First off I had a 4-wire thermostat that was on my system with 3 postion switch... heat off cool.. No emergency heat...it's a air conditioner with an electric heater (not heat pump heater) all in one Goodman unit .....
there was a yellow wire. a green wire ..... white wire and a red wire....and a jumper wire between RC and Rh that's all...
I had no C wire and this absolutely 100% works on my system with no C wire the batteries keep the screen lit .......
the wifi everything hooks up fine.....
So 5 stars for the thermostat pretty easy to setup.. Need to start a account with sensi
Free no big deal.. App works great..
Now for me the downside is it doesn't work well with Alexa it doesn't do the basic commands you can go to heat and you can go up and down on the temperature. Couldn't get it to actually turn the AC on or turn the unit off.....
The Sensi app works fine up down temperature everything works great heat ac automatic...
just doesn't work all that that smooth with Alexa. Over all .... So if just a good easy wifi thermostat I would highly recommend this.......
Updated update update update 1/28/18
wife figured it out... works great 10 stars
You have to say exactly
Alexa set thermostat setting to cool
Alexa set thermostat setting to heat
Alexa set thermostat setting to off
Alexa set to what ever degree you want
Purchased this model based on the good reviews and the no requirement for a c-wire. Decided to replace my 17-year old RobertShaw thermostat (t-stat) because I wanted remote capability. I was hesitant to touch A/C wiring whereas I had no experience with A/C wiring. The A/C company wanted $90.00 to install it, but I decided to do it myself since it was just a 4-wire system. (no c-wire). It took me just 15 min to remove the old, and then install/wire up the new t-stat. That's how easy it was. Was able connect the t-stat to my 2Ghz wifi network and used the Sensi app on my mobile. Everything worked just fine. No issues at all with wifi setup and using the app. It works exactly as designed.
You can make t-stats adjustments either by wifi or LTE on your mobile. No delay in signal. My wifi has never lost signal and has stayed up now for 1 week.
The t-stat itself (on wall) has very few settings. Just has temp control, fan/auto/heat/cool and wifi settings. All other settings are done via your mobile. There is also a light switch at the top of the t-stat that when pressed, stays on for 10 seconds, then turns off. BTW: The t-stat light is always off until you press any button. LCD screen is very easy to read with or without the light.
One of my requirements for a t-stat was to have a differential as to how much longer a unit will run once it hits its set temp. This model does not have a adjustable value, but does have a "cycle rate" of slow/medium/fast. I set mine to slow to keep it from turning on/off too many times. From the measurements I have taken with a infrared thermometer, the "slow" cycle has a differential of 0.7 degrees. This seems to be inline with what Emerson says (actually, they say within 1 degree).
Important note: If your home loses internet access, you will NOT be able to control the t-stat, even when you are at home on your local intranet. Some systems still let you access your devices via the local intranet, but this t-stat require cloud access 24x7.
Now, in case your t-stat screen is locked, and you lose internet connection, you have no way to do any changes on the wall unit since the screen is locked and your mobile is the only way to unlock it. In this case, Emerson has a key sequence you can press on the wall unit to unlock the display. (btw: the screen lock is a feature that you enable on the t-stat to prevent people from making changes on the wall unit)
Small issues:
The light switch at the top of the t-stat is hard to find and press. I never hit it on the first attempt. Always have to feel around at the top and press hard.
There is one problem I constantly hit. I goto my Sensi app and change any setting (temp, lock/unlock screen). The Sensi app accepts the setting changes, so you think all is good. However, when I look at the t-stat on the wall, no changes occurred (see attached picture). This has happened numerous times each day since I have had it. Called support and they are not aware of any issues. In each failure, my wifi signal is up - no problems with wifi.
After a few days of this happening, I see the problem. It does not appear to be the t-stat, but rather the Sensi app itself. It somehow is hung up, but gives the appearance that it is operating. If I kill the app, and restart it, the sync up to the t-stat is working again. Each time that the app behaves this way, I just kill and restart it. Works every time. So, each time I use the app to make a setting change, i just kill the app and restart when I need it.
The accuracy of the t-stat is pretty accurate (within 0.5 degrees of my infrared thermometer)
Overall, love the product. I can easily control my t-stats from my mobile or directly from the wall. Makes life very easy now.
