ecobee Smart SI Thermostat

[PennBruce]

Thanks to gowinne's documentation I now have a WiFi smart thermostat.




Bruce

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by PennBruce

Thanks to gowinne's documentation....

Huh? Links? Info? Tell the whole story? What did you replace? And how did you do it?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[PennBruce]

There's not much to tell.

This is what was replaced.



Here is link to gowinne's how to do it slide show:

RV Upgrades and Improvements – Go Winne

One big positive is the option for automatic change over from heat to A/C.

The only negative is you lose the high/low fan selection. However, gowinne has a work around for this in his presentation.

You can control the HVAC from anywhere you have an internet connection. Here's a screen print from the app.



Apparently, this only works with first generation of the ecobee as the later versions will not operate on 12vdc.

Bruce

Originally Posted by creativepart

Huh? Links? Info? Tell the whole story? What did you replace? And how did you do it?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[imnprsd]

So I wrote Ecobee Support on 12/20/19 and this is what I asked them:


I have a dual stage AC in my RV. Other RV owners have hooked up the Ecobee SI unit, and they provided me with a wire conversion chart.

However, I have some additional, clarifying questions I hope you can address... to be sure I am on the right track?

* What Ecobee models work with 12V-dc systems?

* Do I need to add a Zigbee module to your Thermostat to work with my phone app?

* After I have a working system and can use my phone + App to turn on the AC remotely?

...And when relocate my RV and connect to a new internet router or WiFi "hotspot," will that require me to setup my Zigbee connection all over again?

* Will the Ecobee thermostat that works with my RV 12v system also work with Alexa?

Thank you,

=== ECOBEE SUPPORT ANSWERS ===

Dec 30, 8:00 PM EST

Hello,

I will answer your questions in the same order they have been asked to avoid any confusion,

None of our current models of the ecobee systems are compatible with 12V-DC systems, they are all 24VAC unfortunately.

No, you do not need a Zigbee module in the thermostat for the application to work on your phone.

In regards to the WiFi/hotspot, it would require a steady and consistent connection, if your IP address and internet settings stay the same and you just turn it off and turn it on a hour later, it should automatically connect to the wifi and the application should work remotely via the phone app.

The smart SI unit will not work with alexa. The ecobee that's compatible with amazon Alexa is the ecobee 4, and the ecobee smart thermostat with voice has Alexa built in, but those thermostats are not compatible with a 12V-DC system and would require quite a lot of electrical modification.

Regards,
Ecobee Support

====

So can someone tell us what other "Smart" thermostats are compatible with our RV "basement" air Conditioning unit? ...And include some or all of these features?

* 12V
* Will work with a two stage AC & heat pump (12 wires total)
* And are Alexa compatible?

Note: Attached are schematics of a basement AC with a heat pump and a second schematic of a basement AC without a heat pump. Does it make a difference when it comes to selecting a "Smart" thermostat?

[PennBruce]

You need an Ecobee Smart Si Thermostat 2. These are as you know a discontinued item. However, you can find used and new old stock on eBay.

Here's the product page from Ecobee:

https://shop.ecobee.com/products/smart-si

What I use in my RV's is a TP-Link TL-WR802N. This a very small and inexpensive device that I use as a hot spot. All my connected devices including the Ecobee connect to this hotspot. When I arrive a new campground, I access the router and log it into the campground's WiFi. Only one device to change.

https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-netw...ter/tl-wr802n/

You can control your termostat as long as the Ecobee has power and an internet connection. You can control it from your bed in your RV or from your bed at home.

Bruce

[imnprsd]

PennBruce: Thanks for verifying the older Ecobee Si models are 12V.

I did a search on this model and found a very well put together PowerPoint Presentation by another forum member (Larry).

I converted Power Point to .pdf so it can be attached to this thread. See below. However, I'm not sure this is the model I would want to install... especially if it will not handle my 2 stage fan control (lo/hi) and if my unit has a heat pump then what?

Also appearing below is a wire conversion chart to an Ecobee Si model I took from the Ecobee Si Manual.

...But I still have a few questions about using the Ecobee Si I hope you can answer:

1) Did you install a manual toggle switch to flip between low AC fan speed and High fan speed? Or did you just make it one speed by tying the wires together?

2) If you have a Heat Pump in your AC does this preclude you from using the Ecobee Si?

3) Our Coleman Thermostat has 12 wires. The Ecobee has 7. I have not studied the wire conversion chart closely, but can you confirm your wire diagram matches the wire-chart below?

[PennBruce]

It's tolerant of 12 volts. I believe it's built for 24 volt systems.

Originally Posted by imnprsd

PennBruce: Thanks for verifying the older Ecobee Si models are 12V.

I did not install a fan speed switch.

Originally Posted by imnprsd

Did you install a manual toggle switch to flip between low AC fan speed and High fan speed? Or did you just make it one speed by tying the wires together?

The Voyage's basement A/C are also heat pumps. They work fine with the Ecobee with one exception. The fan comes on immediately so you get cold air until the compressor generates heat.

Originally Posted by imnprsd

If you have a Heat Pump in your AC does this preclude you from using the Ecobee Si?

Larry's Power Point should include all the wiring information. Here is a YouTube version of Larrry's Power Point presentation. Wiring info is at the end.

Originally Posted by imnprsd

Our Coleman Thermostat has 12 wires. The Ecobee has 7. I have not studied the wire conversion chart closely, but can you confirm your wire diagram matches the wire-chart below?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hjY-RhaeCc

When you configure the Ecobee you don't configure it for a heat pump. Again this is covered in Larry's presentation.

Bruce

[imnprsd]

PennBruce: Thanks for showing Larry's PowerPoint on YouTube. I found that link, but then I lost it. And it's nice to view on YouTube. Note: This is the same presentation I posted as a .pdf above.

Also, I have not looked at this project very carefully, so I'm going to summarize what I hear you and Larry pointing out. I hope I get your suggestions right?

* The correct wiring diagram is in the presentation and appears below. I also made a .pdf for easy print out. (See attached.)

* You said: "When you configure the Ecobee you don't configure it for a heat pump. Again this is covered in Larry's presentation." Why not?

Question: Are you saying that our Coleman Basement ACs do have a heat pump, but that we should not follow the Ecobee manual when it comes to wiring the Ecobee Si for a heat pump? ...And that we should just follow the wire diagram below?

* About the 2 speed fan switch. Is there no way for the Ecobee Si unit to switch between low and high fan speed? And the only way to do that is to add the toggle switch?

Personally, I would rather not wire a toggle switch, and I would prefer to select a different "Smart Thermostat" that also has a low and high fan speed setting. Doesn't the Ecobee have that?

* If you think the Ecobee Si thermostats were designed for 24V, but will work with 12V, then will other Ecobee models work in the RV-12V systems too?

Remember to print out the .pdf presentation in a previous post and/or the .pdf wire diagram attached of pages 23 & 24.