Smart homes

[Yonah]

Can't read the whole thread now so sorry if already discussed... - looking for a smart wifi combination lock that also has a manual shabbos combination lock.

Does such a thing exist? Any other recommended shabbos/smart locks?

- I don't think that there's a single lock that's both Electronic / Manual
- One of the biggest shabbos problems that you will find is that some of the locks that combine a keypad with a mechanical lock, are also generally logging manual open/close (whether with a key or the inside knob).

@TribeTechReview wrote a two-part article with some ideas and options - one of his suggestions that I liked - if your home has more than one door, put a mechanical lock on one and an electronic lock on the other.

https://tribetechreview.com/2017/10/26/are-smart-locks-shabbat-compatible/

[grodnoking]

Can't read the whole thread now so sorry if already discussed... - looking for a smart wifi combination lock that also has a manual shabbos combination lock.

Does such a thing exist? Any other recommended shabbos/smart locks?

One thing I think I saw someone on this forum try to put together is a manual lock with a smart door reinforcer.

[churnbabychurn]

I'm thinking two locks...

[dsw193]

Can't read the whole thread now so sorry if already discussed... - looking for a smart wifi combination lock that also has a manual shabbos combination lock.

Does such a thing exist? Any other recommended shabbos/smart locks?

I have no experience whatsoever; but: I would  look into the August smart Lock (pro?) Paired with a combination lock. And I would disable the hub on Shabbat automatically so that it is not able to log entry.

[Therebbesbocher]

Can't read the whole thread now so sorry if already discussed... - looking for a smart wifi combination lock that also has a manual shabbos combination lock.

Does such a thing exist? Any other recommended shabbos/smart locks?

One option I've seen people have is an electronic lock on the door itself and the door jamb has a combination lock (similar to an electric buzzer)
But I haven't found anything online like that so you may need to speak to a locksmith. It also doesn't work if you want a key specifically

[@Yehuda]

Is this correct? If you have to disable the "smart" features of the Nest / ecobee for Shabbos every week, then you have essentially killed the thermostat's "smartness", right? It no longer can learn when you're home/away, etc. to have better energy usage.

Then if so, I would think the only useful features of a smart tstat are:
1) the ability to set a schedule and turn it on and off from your phone/Alexa, and
2) the room sensors (which seem to just average out the temp, and therefore you can also just manually play with your temperature for a few days until you learn what temp makes your whole house as comfortable as possible)

In that case, why not just be a cheaper smart tstat? A honeywell, or even this $4 one...

[churnbabychurn]

Is this correct? If you have to disable the "smart" features of the Nest / ecobee for Shabbos every week, then you have essentially killed the thermostat's "smartness", right? It no longer can learn when you're home/away, etc. to have better energy usage.

Then if so, I would think the only useful features of a smart tstat are:
1) the ability to set a schedule and turn it on and off from your phone/Alexa, and
2) the room sensors (which seem to just average out the temp, and therefore you can also just manually play with your temperature for a few days until you learn what temp makes your whole house as comfortable as possible)

In that case, why not just be a cheaper smart tstat? A honeywell, or even this $4 one...

I have the ecobee lights (free) but never installed them because I had exactly the same question and comment as you..  didn't do significant research but my understanding is that your analysis is correct

[Medic97]

Is this correct? If you have to disable the "smart" features of the Nest / ecobee for Shabbos every week, then you have essentially killed the thermostat's "smartness", right? It no longer can learn when you're home/away, etc. to have better energy usage.

Then if so, I would think the only useful features of a smart tstat are:
1) the ability to set a schedule and turn it on and off from your phone/Alexa, and
2) the room sensors (which seem to just average out the temp, and therefore you can also just manually play with your temperature for a few days until you learn what temp makes your whole house as comfortable as possible)

In that case, why not just be a cheaper smart tstat? A honeywell, or even this $4 one...

I have owned the nest and currently own the ecobee. First off I think you are missing some of the "smart" function in there. even if you turn off home/away the thermostat learns from every time you change  the temp. It uses that input data to come up with a "smart schedule. Personally I didnt like it.

You are also missing the point of the remote sensors. You are correct in saying that if you choose all of them in the comfort setting it will avg all of them together. However, this is the way I use it. During the day I have it focus on the thermostat and a remote sensor in the living room. At night I have it look only at the sensors in the bedrooms. This way I avoid heating the dining room when no one is there.

In the ideal world I would have all my sensors know when someone is in the room or not and perform many functions based on that. But alas I don't want to have to remember to turn it off every shabbos.