Update: 12/10/18:
Product has worked flawlessly. No issues at all with wifi connectivity. Never had a dropped connection. Both wifi and 4G LTE connections always connect just fine. When making thermostat changes on your cell phone (wifi or 4G LTE), changes take effect within a couple seconds. Also, the problem mentioned above regarding the app freezing when your cell gets out of sleep mode, this has been fixed a while ago in an updated Sensi app. All around, everything works great. Love this product - makes it very convenient to remotely control your AC.
I wasn't sure how this thermostat would work for me but I must say I am very pleased. I live in Florida and usually have the AC off when I'm not home. but by using the app for this thermostat I can turn it on remotely before I arrive which is an awesome feature . some people complained that it goes offline and it does from time and you cant use the app but mine only lasts a few minutes . the Install is easy I used the app and watched a lady on you tube do an install and it was simple . Another feature that's great is you can schedule when you want it on or off so even if it the app goes offline it will still run how you like . I'll have mine set to turn on a little while before I get home from work and etc...overall I'm very happy with this thermostat and wish I would've bought it sooner ..oh I almost forgot I also have it hooked up to my Amazon echo's and use my voice to control it as well . many great features :) if your looking for a modern upgrade to your old thermostat this one will do :)
My HVAC Details: Natural Gas Furnace/Forced Hot Air + Centeral A/C with NO C-Wire
I have a rental so I wasn't about to run a new wire from my furnace to the thermostat. I really wanted to replace the $20 Honeywell thermostat which I had proven was very inaccurate at reading the temperature. I decided to get a WiFi enabled thermostat for a couple reasons.
1) After getting a Google Home, I've been making a movement toward home automation and voice activated controls.
2) My gas company offered a $100 rebate toward a WiFi enabled thermostat so I paid almost nothing for it.
Super easy installation.
1) Throw breakers for Furnace/AC
2) Unscrew wire terminals and pull wires from old thermostat plate
3) Remove plate (pay attention to which wire colors go to which designations) and mount new plate
4) Re-insert wires into same color designations as old thermostat.
5) Plug new Thermostat onto new plate.
6) Download Sensi app.
7) Turn breakers back on
8) Open app and follow the short instructions.
Done! The thermostat looks slick (crisp display, Amazon pics don't do it justice) and the app looks nice too. I haven't interfaced it to my Google Home using the Wink app yet.
So far, I'm very satisfied.
So happy with this smart thermostat. I just bought a house in NC and I have never done any electrical work but this was easy to install thanks to the very clear step by step instructions provided by the app. I will say it took us a bit more than 15 minutes, but it's so worth it. Because we both work during the day, setting up a smart schedule makes so much sense to us. We had this for 3 months and it literally already paid for itself. The app is extremely easy to use. I made a lot of research work and I don't believe anything fancier (like Nest) would really save me more money than this. I can't wait to replace my other thermostat downstairs which has zero features (just a number for temperature reading).
I will point out to few helpful things:
- Installation was easy enough but fitting the cables in the slots requires patience. Don't get frustrated and don't wait until your house gets really hot to do this. You will be sweating over the box trying to fit these tiny wires in.
- My thermostat is upstair and my router (it's a modern router I bought of amazon, not the junk the internet company rents you) is downstairs pretty far away. Connectivity works great and the thermostat is always connected. But note I had a C-wire so the batteries are just back-up power for me and I assume this helps.
- Finally, I had trouble connecting the thermostat from the app, when i realized that you have to be connected to the 2.4GHz wifi network in order for it to work. My router is a modern “dual band” router so it uses both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi (we have two different wifi networks). I usually only use the 5GHz network because it is faster, but I just had to connect my phone to the 2.4 GHz network (called "guest" in my house) in order to pair the app with the thermostat. Scary 10 minutes where I thought that after all my efforts the thermostat was not compatible or too far away from the router.
