Edward
2024 Supporter
Do many or any members here have a high efficiency furnace or one of the so called Ultra-High Efficiency furnaces?
The HVAC industry is absolutely booming and going crazy right now. Now they have wireless thermostats (T-Stats) that can be installed that let you play with your furnace over your smart phone with an App. Some of these T-Stats can be registered with the manufacturer and then if it has a problem or a failure within the furnace system (or A/C) it will automatically send your HVAC company that installed it a text or email letting them know that your equipment is having a problem. Many times, the company will know about the problem and even what it is before the customer even realizes it.
I deal with these systems almost daily now. People seem to like them. Do any members here have such a system or TStat?
Do you like it? do you think it's really useful? If so, why? What is appealing about it to you? The more I have been learning about these systems and how to set them up, debug them and show the customer how to download updates and so forth...the more that I personally dislike them! Some of these TStats can even play music for you, and some have that Alexia computer girl that you can talk to. Technologically impressive I suppose, but again, why? Why would anyone actually want one of these systems?
I went to a training class for one of these systems this morning, and the factory rep took a lot of the vagueness out of the system and taught me some things which will be valuabe in my work, and he also let us in on some things that are coming but not here yety about them. Like, they are working on them being able for the customer to put up pictures from their phone onto the background of the TStat display. You an have a picture of your dog up there or your child or whatever. Another thing that is here already and just coming out is...a built in motion sensor in your TStat. If it doesn't sense any activity from people in the room for a period of time, it will put the furnace or A/C system into a setback mode and lower the temperature setting automatically. Would that appeal to anyone here?
I think it's stupid, it scares me and no way would I ever install such a TStat on my system. It is a frustration waiting to happen. Say the Tstat is in the living room...you and your wife are in the den or family room watching a movie. The motion sensor times out and sets the furnace temp down to 60 degrees. Soon your wife says, I'm getting chilly go check the TStat. So you walk into the living room and approach the TStat, it senses you before you get to it and turns the heat back up to an occupied setting. You look at the TStat, it seems normal. You go back and continue watching the movie...and it shuts down again...After that happens a few times the wife is going to say call someone to fix it. Then you get charged for someone to come out and tell you it's operating normally, that's how it is...
It's the stupidest thing I've ever seen in my life. Even if you go into the settings and turn off the motion sensor...what makes you think that it could not be turned on remotely since it is always online with your wifi? I think it is an intrusion just waiting to be abused.
He told us some other stuff that is coming too, but I dunno if we're supposed to talk about that stuff, lol.
What do you all think about this sort of stuff coming into the marketplace now?
The HVAC industry is absolutely booming and going crazy right now. Now they have wireless thermostats (T-Stats) that can be installed that let you play with your furnace over your smart phone with an App. Some of these T-Stats can be registered with the manufacturer and then if it has a problem or a failure within the furnace system (or A/C) it will automatically send your HVAC company that installed it a text or email letting them know that your equipment is having a problem. Many times, the company will know about the problem and even what it is before the customer even realizes it.
I deal with these systems almost daily now. People seem to like them. Do any members here have such a system or TStat?
Do you like it? do you think it's really useful? If so, why? What is appealing about it to you? The more I have been learning about these systems and how to set them up, debug them and show the customer how to download updates and so forth...the more that I personally dislike them! Some of these TStats can even play music for you, and some have that Alexia computer girl that you can talk to. Technologically impressive I suppose, but again, why? Why would anyone actually want one of these systems?
I went to a training class for one of these systems this morning, and the factory rep took a lot of the vagueness out of the system and taught me some things which will be valuabe in my work, and he also let us in on some things that are coming but not here yety about them. Like, they are working on them being able for the customer to put up pictures from their phone onto the background of the TStat display. You an have a picture of your dog up there or your child or whatever. Another thing that is here already and just coming out is...a built in motion sensor in your TStat. If it doesn't sense any activity from people in the room for a period of time, it will put the furnace or A/C system into a setback mode and lower the temperature setting automatically. Would that appeal to anyone here?
I think it's stupid, it scares me and no way would I ever install such a TStat on my system. It is a frustration waiting to happen. Say the Tstat is in the living room...you and your wife are in the den or family room watching a movie. The motion sensor times out and sets the furnace temp down to 60 degrees. Soon your wife says, I'm getting chilly go check the TStat. So you walk into the living room and approach the TStat, it senses you before you get to it and turns the heat back up to an occupied setting. You look at the TStat, it seems normal. You go back and continue watching the movie...and it shuts down again...After that happens a few times the wife is going to say call someone to fix it. Then you get charged for someone to come out and tell you it's operating normally, that's how it is...
It's the stupidest thing I've ever seen in my life. Even if you go into the settings and turn off the motion sensor...what makes you think that it could not be turned on remotely since it is always online with your wifi? I think it is an intrusion just waiting to be abused.
He told us some other stuff that is coming too, but I dunno if we're supposed to talk about that stuff, lol.
What do you all think about this sort of stuff coming into the marketplace now?