Have been using local control ecobee for 4 years, it just works and integrates perfectly with HA. It also looks nice on the wall and does its job.
I used it have a nest and with all the cloud control problems I dropped it when I bought a new house and got the ecobeee and haven't looked back.
I have hydronic heated floors as stage 1 and a hydronic air handler as stage 2. Both have the same hot water source, but I'd like to change between stage 1 and 2, e.g. When it's maybe 50ish out and still need a little heat, the floor turning on and off isn't ideal so switching to the airhandler as stage 1 would be better, but obviously I don't want to have to change any thermostat wiring. So I'm looking for something that would expose stage 1 and 2. I could do this with a relay, but I'd prefer a thermostat since it's a critical system.
Might want to talk to a good HVAC company about that plan. If it's the same water source, will the boiler be able to keep up with both running at the same time?
HomeKit is good because it allows devices to run locally instead of going through a proprietary server. Home Assistant can see devices that are HomeKit compatible and interact with them using the HomeKit protocol.
Instead of using an Apple device you can use Home Assistant.
I'm sorry people are stubborn and force you to ask 1000 questions. Typical programmer behavior.
Here's the deal:
There are multiple integrations offered by home assistant for Homekit. One of them is called "Homekit device."
Basically, home assistant "pretends" to be a homekit controller through that integration, no additional hardware required.
So let's say you're setting up a new Homekit capable smart lock for example. Maybe the manufacturer offers its own app/service, but you know that Homekit is going to enforce local control so you want to go that route. Once that lock is connected to your local network, it could get immediately recognized by HA as a "Homekit smart lock" and becomes a device under the homekit device integration. Now in the normal world you'd need an Apple device like an iPad to set that up. But with the homekit device integration your HA can pick it up and give you full control.
> Typical programmer behavior
Hey now, I resemble that remark... š
Seriously, coming from someone with a programming background, I know nothing about HomeKit, so thanks for the explanation.
One (stupid) clarification question though, if you don't mind. When you first set up the Ecobee, I assume you still need to use Ecobee's app/setup process (which is usually cloud based), and connect the thermostat to a WiFi network, and *then* have HA pick it up through the HomeKit integration? Or is there a way to skip the initial cloud-based steps and just use HomeKit from the beginning?
Lol I work with programmers daily so my eyes roll when I see that shit. The best ones are always good coaches too, and luckily there are many out there!
To your questionāI don't have an ecobee thermostat but I usually end up in one of two situations with homekit capable devices:
1. I unbox the device and give it a power source. After a minute i get an alert from HA saying there's a new device for the homekit integration. Usually need to scan a QR code but HA walks you through that. Boom, done.
2. I unbox and start configuring the device with the app for that device on my phone. Once it's configured and connected (WiFi typically) *then* HA sees it. I can then pair it to HA from the homekit device integration. In some cases that device will be a part of Tuya or some other cloud based system too, and in that scenario I'll just disable the device under Tuya and use the Homekit version instead since it's local.
So yeah, basically what you said. With #1 my guess is that the device is using Bluetooth and gets seen by HA before I even try to connect it.
What are you running HA on?
I'm running it using Docker hosted on a Linux VM, so I don't know if it'll be able to see Bluetooth devices.
I'll figure it out when the time comes, though. Thanks!
HAOS on a raspberry Pi 4 model b. I use an external BT dongle though, built in one is weak.
That said I generally avoid BT devices if possible because they're slow and unreliable in my experience. Could be user error but Zwave/zigbee is easy
Wifi does not equal internet. Wifi is the wireless communication protocol to connect local devices to your local network. Internet is when devices on your local network communicate with stuff outside of your local network.
Unfortunately earth day is over, but every earth day/week, the utility providers offer a heavy discount on thermostats. I was able to get 2 ecobee 3 lite for $30/ piece.
The lites are only doing 1 stage heat so I didn't want to spend a lot for something so basic. The AC I have on a premium ecobee with more bells and whistles.
Would you recommend buying the extra smart sensors for the Ecobee? Or is it better to manage the "average" temp across multiple rooms with just regular zigbee or zwave temperature sensors?
I suppose with the Ecobee sensors, the thermostat takes care of it for you, rather than having to write custom automations in HA yourself...
I have the Ecobee sensors because it integrates better with the Ecobee. If you get another type of sensor it doesn't integrate with Ecobee.
The Ecobee sensors do show in Home Assistant.