Feature Product
- Named the 'Best Value' smart thermostat of 2017, 2018 and 2019 by USA Today's Reviewed.com
- SAVE ABOUT 23% ON HVAC ENERGY *: The ENERGY STAR certified Sensi thermostat helps you save on your HVAC energy costs, with features like geofencing, 7-day flexible scheduling, remote access and energy usage reports
- GET REBATES: Find utility rebates in your area through the rebate finder at sensi.emerson.com/rebates
- MOST INSTALL IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS**: With step-by-step instructions and video tutorials right in the mobile app, most people install Sensi in 30 minutes or less
- EXTENSIVE COMPATIBILITY***: Works with the HVAC equipment found in most homes - a c-wire is required for heat-only, cool-only and heat pump systems. To check system and router compatibility, refer to our online compatibility resources at sensi.emerson.com/compatibility
- SMART HOME COMPATIBLE: Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit (c-wire required) and Wink smart home platforms
- CONTROL FROM ANYWHERE: Remotely control your home comfort from your smartphone or tablet using the free Sensi mobile app for Android and iOS devices
- SMART ALERTS: Sensi features smart alerts to help detect extreme temperature and humidity levels in your home
Description
From across the room or across the country, your Sensi Wi-Fi thermostat makes it easy to remotely control and schedule your home comfort - Anytime. Anywhere.
Designed to work with the wires you already have, Sensi thermostat does not require a common wire (c-wire) for most installations, so it is compatible with the HVAC equipment in many homes*** in U.S. & Canada. A c-wire is required for heat-only, cool-only and heat pump (without aux) systems, and for use with Apple HomeKit. Check to make sure it will work for you at sensi.emerson.com/compatibility .
The intuitive app walks you through each step of installation with custom configured instructions, removing all the frustration and guesswork from the installation process, so you can be up and running in no time, no experience required.
Put your comfort on your terms using location-based temperature control with geofencing or creating custom heating and cooling schedules with the flexible 7-day scheduling option with the ENERGY STAR certified Sensi thermostat. Both energy saving features you save about 23% on your HVAC energy usage* so you can save money without compromising your comfort.
Plus, Sensi integrates directly with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant and Wink home automation platforms. Connect to Amazon Alexa to control your home temperature with simple voice commands, or just ask Siri to set, raise or lower your home temperature when using Sensi with Apple HomeKit. What’s more, Sensi Wi-Fi Thermostat has been named the ‘Best Value’ smart thermostat of 2018 by USA Today’s Reviewed.com
*Energy savings calculated by comparing operation time for a nationwide sample of Sensi users with temperature adjustments averaging 4 degreeF vs. users with no adjustments. Savings vary based on equipment type/condition, insulation, climate & temperature adjustment size/frequency.
**Based on survey results of 2120 respondents that purchased and installed a Sensi thermostat in 2018, approximately 70% reported installing in 30 minutes or less. Adding a common wire may impact installation time.
***Does not work with electric baseboard heat and some other systems. System requirements for mobile app: iOS - 10.0 or above Android - 4.2 or above (5.0 or greater to use the Geofencing feature).
Great thermostat! It is wonderful being able to simply ask Alexa what the thermostat (inside house) temperature is! Fantastic on days like these with night temps in the 30’s and daytime in the 70’s. Just tell Alexa to set thermostat to heat or cool! Change change temperature settings by voice as well. The Sensi app is great for when you are in bed and you don’t want to get up nor do you want to wake up your partner. Just open the app and make your adjustments. Also using the app when away is great! If you are on vacation and your home area is forcast for a heavy freeze, just turn the heat on from anywhere!
Installation was pretty straight forward. Seems that most applications WILL need the “C” wire. I bought the C wire kit but didn’t need it! I was injured and unable to get into the attic. A friend with HVAC experience did it for me. Took about 10 minutes and didn’t need the C wire kit.
Setup wasn’t too bad. Had lots of problems at first and called customer service. The Sensi service was down at the time which explained the difficulty. Once the server was back up, it took seconds to have the app recognize the thermostat and mere seconds to have Alexa ready. Just remember to enable the Sensi skill beforehand!
I have had the unit installed for several weeks. No issues. I don’t use the program schedules as I really don’t see a need when you can use the app or Alexa at any time but a nice feature for those who use it.
I haven’t used the auto mode but I plan to. It appears that you can select heat, cool and auto. I’m curious to see if the unit will automatically switch from heat to cool on its own depending on the household temp. If so, that would make this unit even better than a five star!
