Is anyone actually using Hubitat to control Ecobee? If so, how? Don't you loose the ability to level out temp throughout the house using the Ecobee sensors if you start having Hubitat control it?
Ecobee is actually controlling the level out temps, not Hubitat.....each of the separate sensors show up as separate devices for motion/temp. Controlling it through Hubitat is virtually the same thing as controlling it via your phone.
The only "control" Hubitat performs for my ecobees is to turn off the ecobees when I open certain doors/windows, put the thermostat in away mode when everyone leaves, and resume program (from an away mode) when the first person arrives. The hub uses webCoRE for this.
Yes, I realize that.
What I'm getting at, what purpose would anyone have to use Hubitat to control it?
Okay, that makes sense. But Ecobee technically does all this on it's own...
With the flaky API, I would imagine sometimes it wouldn't work at all?
For one example, I have a rule set that if my front screen door OR back door is open for more than 5 minutes it sets the ecobee automatically to OFF for fresh air, then once those contacts close it resumes a/c or heat....
This purpose makes sense to me. I could use that function.
Are you doing this in Rule Machine ?
By changing the Mode back to Auto, is that resuming the built in scheduling that's setup in Ecobee?
It does some of it on its own ... by itself, the ecobee doesn't turn off when you open a door or window (or turn back on when you close them) without help from contact sensors and rules.
So far, I haven't had any problems with the ecobees ... and I have two of them at another location that I haven't been to in about four months ... but those ecobees have been in away mode for that time, LOL.
Yes, I have specific heat / cool set points ranges during spring/fall other wise summer I change this to cool and winter to heat
I use Ecobee to set up a fan timer to circulate the air for 3 hours before bed. Something Ecobee can't natively do.
For the most part, my Ecobee integration serves a purpose to check the temps of the tstat and remote sensors.
Also, I have it also check if its running and put it on hold if windows are open so not to let it stupidly run the AC or Heat just because we are enjoying a nice breeze or my wife decides to sleep with the window open.
Most of my regular interactions are with Ecobee's app and try to automate as much as possible but the fan mode timer and window / doors open block are two cases Ecobee natively can't handle.
3 Likes
For me, it's about having more accurate presence information. The Ecobee can be a little slow to determine when we've left or returned home, even with sensors in each room. Life360 triggers our arrival about 40 seconds before we pull in the driveway. In the winter, the heat is already on by the time we walk in.
I have a similar rule as @waynespringer79, when my kids decide they want to open the windows at various times throughout the winter and summer season I have a rule to check the contact sensors and if the Ecobee Thermostat is on, turn off heating/cooling so we aren't running the HVAC for the birds and squirrels. Other than that I currently have schedules setup in the Ecobee environment, still a little nervous about Hubitat controlling my HVAC set points right now....but plenty of people in here are using it with no issues.
2 Likes
I am using a virtual switch to determine people left or return home through combination of Life 360 , mobile presence and motion sensors. In a RM, using virtual switch state to trigger Ecobee via custom command (set away or resume schedule). Usually, Ecobee will need 20-30 minutes to set as "smart away" without RM..
1 Like
These are great points.
I think I'll implement this for the use of windows opening and closing.
By running the set points in Hubitat, I would imagine you would loose the ability to look at the ecobee sensors to average a temp range.... ?
The ecobee integration I only really use for monitoring or adjustments if needed.
For setting my comfort modes I use an ifttt dervice to trigger them via ifttt. This way I can set my wake/sleep/home/away/off comfort modes and they are all configured with the appropriate sensors on the ecobee itself.
This was the only way I could see to do this unless something has changed recently. I haven't looked at it as this has been working fine for me for a while.
I'm just looking over this rule.
It appears you run your thermostat in auto mode all the time? I usually set it to heat in the winter, and cool in the summer. Just because of the set point gaps in Ecobee. (maybe those can be adjusted?).
By doing it based of mode: heat and mode: cool. I'd have to go into this rule every 6 months or so to adjust it.
*** Looks like I found it ***
I have my ecobee connected to Hubitat to be able to set the ecobee to away mode when the the house goes into away mode and also to turn on my ceiling fans in the summer when the AC comes on to help distribute the cool air.
1 Like
It would be nice if we could use additional comfort modes other then just away. Personally I use my Ecobee's schedule for managing the HVAC system. There may be days that someone is home when normally the house would be vacant. If I could just set the "home" comfort mode based on presence this would solve that issue.