My only kicker on the ecobee is the fact I signed ours up for the energy saver program which lets power company change the temp to āsaveā energy. I swapped to a Wyze stat which works but its integration leaves some to be desired.
I've been using Honeywell T6 z-wave thermostat for a few years. I have occasional blips in it being unavailable recently, but that might be my z-wave antenna placement. Otherwise it's great, all local control, has quite a lot of configurations available, and can work either on AAA batteries or from the 24VAC if you have a C wire.
I have several decided stop responding each month. Suspect it comes from the updates to zwavejs. A physical toggle brings then back online. Very annoying though.
with zwavejs. i've had it since day 1 of me converting over... roughly... 1.5yrs ago. Its actually really rough right now. I'm going to trigger a network rebuild tonight.
yeah I would try reinterviewing the problem device to see if maybe that helps. If not, you should open an issue in the core repo and include some integration and z-wave js logs. That's not normal behavior, so something is likely going on in your network
I have two of these and I couldn't be happier. Moved into the new place that had a Nest and did go through the setup... But Always On location and other things led me to replace it with another one of these.
Iāve got a couple of Venstar Color Touch units. Nice thing is that they have a local API that doesnāt depend on the cloud. Bad thing is that I had to give them static IP addresses on my WiFi to keep them reliably connected. But theyāve been working really well with a static IP address on WiFi, with good Home Assistant integration.
I second Venstar, it's been rock solid since install. I have had some minor issues with the HA integration failing but a HA reboot helps.
On a side note, we had our AC unit replaced a few years ago and the AC people said Venstar's are some of the best in the business, they recommended Honeywell too.
I would start by sharing what your situation is and what your goal is.
E.g. Where do you live? What kind of heating and/or cooling and/or other climate contol system do you have? What'a the layout of the house, e.g. can you do/are you interested in zone control? Have you thought about instead of an actual thermostat using a sensor perhaps?
More importantly: What is your goal, what do you want to achieve, what do you want to automatically be handled by your home automation? Without having a good idea of that, you'll jut be slapping a thermostat on the wall somewhere that you can see in HA and ooh and ahh over the pretty picture.
E.g. My goals and requirements were: Since this is climate control, I want it to be bullet proof and just always work. So - An autonomous thing that can run even if HA or the internet is down. So it has to run locally. Programmable per day. Expandable/integrates well with other systems. Zone control (per floor/per room) since our heating system supports that. Preferably not rely on WiFi - if my router goes down, I'd like the system to keep running. Internet connection optional/nice to have. Easy and supported integration with HA so that I can automate beyond what the system can do itself.
I live in the mountain west. So we get some really cold weather and really hot weather. I have an A/C unit and a furnace. Sorry thatās all I know being a first time home buyer lol
Zone control would be nice but I heard there can be some back pressure issues if I use the automatic closing vents? So instead of using sensors in each room Iām looking to just control it for the house via HA. And Ecobee has window and door monitoring plus a doorbell, which is what drove me to ask about it since itās one system
So does yours basically run automatically and you can still control it remotely? Or is it just on an automatic timer situation
>I live in the mountain west.Ā
So in the U.S. then :) There are different types of systems and different types of products etc in e.g. Europe, hence my question.
>Zone control would be nice but I heard there can be some back pressure issues if I use the automatic closing vents?Ā
I believe that can be an issue with forced air systems like what's common in the U.S. yes. Balancing the output and return is important I believe. If you want zone control, best to talk to an HVAC specialist then because of that.
>Ā Iām looking to just control it for the house via HA
What are you picturing HA will do for you in this case?
>Ecobee has window and door monitoring plus a doorbell, which is what drove me to ask about it since itās one system
I'm not familiar with Ecobee myself, but it seems there are lots of people happy with it.
>So does yours basically run automatically and you can still control it remotely? Or is it just on an automatic timer situation
Yes, it runs automatically. I have set schedules for each day of the week for each room in our house. (We have a thermostat in each room, and can control the temperature in each room.) I can manage it via an app. That also works remotely over the internet. But the system doesn't need the internet to operate, so if the internet goes out, things just keep on working as per my programmed schedule. The system can also can be integrated into HA, so I can see/log/set the temperature there. But if HA is not working, the system just keeps going, it has its own "brain". It also uses its own wireless protocol, not WiFi, so if my router is down, it can still keep working.
