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   Technology Connections (techconnectify@mas.to)'s status on Tuesday, 05-Dec-2023 06:31:11 JST Technology Connections

   in reply to

   Literally all anybody is asking for is a thermostat which can do scheduling, can be remotely controlled/monitored, and change setpoints based on occupancy.

   It needs to be an easier-to-program thermostat with a few smarts on top and THAT'S IT.

   Right now, they're all sliding backwards in the name of "comfort presets" or some BS and the experience of using them is much worse than a simple programmable unit.

   I cannot fathom who is making these design decisions and why. It's just awful.

   • Embed this notice
     Technology Connections (techconnectify@mas.to)'s status on Tuesday, 05-Dec-2023 06:31:12 JST Technology Connections

     in reply to

     Meanwhile, Nest no longer (at least with the basic ones) lets you set different schedules for heating and cooling modes.

     Call me crazy, but I actually like my HVAC system to run different schedules in the heating vs. cooling season (and I NEVER let it run on "auto" mode).

     You used to be able to do this! The old Nest app supported it and it made perfect sense. The Google Home app doesn't, and the new cheap Nests don't talk to the old app and IT'S ALL SO STUPID

     💜 Dr. Blight ❤️ repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     Technology Connections (techconnectify@mas.to)'s status on Tuesday, 05-Dec-2023 06:31:13 JST Technology Connections

     Preface: please don't tell us why we shouldn't use a smart thermostat.

     I'll probably need to go on a video rant about this, but smart thermostats are rapidly getting dumber.

     My folks got a new heat pump system in the spring. It needed a new two-stage thermostat and the company offered an Ecobee.

     "Great!" I thought. People kept telling me Ecobee is better than Nest, and I've had major frustrations with the new Nest thermostat.

     Folks. It's just bad in different but equally maddening ways.

   • Embed this notice
     Technology Connections (techconnectify@mas.to)'s status on Tuesday, 05-Dec-2023 06:31:13 JST Technology Connections

     in reply to

     The ONE THING Ecobee did better was holding. Y'know, the feature every programmable thermostat has had forever.

     Well, in November I went on a trip with them and needed to figure out how to get the thermostat to be dumb for their house/dogsitter.

     Where did the hold feature go? It appeared to be gone.

     Oh? Now you have to go into the settings and tell it *how long* you want it to hold a temporary change, and one of the options is "indefinitely"

     WHO THOUGHT THAT MADE ANY SENSE

   • Embed this notice
     💜 Dr. Blight ❤️ (rasp@raru.re)'s status on Tuesday, 05-Dec-2023 06:32:11 JST 💜 Dr. Blight ❤️

     in reply to

     @TechConnectify This is why I just have a brainless mini-split and an IR blaster in my room.

   • Embed this notice
     Technology Connections (techconnectify@mas.to)'s status on Tuesday, 05-Dec-2023 08:52:09 JST Technology Connections

     in reply to

     • Thomas 🔭🕹️
     • Ben S.

     @HunterZ @thomasfuchs okay, just to clarify because everybody's using the word "hold" differently...

     Hold, to me, means you are asking the thermostat to be a dumb thermostat until you want it to not be a dumb thermostat anymore. It is a way to turn off its brains and make it ignore the schedule.

     That's what that word means on non-smart thermostats. And every non-smart thermostat I have ever used does indeed "hold" a manual override until the next program point.

   • Embed this notice
     Ben S. (hunterz@mastodon.sdf.org)'s status on Tuesday, 05-Dec-2023 08:52:10 JST Ben S.

     • Thomas 🔭🕹️

     @thomasfuchs @TechConnectify the Honeywell that got installed with our heat pump several years ago defaults to holding until next schedule point, which has always been fine.

     I had installed my own janky replacement wiring for a previous Honeywell thermostat from Costco that didn't support trickle charging, and the HVAC installers just reused that lol.