I have a weird requirement for a thermostat and am hoping that experts here can help me as I have some unique requirements:
- I do not have a C-wire, but can install one via the AC unit. My boiler is old and so I am not sure if it can provide a C-wire.
- I have a home generator that powers heat and NOT AC
- I have 3 zones for heat and 2 for AC (e.g. I have three thermostats and one thermostat is heat only)
- The 2 AC/heat zones are dual transformer (e.g. they have RH and RC) while the heat-only one has a simple two wire config.
- My boiler is older and so I am not sure if it even offers a c-wire option.
Now, I am trying to decide what to do for a smart thermostat. The big problem is that if I power a thermostat via the AC c-wire as typically recommended, I lose heat when the power goes off and the generator is running which is a problem. (My current thermostats are dumb, but they run on AAs and so always work even when the power is off.) Hence I would ideally have some for of power backup if I rely on a AC c-wire.
Finally, my wife hates all things technology and so I would want something simple to use.
Any ideas? I guess one option is just to stick with my dumb thermostat which is thoroughly boring, but it might be the best option.
TIA