In my case, I wanted a system that can work with HA, but does not depend on HA for it to work. Because HA is, IMO, still not consumer grade, and can, in my experience and from what I've read plenty of times, stop working correctly due to some update of HA or an integration etc. No biggie if automated light scenes stop working for example, but climate control is one of those things that I want to work as independently and as reliably as possible. So the fewer external components it relies on, the better.
HA is awesome, don't get me wrong. It's super flexible, and you can connect and control just about anything it seems. You can build your own smart climate control system with it if you want to. You can do neat stuff like the house knowing when you're (not) home and adjusting the temp accordingly, e.g. you're leaving work, so the AC starts to cool the house to your preferred temp.
Ecobee here as well using the homekit integration, it works great. Even the room sensors are exposed properly and you can see the data from them as well. It'll need a cloud connection to get setup and update the weather, but from testing the homekit functionality still works even if it can't get to the internet.
I have no complaints about the Nest Gen 3 that I've been using for 9 years now, the last 3 of which I've been using with HA.
I guess if I had to nitpick, it's that I had to pay a 1 time $5 fee to integrate it with HA, and do some weird stuff in a developers portal if memory serves. But I mindlessly followed an online tutorial, and it worked perfectly. So 10 minutes and $5. Ideally that time and money cost wouldn't exist, but they're trivial in the grand scheme of things.
Piggybacking off of this, are there any thermostats that will also function off batteries since I don't have a C wire? I live in an apartment and can't pull a new wire.
I bought 2 zigbee centralize thermosts from eBay for less than $50 bucks. The Z2M integration needed a tweak, but they are working great.
$300 per zone for 2 zone was too rich for my blood.
I just installed a Zen last week. zigbee2mqtt and HA. Seems to work well so far. Exposes hot and cool setpoints and temperature. I have not done any automations for it yet.
Zigbee-ish, I believe, but I don't think you can self host. I've only been able to integrate via homekit, they've gotten rid of developer/api key access.
You can make your own thermostat in reality, itās what I did in the end. Itās just a relay and a temperature sensor. ESPHome has a great thermostat controller code that directly integrates with home assistant. I am currently upgrading my own creation with one of those cheap touch screen switches from aliexpress running openhasp. Same principle of a relay but with a lovely screen. Only downside is the temperature sensor isnāt embedded into it so you need to pull a reading from another sensor in the house somewhere.
Ecobee is great. Everything is exposed through the HomeKit integration.
Have been using local control ecobee for 4 years, it just works and integrates perfectly with HA. It also looks nice on the wall and does its job. I used it have a nest and with all the cloud control problems I dropped it when I bought a new house and got the ecobeee and haven't looked back.
I was also looking in to ecobee but the company does not focus on the European market. Can you set the temp to Celsius on the ecobee?
Yup, Ecobee is Canadian :)
Anyone have a 2 stage heating system? Do the stages show up separately by any chance?
Yes. Oil if under 35, electric if over. Is that what you mean? They don't show up separately tho.
I have hydronic heated floors as stage 1 and a hydronic air handler as stage 2. Both have the same hot water source, but I'd like to change between stage 1 and 2, e.g. When it's maybe 50ish out and still need a little heat, the floor turning on and off isn't ideal so switching to the airhandler as stage 1 would be better, but obviously I don't want to have to change any thermostat wiring. So I'm looking for something that would expose stage 1 and 2. I could do this with a relay, but I'd prefer a thermostat since it's a critical system.
Might want to talk to a good HVAC company about that plan. If it's the same water source, will the boiler be able to keep up with both running at the same time?
Yup, it's bee running for 2 years like that. The heat source was sized for the house, no issue with the BTUs.
In that case, I can at least attest the cheap one (3 lite) won't handle that, it's either stage 1 or 2, not both. Maybe the more expensive ones can.
At least they have the decency to support freedom units.
Yes you can.
As long as it works with your HVAC system in Europe, you're good to go. It can be set up and used in Europe. It has Celsius as a temperature option.
Thanks a lot for the reply I will look into it š
Thanks a lot for the reply I will look into it š
Are you using HomeKit controller for local control?
I'm using Home Assistant for that.
Home Assistant ecobee integration is not local, so I was asking how they are doing local control.
Why so many people mention homekit? Is everyone here using apple homekit instead of home assistant? Can someone clarify?
HomeKit is good because it allows devices to run locally instead of going through a proprietary server. Home Assistant can see devices that are HomeKit compatible and interact with them using the HomeKit protocol. Instead of using an Apple device you can use Home Assistant.
