Th3 Core

Ecobee 4, TP-link HS105, Broadlink IR blaster local

You know the story, first you buy an Alexa Dot. Then another Dot. And another. And another. Then you buy an HS105 to control a few lamps. And another. And another. Then you make an old Roomba work on Alexa using the $22 Broadlink. Now you're hooked.

Then the old digital thermostat on the geothermal heat pump goes wonky and you start thinking Ecobee 4 (the remote sensor is a much-needed feature in my house). BUT now I'm getting concerned about "smarthome creep" and increasing dependency on an array of 3rd party vendors.

I joined the Borg and sent Bezos another $240 for the Ecobee t-stat. We installed it ourselves in under an hour (saving $100+ installation fee) with the t-stat's onboard prompting walking Louise through the initial config.

The end plan is to control and schedule these assorted devices by different vendors with Home Assistant or somesuch.  Local network only. No phoning home.  ...But breaking away from the Borg will be difficult.

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IIRC, Wall Street now puts Amazon with 70%⁺ of jabbernet marketshare.  Separately, Apple's late entry has been reported as 'Disappointing."  I see less & less mention of G's model and, when I do, it is often put in as a subordinate 'specialty' device on Alexa networks.

Pull out RC!

You're too young to be borged.

Okay RC, but if one day, you discover your Roomba in the garage, nonchalantly coming out from under your car, check the break lines first before driving off.

Forgot to mention that I bought another Ecobee 4 for upstairs which uses a different type of heat pump than downstairs.  I hit a snag in identifying one of the wires and opened a ticket with support. They resolved the issue within 4 hours.

Ecobee is now in Lowes. IMO, they are killing the old-line manufacturers Honeywell and White-Rodgers/Emerson. I know nothing about the strength of the company, but I'd review it as a possible investment.

Nothing exotic. Geothermal downstairs, standard single-stage with emergency heat strips air-to-air upstairs.  I'm not into high-seer mini-splits (yet, but looking hard).

You could try posting it on /r/ecobee/.

AFAIcantell, Alexa now so dominates the jabbernet that the other vendors are just swinging in the wind.  I can hardly stay abreast of all the significant tangential developments sprouting up.

One recent one that is worth noting in the (co- ??)development of a commercial model for hotels.  I believe Marriott is rolling it out soon.  I know my daughter -admin of a large, upscale nursing home- is chomping at the bit for some sort of way to give her residents control of their room environs.

HAL open the door!

I can't do that RC.