as the garage door which has a knob but not a deadbolt, Schlage makes several smart locks for that configuration, and they specifically mention interior garage doors. They’re kind of big and clunky looking, though. Most people prefer a lever handle, but that’s up to you. The zwave versions should work well with SmartThings.
Another option is to replace the knob with an electric strike. If you’re interested in that there are a couple of topics on it. But there can be some safety concerns regarding exit during a fire with those, depending on how they are configured. So the schlage line is usually a better choice unless you really don’t like the aesthetics.
Looks like the Ecobee uses an API and isn’t zwave. Have you had any issues with the connection between the two? I’m always hesitant to branch out further than necessary.
So I jumped into this head first and purchased locks for both doors (front and garage) along with a thermostat. I chose things that my wife liked (go figure) and were listed as “works with SmartThings”.
I got the Kwikset 912 Z-Wave+ lock for the garage door that doesn’t have a deadbolt and the Kwikset 910 deadbolt lock and an exterior handle for the front door. I’m going to remove the current double lock setup at the front door and go with just a deadbolt.
I also ordered a GoControl Thermostat since it had really good reviews.
In case anyone cares, this is what I purchased:
I’ll know more this weekend when it all gets delivered and I get a chance to mess around with it. From what I’m reading, I might need a repeater that does beaming, but I wont’ know until I get things installed.
I held off on the doorbell for now. I need to make sure my current transformer is the right voltage for the doorbell.
The gocontrol is a good basic thermostat. As you noted, the ecobee integration is cloud to cloud, not direct to the hub. It has more features than the gocontrol, but they aren’t necessarily features that you would need.
As far as the locks… The Kwikset are a popular budget brand, But are not rated as high on the independent standard lock safety scale as either the Schlage or the Yale. ( just as one example, they tend to have plastic internal parts where the higher rated brands will have metal ones.)
As an engineer, I will tend to pay more for devices which have better engineering, so the Kwikset don’t make my candidate list. But from a software standpoint they definitely work just fine with smartthings and sometimes the aesthetics are more important to people on a residential lock. Choice is good.
Before jumping into too many more purchases, you might want to take a look at the device class features FAQ:
Thanks for the link. I never even thought of the safety side of things. I was just thinking of compatibility and my wife was thinking of “oooh, that looks nice and I like the color”.
On the flip side of things, if someone wants in bad enough, they are going to get in I suppose.
Quite right. As far as your typical single-family home in the US, burglars can often just get in through a window so the quality of the door lock isn’t as big an issue as it would be for a commercial building. The doorlock is more to keep out “opportunistic“ burglars, often local teenagers, and just having a lock is often enough for those purposes.
RBoy
(www.rboyapps.com - Making SmartThings Easy!)
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One approach is to start by looking at feature you need which will help you decide what you finally want to buy.
For example with locks, do you need a deadbolt or not, do you need auto lock, do you need a privacy or vacation feature, do you need a built in alarm and so on. Here’s a post on locks to get you started on this journey:
Similarly for thermostats, do you need a Z-Wave or WiFi (wifi through third party has a dependency on cloud to cloud communications), do you need a basic thermostat and then use add on SmartApp to make it do what you need (e.g. Motion Sensor Based, 5-2 Day Scheduling, Custom Scheduling, using remote temperature sensors etc) or you need something with that stuff built in so you don’t need to depend on SmartThings.
