Best Buy Thermostat Install
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It was an interactive display with smart home products, including a smart lock, doorbell, cameras and thermostat. Intrigued, he tried all the gadgets. Then he worked with a smart home expert to design a system that was right for him. It was an unexpected purchase, but a valuable one.
Many customers want to make their homes smarter, but they often find it confusing to choose products, install them and monitor the technology on their own. The partnership between Best Buy and Vivint aims to simplify that.
Smart thermostats are also good for the planet: According to Energy Star, if every US household installed a smart thermostat, the energy savings would be equivalent to 1.2 million fewer vehicles on the road. Because of those potential savings, energy companies frequently offer rebates and incentives to replace a traditional thermostat with a smart one.
For example, you might configure your thermostat to lower the temperature when you leave the house and lock your front door. And it can automatically start warming the house when your garage door opens as you arrive home. These smart-home ecosystems are continually growing, so the interactions your thermostat is capable of are expanding as well (though sometimes only with the purchase of additional hardware).
Since this guide has been produced by two different reviewers, some smart thermostats mentioned throughout have been tested in different locations. For this most recent update, all of our thermostat picks except the Mysa were tested in a freestanding, single-zone home with a one-zone electric HVAC system, operating a heat pump (not a furnace).
These systems work well together to balance comfort and energy use, and in our testing the thermostat did a very good job of maintaining a comfortable temperature, while not using excessive energy when we were home.
An HVAC monitoring feature detects and notifies you of any problem with your system, such as a furnace shutdown or extended heating or cooling times. We had some experience with this feature in our testing of the more basic Nest Thermostat (see Other good smart thermostats).
Another essential smart feature of the Nest is its Eco Mode. This uses a combination of presence sensing and geofencing to determine when the house is empty and then tells the thermostat to keep temperatures within an energy-saving range. When it senses you are home or coming home, based on your habits and the location of your smartphone, it returns to its normal schedule.
The big caveat is that to make all the heating units in your system smart, you will need to replace every thermostat; this gets expensive quickly (though over time that up-front cost could be offset by energy-bill savings, since electric baseboard heating is so much less energy-efficient than other systems).
None of these companies offer discounts or incentives for upgrading from an older model. However, both Ecobee and Nest are widely available at discounted prices from utility companies through partner programs. And though all of the companies encourage owners to recycle devices when they eventually die, only Nest will provide a free shipping label and box to send in any thermostat for reclamation and data destruction; learn more about that here.
Although we strongly recommend our picks for most people, there are some scenarios in which they might be more than you need or not the right fit for your setup. Here are a few other smart thermostats that are worth considering.
I can say that the four smart thermostats I recommend above -- the Amazon Smart Thermostat, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium, the Resideo Honeywell Home T9 and the Nest Learning Thermostat -- all performed reliably during my testing.
By that I mean, each of those smart thermostats consistently adjusted the temperature, setting and mode as expected over the days I tested them. Always check with a professional electrician if you have any questions about your HVAC system's compatibility with a particular thermostat before you install it.
Options like automatic home/away modes based on your phone's location -- or sensors in the thermostat and in remote accessories that detect proximity -- can go a long way toward reducing your monthly bill. In addition, if you take the time to review the energy usage reports smart thermostat companies provide, you'll be able to identify patterns and potentially save even more money.
But smart thermostats are also more expensive than standard non-smart models. So, you have to think long-term when it comes to savings. It could take a year or more to start saving more than you spent on a smart thermostat, especially a $250 model like the Nest Learning Thermostat or the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium.
Smart thermostats can handle a lot of the heavy lifting for you, but you also have to put in some effort. Make sure to answer all of the questions when you configure your thermostat. Most likely you'll be asked to set minimum and maximum temperatures, comfortable temperature ranges when you're home and away and more.
How to install a smart thermostat can vary widely depending on your HVAC system. You can hire a professional electrician to handle the installation or to answer any questions before you attempt the installation yourself.
That said, all of the smart thermostats I've tested follow a pretty consistent step-by-step process. If you're comfortable with basic electrical work and know whether your system is compatible with the specific model you want to buy, it's a simple DIY process.
Some smart thermostats also use occupancy sensors to determine if you're home or away to automatically change the temperature for you. Other thermostats automatically switch between home and away modes based on your phone's location. Some even employ remote temperature and proximity sensors to extend the detection range of your thermostat to other parts of your home.
To accompany these modern features, many connected thermostats offer innovative designs. From a rounded shape to a responsive touchscreen, smart thermostats look a lot different than traditional models. They can also send you smart alerts, sync with other connected devices in your home and provide details on your HVAC system's energy usage over time.
As I mentioned above, the Amazon Smart Thermostat is my favorite overall smart thermostat. First, it's the least expensive model I've tested. It works via the Alexa app and with Alexa voice commands. You need a compatible Alexa-enabled smart speaker or display to use voice commands, but you don't have to enable an Alexa skill since this is an Amazon-branded product.
This thermostat is Energy Star-certified, saving an average of $50 on a yearly energy bill. It has a simple, modern design and an optional wall plate if you need to cover any old paint or holes. The touchscreen interface is minimal, but makes it easy to adjust the thermostat and switch between heat, air conditioning and other basic settings.
The Amazon Smart Thermostat isn't compatible with Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit and there's no remote temperature sensor accessory. You also either need a C-wire or you have to buy and install the C-wire adapter.
With a list price of $250, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is expensive, arguably too expensive given the current trend of more affordable models out there. Still, this model has a lot to recommend it, especially if you want to talk to Alexa without having to buy an Alexa speaker or display. This model also works with Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit, as well as Spotify. If you want a connected thermostat, Ecobee's Smart Thermostat Premium is the smartest around.
The Honeywell Home T9 lists for $210, and is a Wi-Fi thermostat with a touchscreen and one smart room sensor. The T9 works with Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit and offers reliable performance and a solid app. The device also comes with remote humidity, proximity and temperature sensors, making it the smartest sensor accessory around. Nest's sensor only provides ambient temperature readings, while Ecobee's sensor only has temperature and proximity detection capabilities.
I hold that the $249 Nest Learning Thermostat, which is currently on sale for around $180, is still the best-looking smart thermostat out there. Its rounded design harkens back to old-school thermostats, but the device has a modern look that fits in with nearly any home decor. The $169 Nest Thermostat E looks nice too, but it has more plastic components that aren't as appealing as the Learning Thermostat's stainless steel.
Like the Amazon Smart Thermostat, the Wyze Thermostat is another sub-$100 smart thermostat that we liked during testing. Available for as little as $61, this model is more affordable than the Amazon model above, and includes a C-wire adapter with your purchase. The Wyze Thermostat also has an easy set up via the Wyze app -- and it works with Alexa and Google Assistant (though there's no Apple HomeKit support).
Unfortunately, the hardware itself isn't as well-designed as Amazon's, and I found it difficult to adjust the temperature at the thermostat. If you already have a bunch of Wyze products and plan to mostly use the Wyze app to make adjustments, however, this shouldn't be too much of an issue. 59ce067264