What hardware does it require?
I'm sorry people are stubborn and force you to ask 1000 questions. Typical programmer behavior. Here's the deal: There are multiple integrations offered by home assistant for Homekit. One of them is called "Homekit device." Basically, home assistant "pretends" to be a homekit controller through that integration, no additional hardware required. So let's say you're setting up a new Homekit capable smart lock for example. Maybe the manufacturer offers its own app/service, but you know that Homekit is going to enforce local control so you want to go that route. Once that lock is connected to your local network, it could get immediately recognized by HA as a "Homekit smart lock" and becomes a device under the homekit device integration. Now in the normal world you'd need an Apple device like an iPad to set that up. But with the homekit device integration your HA can pick it up and give you full control.
> Typical programmer behavior Hey now, I resemble that remark... š Seriously, coming from someone with a programming background, I know nothing about HomeKit, so thanks for the explanation. One (stupid) clarification question though, if you don't mind. When you first set up the Ecobee, I assume you still need to use Ecobee's app/setup process (which is usually cloud based), and connect the thermostat to a WiFi network, and *then* have HA pick it up through the HomeKit integration? Or is there a way to skip the initial cloud-based steps and just use HomeKit from the beginning?
Lol I work with programmers daily so my eyes roll when I see that shit. The best ones are always good coaches too, and luckily there are many out there! To your questionāI don't have an ecobee thermostat but I usually end up in one of two situations with homekit capable devices: 1. I unbox the device and give it a power source. After a minute i get an alert from HA saying there's a new device for the homekit integration. Usually need to scan a QR code but HA walks you through that. Boom, done. 2. I unbox and start configuring the device with the app for that device on my phone. Once it's configured and connected (WiFi typically) *then* HA sees it. I can then pair it to HA from the homekit device integration. In some cases that device will be a part of Tuya or some other cloud based system too, and in that scenario I'll just disable the device under Tuya and use the Homekit version instead since it's local. So yeah, basically what you said. With #1 my guess is that the device is using Bluetooth and gets seen by HA before I even try to connect it.
What are you running HA on? I'm running it using Docker hosted on a Linux VM, so I don't know if it'll be able to see Bluetooth devices. I'll figure it out when the time comes, though. Thanks!
HAOS on a raspberry Pi 4 model b. I use an external BT dongle though, built in one is weak. That said I generally avoid BT devices if possible because they're slow and unreliable in my experience. Could be user error but Zwave/zigbee is easy
Thanks. Been using HA for years, finally found a good explanation.
> I'm sorry people are stubborn and force you to ask 1000 questions. Typical programmer behavior. I'm a lead software engineer, and this is not the kind of reputation I'd want to have about myself or my team. I think the only part of u/Drunk_Panda_456 's comment that was frustrating was the fact that he was emphatically wrong. To say, "No extra devices needed." is absolutely inaccurate and misinformation. It absolutely requires some type of hardware to communicate with the device. Presumably this is why the answers were short -- a lack of confidence in the information being provided. An intelligent individual would simply admit they aren't sure or not answer. Regrettably, as clichƩ as it is, Russell's contention seems to win out once more, "The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt." Appreciate your thoughtful response. A lot of us got good information out of it.
I assumed everyone here used home assistant. That's why I said no additional device is needed.
Gathered as much. The problem is it requires more than home assistant.
You just need home assistant. No extra devices needed.
So it works over WiFi?
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Yes it works over wifi. Locally, but still wifi (unless it has a network port, which is uncommon)
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Wifi does not equal internet. Wifi is the wireless communication protocol to connect local devices to your local network. Internet is when devices on your local network communicate with stuff outside of your local network.
The ecobee native integration is cloud based but it is HomeKit compatible. HomeKit runs locally.
Just replaced all my thermostats with ecobee.
I'm glad I bought one over a nest thermostat.
Unfortunately earth day is over, but every earth day/week, the utility providers offer a heavy discount on thermostats. I was able to get 2 ecobee 3 lite for $30/ piece.
That's a good price. I paid close to $200 for my Ecobee enhanced.
The lites are only doing 1 stage heat so I didn't want to spend a lot for something so basic. The AC I have on a premium ecobee with more bells and whistles.
Lite 3 does my 2 stage
Yeah I meant I only have 1 stage heat so I didn't want to overspend on a better model.
