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Thread: WiFi IP Thermostats ???

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    Default WiFi IP Thermostats ???

    Been reseaching WiFi or even Wired Thermostats for controlling HVAC or Heating loads on clients properties (Slab Heating, Panel Heaters, A/C even)

    I have come up with 2 or 3 products that seem to cover the bases required.

    1. IP protocol to access settings, give out current temps and allow setting, turning on/off etc)

    2. Be a single unit solutions, no base station, no server to join.

    3. A good Iphone and/or Android App.... or at least a good web interface.

    I have found the Heatmiser:

    And a very cheap 3M-50:

    JUst wondered if anyone has used or perhaps has suggestions for such a product.

    The academics are very simple.... Use the Internet, hopefully via a Smart Phone to control your home Heating/Cooling requirements....

    It seems doing so if not quite as simple....

    I do not wish to go down the Home Automation road....

    I also believe there are some Split Systems on the market now that have a Ethernet port, and allow control over the WiFi or the Internet.

    There is also NEST
    But that is some what different and users their server.

    Thanks for any suggestions



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    Senior Member johnwinger's Avatar
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    I work in the HVAC-r industry. Are you looking at purchasing one of these for your own place or for your customers houses?

    I have seen a couple of these on the market and been approached by a supplier to use their product but I just could not justify the outlay to an end user. I do see the benefist especially for a large company with many branches/stores eg 7/11 stores could all have their climate controlled remotely.

    I have not heard of any A/C units that have an ethernet port inbuilt or even WIFI. WIFI would be a much better option than an inbuilt ethernet port.

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    On clients houses johnwinger.

    I find the units very cheap in price.

    Most of my Clients have 2, 3, 4 or 5 or more homes... The ability to turn On/Off or adjust heating remotely is a very attractive solution for them.... Especially if they are coming and have slab heating which takes a few days to heat the home.

    The infrastructure is already there for people to turn lights on and off or close blinds remotely via their iphones.... it is so lame that a product like this for Heating hasn't been on our local market for years now....

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    I have a 3m-50 I replaced an old manual rotary style thermostat on the ducted heating with it, it is capable of heating and cooling though. I couldn't justify spend $300 for some of the other wifi thermostats. For my purposes its really good, its great to wake in the morning and if not using the timer pull your arm out of the bed pick up the phone and turn the heating on, without having to get out of bed and walk to the other end of the house freezing to turn it on.

    I have set it up on my wireless router and created a login for 3m filtrete so I can access it loacally and remotely via the web interface and iphone app. The web interface I use for configuring the on/ off times and temperature levels and the iphone app for general use, toggling it on/off adjusting current temperature, turning it on when leaving work if I finish early etc.

    Downsides are its not designed to mount flush on the wall, the face plate/ screen looks like it would but there is actually a box about 1/2" deep on the back that holds it out. I ended up cutting a square hole in the plaster to mount it flush however the thermister that senses the temperature is behind the faceplate so you need it slightly off the wall or move the thermister to get the air movement around it. Also it doesn't have adjustable fan speed for the ducted heating ie high medium low

    In all its a great gadget and well worth it in my mind. For using it on customers systems I would suggest getting one and try it out on your own system or something to get use to it. The reason I say that is, I suppose you can say its quite IP/ computer based which some people fall into all the different categories ranging from haven't got a clue, through to I know enough to be dangerous. I found little querks like theres 2 settings normal and basic where basic hides all the extras that 90% of the time you don't use or need, so when I changed the wifi settings with a new router. I spent ages banging my head against a wall trying to reconnect it to the network only to realise it was in basic mode, and this mode was only mentioned in the manual 3/4 of the way through in a 1 liner.

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    ol' boy (27-05-13)

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