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    Need Thermostat with Remote Sensor Suggestions

    I have an existing CT-100 Z-Wave thermostat on the 2nd floor, which is typically unoccupied. The thermostat mounting location suboptimal; it's on an insulated knee wall with an attic crawl space on the other side. Moving the thermostat and associated wiring would be difficult at best.

    The easist solution would be a thermostat with remote sensing capability.

    Any suggestions? TIA

    HS4 Pro/HomeTroller withNortek HUSBZB-1 Zigbee & Z-Wave Plus Interface


    #2
    I've been happy with Ecobee. Mine came with 2 remote sensors, I added 3 more. You can choose which sensors to incorporate during home, away, sleep, etc. The main thermostat is always incorporated into the temp average, though. They work well with Homeseer plugin. The sensors can also act as an occupied / unoccupied sensor, but I'd say are not good for "motion detected" events as they react a bit slow.

    Comment


      #3
      It looks like this is a Wi-Fi based thermostat and the plug-in interfaces it into HS4 Pro? Can you share an Ecobee model number? TIA

      Also, does this require some kind of cloud based account to function, or, is this just HomeSeer and the Ecobee thermostat?

      Comment


        #4
        I believe HomeSeer uses the cloud to communicate with the Ecobee. The thermostat does not require internet except for remote usage. I have events using HSBuddy geofences to set the Home and Away modes, but I think the thermostat can do that if all sensors are Unoccupied. Here is a link to the one I have (it has Alexa built in, but I have it disabled as I already have too many echo devices). https://www.ecobee.com/en-us/smart-t...voice-control/

        There may be some Z-wave thermostats with remote sensors. I had an older Honeywell model, but it got flaky so I replaced it with this.

        Here is a screenshot of the web interface showing the sensors (it's cold in Minnesota and I'm not home, so temps are low) White means that sensor is used for temps, the "hollow" symbols mean those sensors are not used.
        Click image for larger version

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          #5
          Most popular thermostat with remote sensors that will work with Homeseer are

          1 - Honeywell T9 WiFi thermostat and remote sensor (s)
          2 - Ecobee thermostat and remote sensor (s)

          Both connect to the Internet.

          I am currently utilizing the Honeywell T6 Z-Wave thermostat except that it does not have a remote sensor in house 2 and using a Leviton OmniStat 2 thermostat in house one that does work with remote wired sensors. The two that I use do not require the use of the Internet.
          - Pete

          Auto mator
          Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
          Homeseer Zee2 (Lite) - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e - CherryTrail x5-Z8350 BeeLink 4Gb BT3 Pro
          HS4 Lite - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenovo Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram

          HS4 Pro - V4.1.18.1 - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenova Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram
          HSTouch on Intel tabletop tablets (Jogglers) - Asus AIO - Windows 11

          X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

          Comment


            #6
            Thanks to you both for your responses.

            Implementing either of the wired remote sensor options is, unfortunately, as difficult as moving the existing CT-100.

            And after 40+ years in the world of petrochemical process control, I am very uncomfortable putting a corporate entity between HomeSeer and my instrumentation.

            So at this juncture my selected option, rarely considered in the industrial world, is to do nothing. The existing CT-100 does work but the control could be improved. Gather more information and consider if there might be a feasible solution to the wiring issue (other than a wire hanging down the wall and running across the floor 😃).

            Thanks again.

            Best Regards

            Comment


              #7
              Could you use zwave temp sensors (flex sensor, etc) and events to adjust your thermostat? I think plugin modules can report frequently enough. The ecobee remote sensors are wireless, but would require an outside entity.

              Comment


                #8
                That could be done, use another temperature sensor and essentially make the CT-100 a bang-bang controller with HomeSeer providing appropriate setpoints. I already have an OS temperature sensor input via RFXCOM.

                In that type of scenario you do have to validity check the input temperature, e.g. too high, too low, bad, frozen, etc. Then you need to consider what happens if HomeSeer fails at just the wrong time, is the last setpoint set inappropriate if HomeSeer is not available.

                All doable, I'll have to ponder that one.

                Best Regards

                Comment


                  #9
                  You might be able to DIY an approach to this configuring Tasmota (non internet) on an ESP style device and then base adjust as needed with wireless remote Temperature sensors.

                  https://tasmota.github.io/docs/Thermostat/
                  - Pete

                  Auto mator
                  Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
                  Homeseer Zee2 (Lite) - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e - CherryTrail x5-Z8350 BeeLink 4Gb BT3 Pro
                  HS4 Lite - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenovo Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram

                  HS4 Pro - V4.1.18.1 - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenova Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram
                  HSTouch on Intel tabletop tablets (Jogglers) - Asus AIO - Windows 11

                  X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I had 3 of those units in my old house and my recollection is that they DID have an internal attachment for a remote sensor. That said, in the new house I went wit Trane units. True Z-wave and they do have remote sensor capabilities. Unfortunately you can't go with the newest as Trane locked it into Nexia... So down level on model.. Need to use Trane 624s...524s don't have humidity and only some seem to have remote. 724s are locked Nexia. Never played with an 824 so I don't know

                    Comment


                      #11
                      "I had 3 of those units in my old house"

                      Are you referring to the CT-100?

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I am using the Trane 624s. I chose that controller because it is z-wave. In addition, most thermostats that allow remote sensor can only do averaging and not replace the sensor in the thermostat. In my case that was important as the thermostats are in the garage and in a closet as I replaced the thermostats with a tablet using HSTouch.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Mark42 View Post
                          "I had 3 of those units in my old house"

                          Are you referring to the CT-100?
                          yes

                          Comment


                            #14
                            "my recollection is that they DID have an internal attachment for a remote sensor."

                            I checked the installation manual that I have; there is a single wiring schedule reference to an outdoor sensor but it's maked as n/a. Is this possibly what you are recalling?

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Might be.. Might want to check the actual pinout and/or circuit board if there are various versions....

                              Comment

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