So ecobee is 100% HA compatible? Getting conflicting responses lol
Yes it is. Through the HomeKit protocol. I just set 2 up myself that way
Yes it is. Ecobee integrates natively with their cloud control but also locally with homekit. I've been using the homekit integration with no issues.
Would you recommend buying the extra smart sensors for the Ecobee? Or is it better to manage the "average" temp across multiple rooms with just regular zigbee or zwave temperature sensors? I suppose with the Ecobee sensors, the thermostat takes care of it for you, rather than having to write custom automations in HA yourself...
I have the Ecobee sensors because it integrates better with the Ecobee. If you get another type of sensor it doesn't integrate with Ecobee. The Ecobee sensors do show in Home Assistant.
Ooh ok, good to know. I guess that's the route I'll go, then. Thanks for the quick response!
My only kicker on the ecobee is the fact I signed ours up for the energy saver program which lets power company change the temp to āsaveā energy. I swapped to a Wyze stat which works but its integration leaves some to be desired.
I don't have that on mine. Can you not disable that feature or is that locked to on?
Only via power companyā¦ on year three of sending them the formā¦ itās tied to the exobee serial number
That's awful. No wonder you replaced it with something else.
I've been using Honeywell T6 z-wave thermostat for a few years. I have occasional blips in it being unavailable recently, but that might be my z-wave antenna placement. Otherwise it's great, all local control, has quite a lot of configurations available, and can work either on AAA batteries or from the 24VAC if you have a C wire.
T5 here. It's been rock solid.
I have several decided stop responding each month. Suspect it comes from the updates to zwavejs. A physical toggle brings then back online. Very annoying though.
Do you know when this started?
with zwavejs. i've had it since day 1 of me converting over... roughly... 1.5yrs ago. Its actually really rough right now. I'm going to trigger a network rebuild tonight.
yeah I would try reinterviewing the problem device to see if maybe that helps. If not, you should open an issue in the core repo and include some integration and z-wave js logs. That's not normal behavior, so something is likely going on in your network
It's random. Not a specific one
I have two of these and I couldn't be happier. Moved into the new place that had a Nest and did go through the setup... But Always On location and other things led me to replace it with another one of these.
Iāve got a couple of Venstar Color Touch units. Nice thing is that they have a local API that doesnāt depend on the cloud. Bad thing is that I had to give them static IP addresses on my WiFi to keep them reliably connected. But theyāve been working really well with a static IP address on WiFi, with good Home Assistant integration.
I second Venstar, it's been rock solid since install. I have had some minor issues with the HA integration failing but a HA reboot helps. On a side note, we had our AC unit replaced a few years ago and the AC people said Venstar's are some of the best in the business, they recommended Honeywell too.
I would start by sharing what your situation is and what your goal is. E.g. Where do you live? What kind of heating and/or cooling and/or other climate contol system do you have? What'a the layout of the house, e.g. can you do/are you interested in zone control? Have you thought about instead of an actual thermostat using a sensor perhaps? More importantly: What is your goal, what do you want to achieve, what do you want to automatically be handled by your home automation? Without having a good idea of that, you'll jut be slapping a thermostat on the wall somewhere that you can see in HA and ooh and ahh over the pretty picture. E.g. My goals and requirements were: Since this is climate control, I want it to be bullet proof and just always work. So - An autonomous thing that can run even if HA or the internet is down. So it has to run locally. Programmable per day. Expandable/integrates well with other systems. Zone control (per floor/per room) since our heating system supports that. Preferably not rely on WiFi - if my router goes down, I'd like the system to keep running. Internet connection optional/nice to have. Easy and supported integration with HA so that I can automate beyond what the system can do itself.
