Anyone install an Ecobee 3 lite thermostat?

[rgG]

Two of my three thermostats are Ecobee 3 lite.
I would like to replace the older Honeywell with one.
How hard is the install?
I do have the C wire, as I read that can be an issue.
Do you have to do much/anything inside the furnace?

The HVAC people we use want $385 for the item and the install
The unit itself is about $150ish, so the install is about $235, which seems a little steep.
The instructions online say it should take about 45 minutes for a DIYer.

I also need to check and see if my EMC is offering any rebates.

[wurm]

Jeez, as I recall it was pretty dang easy. I bought an Ecobee 4 around Christmas of 2017. I vaguely remember having to connect a wire at the furnace, but I recall it being very straightforward. And FWIW, Ecobee customer service is very good with walking you through stuff if need be as I recall.

Definitely check your utility company's website for rebate and discounts. I think we paid $49 for ours through an affiliated website. No rebate, just a discount.

This is MA, but just for example:

[richorlin]

I replaced a Nest with an Ecobee 3 several years ago. I had no c-wire and the Nest required one to charge or the fan would start and stop in order to charge the Nest. I called Ecobee customer support and they had me send a photo of the Ecobee hook-up and the furnace circuit board. They then walked me through using an spare wire to install the c-wire. It’s been running fine without any problems for the past four years. Great customer support and it only took me about a half-hour to do the install, including setting up the c-wire. Five stars for Ecobee!!!

[rgG]

richorlin wrote:
I replaced a Nest with an Ecobee 3 several years ago. I had no c-wire and the Nest required one to charge or the fan would start and stop in order to charge the Nest. I called Ecobee customer support and they had me send a photo of the Ecobee hook-up and the furnace circuit board. They then walked me through using a spare wire to install the c-wire. It’s been running fine without any problems for the past four years. Great customer support and it only took me about a half-hour to do the install, including setting up the c-wire. Five stars for Ecobee!!!

Nice.
It looked like the website had lots of info and numbers to call for help.
I might give it a go.

[rgG]

wurm wrote:
Jeez, as I recall it was pretty dang easy. I bought an Ecobee 4 around Christmas of 2017. I vaguely remember having to connect a wire at the furnace, but I recall it being very straightforward. And FWIW, Ecobee customer service is very good with walking you through stuff if need be as I recall.

Definitely check your utility company's website for rebate and discounts. I think we paid $49 for ours through an affiliated website. No rebate, just a discount.

This is MA, but just for example:

Yeah, the best my EMC is offering is $25 off an install. Lol

[Markintosh]

I felt like the EcoBee installation was super simple. It took more like 15-20 minutes here. We were also moving from a 20 year old Honeywell and had a C wire already.

[Lux Interior]

What level of programmability doe the Ecobee have?

I have Honeywell thermostats, and they have wake, leave, home & sleep.

But I want basically "infinite" control ability, at least more than the four periods the Honeywell gives me.

Just had my solar activated and I want to cool/heat during the day and minimize the need to run my system when the sun is down.

[wurm]

It's pretty programmable. Days of week, times of day, vacation, etc. Plus with the app you can adjust pretty much everything on your phone.

Here's a link to the User Guide. https://storage.googleapis.com/article_a...0guide.pdf

[rgG]

wurm wrote:
It's pretty programmable. Days of week, times of day, vacation, etc. Plus with the app you can adjust pretty much everything on your phone.

Here's a link to the User Guide. https://storage.googleapis.com/article_a...0guide.pdf

Yes, I love being able to control remotely.
I don’t set specific run times, but I like to be able to adjust the thermostats on the top two floors without having to go up the stairs.
I also like being able to see what I left it on and adjust as needed, remotely.

[rgG]

Markintosh wrote:
I felt like the EcoBee installation was super simple. It took more like 15-20 minutes here. We were also moving from a 20 year old Honeywell and had a C wire already.

That sounds very good.
I think I will look very closely at the install guides and see what I think.
The HVAC guy was out here today to do the semi-annual check up. He seemed to imply it was a pretty easy install and that I could probably do it.
I had him look to see if I had the C wire and he said I did.
That seemed to be the only sticking point, if you don’t, there are extra steps.