"Dumb" smart thermostat recommendation

Hardware
1

I’ve been using an old wifi thermostat from 3M/Filtrete that had a local REST API that I used to control it with NodeRed and now HA. After 10+ years (and long after they discontinued cloud support), it’s finally seems to have died though it was in conjunction with some wiring issues/shorts I found on the capacitor which may or may not be related.
In any case, I need a new thermostat. Wondering if anyone can suggest something.

  • Wifi or Zigbee, though strongly prefer REST type control over wifi for flexibility. wired POE even better.
  • Must not rely on cloud services and be completely controllable locally
  • HA support obviously
  • Must be a stand alone unit. Not interested in anything that will stop regulating temperature if HA stops working, only want to use HA to make target temperature changes.
  • Not interested in DIY ESPHome type solutions.
  • I don’t want anything fancy like programmable schedules or “AI” of any sort. I don’t need it trying to guess what I want.
  • Heat pump with aux heat.

Thanks.

The damage I found this morning…

20240825_062847
20240825_0628471920×1081 179 KB

2

You could try something like this see if it works with your needs:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005043139727.html

3

I’ve read (but haven’t personally tried) Venstar WiFi thermostats have a documented local http API you might want to check out. Not sure if it’s also in their lower-end units, so would require some research. Another popular thermostat with local control is Ecobee in HomeKit mode, but consequently it does not have REST control. Most of the “hackable” thermostats are just a single relay so will not work for heat pump systems with fan and aux controls.

4

Which country/ continent?

I’m using one similar to this:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002132597421.html

My system is the 2 pipes FC version but the one I linked should be volt free and line switching contact version.

It checks all your requests as it is WiFi and integrable via modbus or mqtt.

5

USA. Looks like they have several versions but not for a heat pump w/ aux heat.

Guess I need another requirement: no no-name Chinese products. I try hard to not put any of these types of devices on my network.

Maybe I need to revive my never-completed connected thermostat project…

IMG_20220214_135035
IMG_20220214_1350351920×1440 152 KB

6

I use a Centralite Pearl 3 (model: 3157100) which uses Zigbee and meets your other criteria. Ours is connected to an 11 year old ICP Heatpump/AC. We don’t use the Aux heat regularly, but I did test that it worked 2 years ago when I installed the thermostat. They go for about $30, new on Ebay.

7

How are you connecting it to HA? I’m not super familiar with zigbee except that I have deconz running (in docker) with a CONBEE II which allows me to connect all my Aqura sensors to HA without issue. IN theory, I should be able to adopt the thermostat into deconz and have it show up in HA, correct?

8

I use ZHA as my Zigbee integration, but blakadder has it listed as Deconz compatible, so it seems like it should work as you have described with your setup.

1 Like