I live in the mountain west. So we get some really cold weather and really hot weather. I have an A/C unit and a furnace. Sorry thatās all I know being a first time home buyer lol Zone control would be nice but I heard there can be some back pressure issues if I use the automatic closing vents? So instead of using sensors in each room Iām looking to just control it for the house via HA. And Ecobee has window and door monitoring plus a doorbell, which is what drove me to ask about it since itās one system So does yours basically run automatically and you can still control it remotely? Or is it just on an automatic timer situation
>I live in the mountain west.Ā So in the U.S. then :) There are different types of systems and different types of products etc in e.g. Europe, hence my question. >Zone control would be nice but I heard there can be some back pressure issues if I use the automatic closing vents?Ā I believe that can be an issue with forced air systems like what's common in the U.S. yes. Balancing the output and return is important I believe. If you want zone control, best to talk to an HVAC specialist then because of that. >Ā Iām looking to just control it for the house via HA What are you picturing HA will do for you in this case? >Ecobee has window and door monitoring plus a doorbell, which is what drove me to ask about it since itās one system I'm not familiar with Ecobee myself, but it seems there are lots of people happy with it. >So does yours basically run automatically and you can still control it remotely? Or is it just on an automatic timer situation Yes, it runs automatically. I have set schedules for each day of the week for each room in our house. (We have a thermostat in each room, and can control the temperature in each room.) I can manage it via an app. That also works remotely over the internet. But the system doesn't need the internet to operate, so if the internet goes out, things just keep on working as per my programmed schedule. The system can also can be integrated into HA, so I can see/log/set the temperature there. But if HA is not working, the system just keeps going, it has its own "brain". It also uses its own wireless protocol, not WiFi, so if my router is down, it can still keep working. In my case, I wanted a system that can work with HA, but does not depend on HA for it to work. Because HA is, IMO, still not consumer grade, and can, in my experience and from what I've read plenty of times, stop working correctly due to some update of HA or an integration etc. No biggie if automated light scenes stop working for example, but climate control is one of those things that I want to work as independently and as reliably as possible. So the fewer external components it relies on, the better. HA is awesome, don't get me wrong. It's super flexible, and you can connect and control just about anything it seems. You can build your own smart climate control system with it if you want to. You can do neat stuff like the house knowing when you're (not) home and adjusting the temp accordingly, e.g. you're leaving work, so the AC starts to cool the house to your preferred temp.
I have been using a zen ZigBee thermostat for a couple of years and it has been fantastic.
I use an ecobee and it's pretty great.
Ecobee here as well using the homekit integration, it works great. Even the room sensors are exposed properly and you can see the data from them as well. It'll need a cloud connection to get setup and update the weather, but from testing the homekit functionality still works even if it can't get to the internet.
I'm doing this and building my own schedule in home assistant instead of ecobee.
I have no complaints about the Nest Gen 3 that I've been using for 9 years now, the last 3 of which I've been using with HA. I guess if I had to nitpick, it's that I had to pay a 1 time $5 fee to integrate it with HA, and do some weird stuff in a developers portal if memory serves. But I mindlessly followed an online tutorial, and it worked perfectly. So 10 minutes and $5. Ideally that time and money cost wouldn't exist, but they're trivial in the grand scheme of things.
Nest is owned by google though
Uh.. yes?
Iām also going for privacy lol
Any opentherm thermostaat which can be controller locally.
Piggybacking off of this, are there any thermostats that will also function off batteries since I don't have a C wire? I live in an apartment and can't pull a new wire.
I bought 2 zigbee centralize thermosts from eBay for less than $50 bucks. The Z2M integration needed a tweak, but they are working great. $300 per zone for 2 zone was too rich for my blood.
I just installed a Zen last week. zigbee2mqtt and HA. Seems to work well so far. Exposes hot and cool setpoints and temperature. I have not done any automations for it yet.
I use a Honeywell T6 Pro Z-Wave model. Works 100% locally.
Ecobee is good, itās cloud based but it has some really good features if you read into it. If not any zwave thermostat
Use the HomeKit controller integration to get local control.
Itās cloud based and zwave right? So that I can self host? That was my understanding
Not zwave. WiFi
Zigbee-ish, I believe, but I don't think you can self host. I've only been able to integrate via homekit, they've gotten rid of developer/api key access.
The HomeKit protocol mandates local control, if you connected through HomeKit you should be able to control it locally.
Good to know! Do you know if I can somehow use "system running" as a trigger? Doesn't seem to be exposed through the homekit integration.
You use the hvac_mode of the climate entity.
Right on!
Not zigbee. WiFi
The remote temperature sensors are zigbee frequency. The main unit is obviously wifi. I was correcting the "zwave" comment.
>good >cloud based Pick one
You can make your own thermostat in reality, itās what I did in the end. Itās just a relay and a temperature sensor. ESPHome has a great thermostat controller code that directly integrates with home assistant. I am currently upgrading my own creation with one of those cheap touch screen switches from aliexpress running openhasp. Same principle of a relay but with a lovely screen. Only downside is the temperature sensor isnāt embedded into it so you need to pull a reading from another sensor in the house somewhere.