I did a lot of research on a smart thermostat before purchasing. First and foremost was the ability to monitor and set temperature remotely, and to properly control my heat pump. An added bonus is this thermostat is compatible with Ecovent systems for my future upgrade to zone control. After studying most of the other units available, I came to the conclusion that while Sensi does not boast as many features, the features it has are extremely useful to me. That was the kicker. The fact that this unit costs hundreds less than the more feature laden units out there is also a key factor.
I am not fooled by features that won’t be used, or used so seldom as to be superfluous. After all, what do you expect a thermostat to do? Regulate temperature – Check; Ability to schedule heating/cooling – Check, Be able to control from a smart phone – Check. Sensi does it all. As for learning behavior and the other features rife on other units. Those features require expensive sensors, tuning and frustrating and repeated calibration. For what? So it knows how warm to keep the house? Can’t you figure it out? It is my opinion you are better off saving the money, setting a comfortable schedule and forgetting it. The other thermostats to me seem excessively expensive and do no more than this one.
Installation is very well done. I had one mystery wire on my old setup. I couldn’t figure out where it went. That was solved with a quick call to the tech support. Other than that, if you can install a light switch or light electrical, you can install this.
The web application and syncing the thermostat to the app was easy. Again, if you can’t figure that out, why are you getting a smart thermostat in the first place? Very basic, very intuitive. Not a lot of functions, but they all work.
This is a well-designed, well-engineered product. You may want more features, but you don’t need them, in fact most people never use those features anyway. Best bang for the buck on the market.
If you are unsure about what you are doing, or if you are not sure if this thermostat will work in your situation, the app or online tools this company provides answer all your questions and give you the reassurance you need. I was very impressed with the clear, simple, detailed, step-by-step instructions, which included optional video links for each step. I also needed to talk with a person from Sensi 3 different times as I installed 10 thermostats at a school. We chose them because of the simplicity of the design and the enormous quantity of professional guidance on the install. It is so impressive that a company in this business market still provides a phone call to a human who knows what they are talking about and is very helpful. If you are not sure which thermostat to buy, especially if you are looking for something in a business setting, I would recommend Sensi. Ease of use means no one will mess up the programming. And the app means you have a very easy way to catch those units that someone in the building kicked on and didn't bother to turn off when they left! This is the one you want!
Everything about this device, set-up and app is pretty good, but there are a few obvious shortcomings.
I have seen one of the more common complaints is that it loses its connection to the wifi sometimes. One thing that can help with this is if you can narrow the bandwidth on your router. Like a lot of home automation equipment this thermostat runs on the 2.5 GHz band. Many routers will have a setting where you can choose the bandwidth for that band (usually 20 MHz to 40 MHz IIRC). If you choose the smaller one you will get a stronger signal. Your data rate might be a little less, but your signal will be much stronger and that might alleviate some of the trouble people seem to be having. I had been having trouble with my phone getting on the wifi in parts of the house and when the thermostat had the same problem I decided to troubleshoot. Lowering the bandwidth fixed both problems in my particular case.
Another drawback is that there is no obvious way to remove schedules, or settings within schedules on the app. If you end up with too many set pts you will just have to enter the same temperature more than once as a workaround. And the display is not the same on every phone. The temperature setting dial is too narrow on one of my phones. So while none of these things are deal killers, but they profess a certain lack of polish and intuitiveness.
Another thing I dislike is that instead of being able to set how many degrees the thermostat will swing before turning on it instead has a short, medium, and long cycle setting which means you can't set a predetermined number of degrees that the thermostat should allow the temperature to fall or rise from the set pt before turning on the heating or cooling again.
The strong point is that the app leads you by the nose during installation so it is hard to make a mistake. Other than that, it works as it should and is fairly attractive for a non-touchscreen model. I just installed two of them in my house this weekend and they are working fine. I like this product very much despite a few problems that could be fixed with an app update, and all that remains to be seen is how it holds up over time.
Got everything hooked up. SeemEd to be working. Turned the heat on and turned the temperature up about 2°. The unit came on but the house got colder by 3°. Then the auxiliary heat came on and the house warmed up. Tried the cool setting. Warm air was coming out of the registers. The unit was working in reverse. With the heat on I was running the compressor as air-conditioner and auxiliary heat at the same time.
Did some research and found out that the reversing valve was set in the wrong direction. Configuration setting number five had to be changed. There was little or no mention of this in the manual.
If your system seems to be running backwards, check for this.
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