[Medic97]

I have the ecobee lights (free) but never installed them because I had exactly the same question and comment as you..  didn't do significant research but my understanding is that your analysis is correct

if you dont want them I'll take em

[@Yehuda]

You are also missing the point of the remote sensors. You are correct in saying that if you choose all of them in the comfort setting it will avg all of them together. However, this is the way I use it. During the day I have it focus on the thermostat and a remote sensor in the living room. At night I have it look only at the sensors in the bedrooms. This way I avoid heating the dining room when no one is there.

That is very interesting. I didn't know it works like that. My bedrooms get too hot, so it would be nice at night to have it only use the bedroom sensor. Thank you!

[EJB]

That is very interesting. I didn't know it works like that. My bedrooms get too hot, so it would be nice at night to have it only use the bedroom sensor. Thank you!

Another option is you can adjust the temperature based on your own bedroom "sensor" (any wifi/IFTTT thermostat) via IFTTT. Would work with nest or ecobee. You can set it to operate for specific times (e.g., turn temperature to 3 degrees below what it is normally at if it is a weeknight and bedroom temperature is above 72).

[@Yehuda]

Also someone pointed out that I can manually test for a few nights (just like I mentioned above for day time) and learn what temperature is comfortable in the rooms at night and then just use the schedule mode on any tstat to have it set at X temp by day (whatever is comfortable in the living spaces) and X temp by night (whatever is comfortable in the bedrooms). So that defeats that benefit of the sensors.

Now I think it comes down to the true reason to buy a nest/ecobee... because I want a cool toy.

[Dan]

Is this correct? If you have to disable the "smart" features of the Nest / ecobee for Shabbos every week, then you have essentially killed the thermostat's "smartness", right? It no longer can learn when you're home/away, etc. to have better energy usage.

Then if so, I would think the only useful features of a smart tstat are:
1) the ability to set a schedule and turn it on and off from your phone/Alexa, and
2) the room sensors (which seem to just average out the temp, and therefore you can also just manually play with your temperature for a few days until you learn what temp makes your whole house as comfortable as possible)

In that case, why not just be a cheaper smart tstat? A honeywell, or even this $4 one...

https://www.dansdeals.com/more/dans-commentary/smart-thermostat-get-cyber-monday-experiences-trying-find-perfect-one/

[Medic97]

Also someone pointed out that I can manually test for a few nights (just like I mentioned above for day time) and learn what temperature is comfortable in the rooms at night and then just use the schedule mode on any tstat to have it set at X temp by day (whatever is comfortable in the living spaces) and X temp by night (whatever is comfortable in the bedrooms). So that defeats that benefit of the sensors.

Now I think it comes down to the true reason to buy a nest/ecobee... because I want a cool toy.

that only works if you test at different outside Temps. Your room will react differently if it's 50° or 15°. Having the ecobee just read the bedroom sensor and ru. The heat only in that is really a game changing feature. It took nest years to get a remote sensor and I'm not even sure it does all the same things.

[@Yehuda]

https://www.dansdeals.com/more/dans-commentary/smart-thermostat-get-cyber-monday-experiences-trying-find-perfect-one/

Yes, I've read it before. Seems like sensors are the main reason to get ecobee/nest vs. non-name brand one, and even still you can likely learn your schedule yourself to know what to set temp at (as our parents and grandparents did for decades ) but they're cheap enough now that I think I can splurge for a toy.

[Dan]

Ecobee is light years better than nest.

[churnbabychurn]

Yes, I've read it before. Seems like sensors are the main reason to get ecobee/nest vs. non-name brand one, and even still you can likely learn your schedule yourself to know what to set temp at (as our parents and grandparents did for decades ) but they're cheap enough now that I think I can splurge for a toy.

A toy is all fun and games until it decides to do something unpredictable on a 3 day YT... I prefer controlling things myself.

[Medic97]

A toy is all fun and games until it decides to do something unpredictable on a 3 day YT... I prefer controlling things myself.

So my sukkah lights didn't go off the first days. Once it's all set up it's golden. And whether it's true or not I feel like I'm saving money in electric.

[Luvisrael]

A toy is all fun and games until it decides to do something unpredictable on a 3 day YT... I prefer controlling things myself.

same here. Also don’t like getting hacked

[yuneeq]

I don’t know if people do this but with my ecobee I like that I can move the sensors around instead of fiddling with AC/heat constantly. Wife cooking in the kitchen during summer, I move sensor to kitchen. Cooking during winter, I move it to a colder room.