I moved a couple of months ago and didn't get around to hooking my thermostat back up in the new place. However, I did have my Hubitat running and the thermostat was using batteries so it was kind of running in the box, just not actually connected to an actual HVAC unit.
So this evening, I hooked it up in my new apartment, and I though everything was going swell, but it seems that the thermostat isn't reporting back to the hub or accepting any new configuration settings.
I know for a fact that the thermostat's current temperature is below 76.
Here are the logs:
As you can see the coolingSetpoint and other data isn't being updated either in the state of the thermostat.
Do you have debug logging turned on? Also, these are calls out from Hubitat to the Thermostat but nothing is coming back. Also, your batteries are down to 27%. it's possible the device isn't working anymore. Have you checked to make sure the backlight comes on?
I would suggest powering with a C-wire if you have one. These will chew threw batteries in no time.
So I had the batteries still in as well as the C wire (last place didn't have C). I removed the batteries. I don't think the backlight was working before. Good to know that's a sign to know if the power level is correct.
I think it's working now but it took a bit for it to get synced up.
I totally agree with Ryan780. Its most definately your batteries. I few months ago i was running my Gocontrol thermostat on batteries. Two weeks after I had inserted new batteries, I woke up to a freezing house. I checked the batteries in the unit and they were way down. I put in new batteries and it started working fine again. Two weeks later the same thing. I've converted my green fan wire to a C wire giving the thermostat power from my furnance and all is well. I dont understand how the manufacturer states it will work with batteries for a year. Change the batteries, see if that corrects your problem then see about getting a C wire hooked up
Mine actually did work with batteries at my last apartment for over 8 months I think? It was a very dumb HVAC system though and I didn't run it much. Basically just on/off and heat/cool.
I'm starting to realize that zwave devices are not terribly accurate when it comes to battery reporting.
Can't have batteries AND C wire connected. Even after you removed the batteries and just ran the C wire you must reboot the thermostat to clear it , remove it from Hubitat THEN RECONNECT to Hubitat so Hubitat knows it no longer running on batteries
I removed it from the wall and took out the batteries so it turned off. Plugging it back into the wall caused the backlight to turn on and then stuff started working.
I think that is a user manual question. My thermostat actually recommends using batteries with the C wire. Maintaining the clock in some situations was one of the reasons given as I recall.
Generally speaking (old z-wave terms), the method of being powered during z-wave pairing determines whether the thermostat functions as a routing/repeating node or works in FLiRS mode.
I didn't want my Honeywell to work as a z-wave repeater/router, so I paired it while it was battery powered and then added the C-conductor.
This is straight from the GoControl thermostat users manual:
Battery Power
Powering the thermostat from batteries does not require a āCā wire connection. DO NOT install batteries if the thermostat is powered by 24VAC. They are not required for backup.
If the thermostat is powered by batteries, the thermostat will operate for approximately (2) two
years on four (4) AA Alkaline batteries depending on the frequency of user operations and backlight
operation. Always use Alkaline batteries and replace in complete sets of four (4) at a time.
Someone coming from another Thermostat could easily disregard your comment if their previous thermostat required or recommended batteries as well as the C wire. That is why I suggested it was a user manual question. You have provided the specific response to that.
Each thermostat is different.. Most (I think all except go-control) recommend using batteries with C-wire.. The go controls recommend not using batteries with C-wire..
Some (ex: Centralite Pearl) will constantly complain about lack of batteries even with c-wire connected..
As always refer to the documentation provided by the manufacturer to be sure..
In the dark ages, when I did HVAC maintenance as a college side-job, my boss wouldn't let us put batteries into furnace/air-handler powered thermostat because alkaline batteries would leak and ruin the thermostat.
Edit: With smart thermostats, I can imagine something like this happening. There's a power loss and the thermostats start running on batteries. Because they're configured to work as z-wave repeaters (being originally 24 VAC powered), there's a heavy current draw on the batteries, increasing the odds of a battery leak and thermostat damage.
I will say that most of the thermostats I've had that you were not supposed to use batteries when hardwired would have a sticker or label in the battery compartment stating such. Which would make sense, as it isn't obvious.
Since you don't use the internal schedule with the GoControl when it's connected to Hubitat anyway, the usefulness of having the battery backup is pretty low.
Good thread. But I don't understand why people say batteries are not required for backup. How will it restore settings after an outage? From the hub? But there is still a small possibility of a problem with the hub or zwave connection after an outage. I will be installing it for an unattended house, so need to be absolutely sure it can retain the settings even if it disconnects from the hub. Seems to me battery backup is a must, isn't it?
