When home automation is mentioned, Ecobee is one of the names you’re likely to hear. Ecobee is a Canadian smart home company specializing in manufacturing smart thermostats, smart sensors, and smart cameras.
As far as the best smart thermostats in the smart home industry are concerned, Ecobee makes some of the best you can find.
Ecobee incorporates advanced technology in manufacturing its smart products to ensure that you make energy savings while also getting efficient and effective performances from all of them.
With Ecobee smart devices in your home, you’re guaranteed comfort, safety, and convenience every day. The initial investment for these smart products might be substantial, but so are the benefits you’re bound to get.
Here is everything you might want to know about building an Ecobee smart home. Key smart home building blocks include:
An Ecobee Smart Thermostat
As much as Ecobee smart thermostats serve the same purpose as the other thermostats, managing your home’s temperature, it has some interesting features.
For instance, you can adjust your home’s temperature via the Ecobee thermostat from anywhere in the world. On top of this, Ecobee thermostats are fitted with sensors that boost their functionalities even more.
To set up your Ecobee thermostat, here is what you need to do;
- Remove your current thermostat, double-check the wiring, and turn off the power to your HVAC system.
- Install your Ecobee thermostat.
- Set up the Ecobee thermostat and integrate it with the Ecobee app.
- Set up the sensors
After you’ve had your Ecobee thermostat set up, you can adjust your temperature preferences. Here is the guideline on how to get this done;
- Go to your Ecobee app, then menu, tap on settings, and then preferences.
- Select heating and cooling range.
- Adjust it whether you need to go higher or lower.
- Save these adjustments.
To be able to control your home temperature using the Ecobee thermostat remotely, you’ll need to use the Ecobee app or a voice assistant.
At the time of writing, Ecobee had released the 5th generation of its smart thermostat – Ecobee 5.
The Ecobee Smart Camera
The 1080p HD Ecobee smart camera is fitted with a 180º field view and is fitted with an Alexa smart speaker, a security system, and a Homekit Secure Video (HSV) camera. This makes the Ecobee camera one of the best you could find in the smart home industry.
The smart camera is fitted with more features such as;
- Infrared LEDs for night vision.
- A digital pan and tilt for even better surveillance.
- It captures video at 30fps.
- Dual-band Wi-Fi radio to aid with internet connection with your home Wi-Fi.
- A 2GHz CPU.
- 1GB of RAM and 4GB ROM memory.
- It contains circuitry to help Alexa play music and run routines.
The installation process of Ecobee smart cameras is very simple and clear. You have to download the Ecobee app, create an account and then assign a home for your smart camera. To add the camera to the Ecobee app, open the app and tap on the plus icon.
From the list of all the available Ecobee smart devices available, select the smart camera you want to control. After you’ve selected it, the light on the smart camera will go from white to amber, and then you can click on Good to Go.
To finish up the process, you can assign a name for your smart camera to enable even easier access.
Ecobee Remote Sensors
These sensors are the features that set the Ecobee thermostat apart from its competitors. When you set up these Ecobee remote sensors anywhere in your home, they can inform your Ecobee thermostat about the temperature and activity of the house.
This helps the Ecobee smart thermostat regulate the temperature accordingly, and if it doesn’t detect any activity in the house, the temperature is dropped to save energy. Since these remote sensors are battery-powered, you can place them anywhere you wish around your house.
However, it’s important to note that if placed in an area with lots of motion, the battery will drain faster. When adding Ecobee remote sensors, you want to ensure that you do it when the Ecobee smart thermostat is up and running.
The installation process involves activating the home screen and then removing the plastic tab on the sensors so that they’re online. After that, pair the two and assign a name for your remote sensor for easier access.
After this is done, press finish; it’s recommended that you place the Ecobee remote sensor about five feet high for optimal temperature measurement.
Integration of Ecobee With Other Smart Devices
Ecobee works with a wide range of smart devices and platforms so that users can enjoy more convenience and better features. Some of the smart devices and platforms that Ecobee works with include;
- Amazon Alexa
- Google Assistant
- Apple Homekit
- Samsung SmartThings
- Wink
- Haiku Fans
- IFTTT
- Logitech Harmony
- Vera
- Control4
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for reliable smart cameras and thermostats to help you build the ideal smart home, Ecobee would be a great place to start. The company is devoted to working with major smart home industry players to better their users’ experience.
Purchasing Ecobee smart thermostats, cameras, or remote sensors guarantees that you can always connect them with a long list of compatible smart devices.
If you are still feeling a little muddled up and looking for some help, then check out my Smart Home in 8 Weeks course designed to take you from zero to a fully integrated smart home!