I got this to replace a thermostat I really loved, a nice honeywell touchscreen. But I'm a techie, and the idea of doing things via computer, iphone, and ipad was too much.
Got it at my local brick and mortar, and less than 15 minutes from opening the box until the old one was out, this was in, ipad and iphone had app and were communicating, and I had set up multiple programs via my computer on the website and uploaded.
It has the normal R, W, Y, G wires, but also needs the 24v C wire for power. Most thermostats don't have that one, so check your wires coming up to it. I was fortunate, my home builder in 2005 ran a bundle, so I had several unused ones. Just picked one at the furnace, wired it into the C terminal on the board, and had it up top here for the thermostat.
Setup is very easy, and they give you the link to go online for a nice color webpage for how to get your iphone or computer connected to this. It has a built in wifi hotspot that you connect to with another device, then use your web browser to connect to the control page of the thermostat. From there, you enter info for your wireless network to get it joined, then it talks to the mothership out on the internet, and you can then access it and program it from anywhere.
I've gone through three thermostats before this, trying to find something I liked, but as I said, I saw this in the store, and couldn't pass. And having gone through several here as well as my last house, I know how much of a pain programming can be if you have a complex need. My weeks alternate, and I've never done anything this easy before. It's far more flexible than any other one I had, because not only can you do a whole week, with four points per day, but you can, from the website, make a bunch of programs, and each program has different set points for those days. Then you just select one and say "make active" and viola, your thermostat is following that program now.
As my son loves to say, easy peasy lemon squeezy.
I haven't found a way to change from one program to another via the app on the iphone though but it does let you switch modes, fan, heat, temp and hold, etc, even turn it off. Very slick.
Without a doubt, the very best and most flexible thermostat I've ever had. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!
Edit Jan 2012 they've changed the website they back end this from, so it's no longer possible to have multiple schedules. Since that was the ONE thing besides the wireless that set this apart from all the rest, I've dropped my rating from 5 to 4 since the wireless is still nice, but that multiple schedule option was for me the best thing there was... Now I'm back to having to edit it every week when custody of my son changes, so it's just as annoying as all the others... Wireless still works and the iPhone / iPad / web access still works, just not as awesome now.
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The concept is pretty simple and I'm sure has crossed your mind. It's early morning and you wake up, cozy in bed while the temperature of the house has dropped down to a chilly 50 degrees. You know how difficult it is to get out from those warm blankets and get the day started. If there was a way to turn on the heat first, it would be great. The Filtrete Wi-Fi thermostat makes this possibleyou just have to remember to go to bed with your wireless device within arm's reach.We have an iPad so we found this product seemed like the best quality, coming from respectable 3M, at a good price. Other wireless thermostats can be twice as expensive. The packaging says "easy installation," so we decided to go for it.
Hitch number one: "easy installation" is pretty vague and certainly not necessarily accurate. The wi-fi feature requires more power than the usual wall thermostat, so additional power is required. Unfortunately, thermostat wiring frequently does not have a wire for power, or "c-wire." If you don't have a powered c-wire, your options become not-so-easy. You must run or connect a c-wire to your HVAC system, or buy a 24v wall plug and strip the wire at the end of that, plugging into the c-wire terminal (this means your once tidy wall thermostat will have a power cord running down to an outlet). If your eyes start to glaze over in technical incompetence at thought of either of these options, you may need a professional to assist. We had a c-wire installed for tidy appearance by a pro for about $50. Installation, not too easy, but it worked.
Hitch number two: Product design. There is a large complicated looking interface screen that does some things, but not all things. There are two buttons on the side with difficult to read labels that control the fan and heat/cooling on off. Why are these buttons not simply put on the front touch display? The front display is a disorganized mess with flashing lights, labels, numbers. High tech looking, but difficult to comprehend and illogical. Don't let this bother you though! The wireless control allows you to forget all about this.
Fortunately, the wireless interface is clean, simple, and renders actually using the messy interface on the thermostat box unnecessary. We are running the app on an iPad. It is very simple to use and almost feels like magic. I'd like to see a more stylish looking app, but it's hardly an issue. A wonderful concept that works great once it all gets set up.
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I just bought this thermostat from Home Depot for $99 and so far I am extremely impressed!! I was ready to spend over $400 on a different IP thermostat, power supply, and sensors, but this one does exactly what I want for a fraction of the price.You can set this up to use Radio Thermostat's "Cloud Server" if you want simple control from a computer/smartphone inside or outside of your home and don't want to mess around with writing code. However, I do want to write code so I can customize it the way I want and there is already a decent amount of information available on this forum: and this wiki:
I haven't got very far into programming much more than setting temps and stuff but so far it's easy. The API is a simple RESTful architecture. Radio Thermostat has committed to releasing API documentation in Q1 2011.
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There are 2 big issues that you are likely to encounter using the product.The first can be investigated before hand, which is the availability of a power wire ("C") from the wall. There are many posts and sites that discuss this item. Understand it first will help you avoid grieve after purchase.
The second is whether the Wifi connection is going to work for you. The comments you read are largely dependent on whether the user got the Wifi working. If it does, you have a shot at benefiting from this technology. If you, then it is a frustrating experience.
However, the worse part of the product is the lack of support.
The forum is not helpful with posts going unanswered for days. Many have problems with no resolution described.
Sending emails to support also yield no respond.
And worse of all, the phone support is a recording that comes on after 2:30 minutes. I know this because I have tried for days at different hours of the day. The literature proudly declares 365 days of support from 8AM 12AM EST. That is a misrepresentation.
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I've had this thermostat about six months. Sometimes it works perfectly and sometimes it's on strike. In other words, it's undependable. Initially, mine came with a bad WiFi module, so overall it took about a week to set up. Oh, and even with a good module, setup is far from intuitive. It's one of the most difficult wireless devices I've ever had to wrestle with. Connectivity is iffy at best. While none of my other wireless devices have trouble staying linked to my router (a high end D-Link), the thermostat connects sometimes, and sometimes not, even though it's within a few feet of the router. The odd part is that the thermostat screen will indicate a link, but my iPhone app and the web interface will say it's not connected, and I should check my wireless connection. Hmmm, makes me think the problem is on the web client end. Is the server seriously overloaded and non-responsive sometimes? Can't tell, and this is one of the most frustrating aspects of dealing with the Filtrete thermostat. One is never sure of what exactly is happening when it doesn't work as advertised.I have worked in manufacturing for a long time, and I suspect this is just another example of a product that works great in the lab and controlled field tests, but just isn't robust enough for the real world. Sometimes a product that falls into this category takes on a life of its own. Too many employees have a vested interest in keeping a lame horse alive to avoid career damage by admitting an expensive mistake. As a result, the product limps along with constant adjustments in the firmware to try and salvage it. All the while, everyone in the organization is secretly longing for the day when the pain mystically fades away. What companies refuse to realize is that products like this are damaging to their reputation. But accountants can't quantify reputation, only monies invested and promised returns on that investment. That's my theory on this item, based on decades of observing the corporate culture from inside. It doesn't make Filtrete evil, but it does speak to its corporate culture and mentality that places internal issues ahead of customers. Watch for this thermostat to fade away in the future, hopefully to be replaced by something that actually works dependably.
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