Emerson Sensi
Wi-Fi Enabled
Smart Thermostat
We are in the process of converting our home into a "Smart Home". This is the latest trend in technology. Those who want to do this have a host of different options: Google Home, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, Home Link, and dozens of other technologies.
We opted for Google Home because Google seems to have the most compatible devices which is of paramount importance because each technology has its own proprietary commands. Even when you choose a "master coordinator", you must give the devices that are sprinkled throughout the home permission to access each other.
After adding smart switches, smart bulbs, smart dimmers and smart outlets, I decided to add a thermostat of the same flavor. I looked at a bunch of choices including Nest, Ecobee, Honeywell, Trane, and Emerson. They each had their pros and cons. Some were downright buggy like the Nest, and others were prohibitively expensive like the TRANE.
The best choice for the features we wanted was the Emerson Sensi Touch Thermostat.
The price was just right at about $150 on Amazon's website. We took delivery of the new thermostat in no time, but my excitement turned to confusion when I discovered that my old thermostat (a programmable Honeywell) didn't need a "C" wire...something that was never built into our 1986 home. Evidently, all new thermostats that are Wi-Fi enabled, require a constant power connection in order to keep the electronics active. Older thermostats used batteries to keep the guts working, but Wi-Fi consumes enough juice that batteries just won't work well enough.
I opened the cabinet of our TRANE unit and was completely confused by the dozens of color-coded wires running throughout the control boards. Well, I am smart enough to admit when I'm out of my element, so I called the A/C contractor who installed our TRANE unit and set up an appointment for installation.
When the technician arrived, he was impressed by the sleek design of the Sensi. The contractor works a great deal with installing Ecobee and TRANE thermostats and this one was their first for Emerson. He quickly changed the thermostat wire to include a "C" wire. He told me that it was a good choice to have a professional change the wiring, because there are some control boards in the TRANE that are extremely sensitive, not to mention expensive to replace if they are shorted out.
I had, prior to his arrival, installed the Sensi app on my Android phone (the app is free at the Android Play Store or iTunes for iPhones). I opened it and started the installation step-by-step instructions. Though he said he didn't need the instructions for wiring (they are fairly standard), he was impressed by the detail and illustrations that lead the user through connections.
Once connected and turned on, the thermostat easily found our Wi-Fi AT&T Gateway/Router. I input the network password and set up a few parameters for the thermostat to be compatible with our system (it adapts to standard as well as heat pump systems), the A/C was humming along.
Now for the fun stuff: the Sensi allows the user to create individual schedules for each day of the week, or you can copy the same schedule for the entire week. It also has a "geofence" feature for those who have schedules that keep them in and out of the house. Geofence uses the GPS on your smartphone to sense where you are in relation to your home. When you are close enough, you can have the thermostat override the usual schedule and pre-heat or pre-cool your home so that you never walk into a house that's too cold or too hot. How cool is that????
The Sensi also has a backlight feature that can be turned on or off. When on (see picture above), it emits a pleasant glow that gently illuminates the wall surrounding the thermostat so that you can easily see it in the middle of the night. For added comfort, you can adjust the length of the on-off cycles. A longer cycle has your unit run a bit longer once the selected temperature is reached. A shorter cycle shuts everything off just after that point. A shorter cycle keeps temperatures very consistent in the home, but you'll notice more cycles of on-off throughout the day. Longer cycles, of course, mean fewer cycles each hour, but slightly larger swings in temperatures. We opted for the short cycles.
Once the thermostat is set up, you then have to give control to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
The Sensi also has a backlight feature that can be turned on or off. When on (see picture above), it emits a pleasant glow that gently illuminates the wall surrounding the thermostat so that you can easily see it in the middle of the night. For added comfort, you can adjust the length of the on-off cycles. A longer cycle has your unit run a bit longer once the selected temperature is reached. A shorter cycle shuts everything off just after that point. A shorter cycle keeps temperatures very consistent in the home, but you'll notice more cycles of on-off throughout the day. Longer cycles, of course, mean fewer cycles each hour, but slightly larger swings in temperatures. We opted for the short cycles.
Once the thermostat is set up, you then have to give control to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
The process is really very simple. Once you create an account in the Sensi app, you give permission for Google or Alexa to access and control that account. Then you simply open your master controller (Alexa or Google), assign the thermostat a name and a room where it's located, and you're good to go.
There are two more features worth mentioning: First, there is a "fan runtime" feature. This calculates how many minutes per hour the fan is circulating air throughout the house. This is different from the "Auto or On" settings for the fan that we're all used to seeing. For example, let's say that you set the fan runtime for 50%. This tells the thermostat to make sure the fan is running 30 minutes out of every hour. So, if the weather has changed so there isn't as frequent call for A/C or heat, the fan will start running to circulate stale air. If, during this time heat or cooling is called for, the thermostat will deduct the number of minutes that the heat or cooling is running from the 30 minutes. This feature actually makes the house more comfortable, avoiding warm and cool spots throughout the house.
The other feature worth mentioning is the "Auto heat/cool". You can preset temperatures to trigger either heat or A/C. Since I love a cold house, I determined that when the temperature in the house drops below 60° F, the system will call for heat. If it rises above 64°, then A/C will run. It's really convenient! No more fiddling with the thermostat in-between seasons!
The result of this thermostat being added to hour "Smart House", has been a really comfortable home and humidity dropping to a wonderful 41% (the lower the humidity, the more comfortable you feel). Combining this thermostat with replacing our 27 year-old attic insulation, our electric bill has dropped $50-65 per month - a considerable savings.
So if you are ready to take the plunge into home automation and want to change your thermostat for a flexible, attractive, and reasonably priced device, consider the Emerson Sensi Touch Thermostat. I'm sure you'll never regret it.
NOTE: As with all of my reviews, this one is unsolicited, and I have never been paid, reimbursed, or provided free products in exchange for a review.