Help finding a new thermostat

[Homerboy]

Terminals on bottom half

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I love my nest but not sure about the humidifier. Ecobee isn’t as pretty looking but it appears to handle more setups.
I’d get pictures of your wife’s and their support people.
Installing either is stupid easy provided it works with your system and again only concern I have is the humidifier. This is also assuming you don’t have electric heat, that’s an ugly can of worms.

Edit: didn’t see second page, ignore the electric part
Edit2: ecbee support is great, nest support is okay but not great

 

[Homerboy]

Looks like humidifier is 2 wire... googling up the wiring on that for smart thermos

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Looks like humidifier is 2 wire... googling up the wiring on that for smart thermos

From experience that can be tough to figure out. I’d get a picture of all your wires at the thermostat, furnace/boiler and humidifier
Send them over to whatever company you want and ask them if it’s compatible.
I know my nest has a humidity setting but I’ve never used it since I don’t have one.
Plan b could be to buy it from Home Depot and try installing them see what happens. Home Depot is very easy on returns.

 

[bbhaag]

View attachment 12457

Terminals on bottom half

Unfortunately your system is beyond my area of expertise and I do not know how much more help I can be. I don't even know if running a new wire from the thermostat to the furnace will help. I just don't know enough about older systems like this to feel comfortable enough to give you anymore advice.

I'm sorry I hate to do this to you but I just don't know enough about older systems.

 

[bbhaag]

Is there a wiring diagram somewhere on the unit? Like on the back of the service panel or on the side of the unit. If there is can you take a clear picture of it and post it?

 

[Homerboy]

From experience that can be tough to figure out. I’d get a picture of all your wires at the thermostat, furnace/boiler and humidifier
Send them over to whatever company you want and ask them if it’s compatible.
I know my nest has a humidity setting but I’ve never used it since I don’t have one.
Plan b could be to buy it from Home Depot and try installing them see what happens. Home Depot is very easy on returns.

Honestly, I think I may just leave the humidifier alone and leave it where it is and how it is. Seems like too much of a gamble and not as easy as the 5 wires from the furnace to thermostat should be.

 

[Homerboy]

Is there a wiring diagram somewhere on the unit? Like on the back of the service panel or on the side of the unit. If there is can you take a clear picture of it and post it?

 

[Homerboy]

Well, Nest is installed, wires run through wall/floor and to the furnace. Hooked them up in corresponding colors/letters but Nest says there's no power to the R terminal. It gets confusing by the furnace as there are some other wires spliced in that, quite honestly, I'm not sure WTH they are all about.

What's odd is that from the existing/old wires, the W from the thermostat does not appear to go to the W on the furnace. Instead it goes into a wire-nut of another wire meeting at the furnace (see previous picture). I admit, I really suck at electricity and circuits, so it's got me entirely confused.

I've broken down and posted to a few local Facebook Buy/Sell and neighborhood association groups asking if anyone knows anyone looking to make a few extra dollars today.

 

[Homerboy]

Huzzah!

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Good work you’ll like the nest

 

[Homerboy]

Good work you’ll like the nest

2" of snow expected in the next 48hrs. I still don't plan on turning it on

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Too damn chilly.
However I’ve done the same pre-heat pump

 

[Homerboy]

Too damn chilly.
However I’ve done the same pre-heat pump

It's sort of like a "fun game" to play every year here to see how long we can go without turning it on. Usually it starts to get a little rough right about now. The other morning I woke up and it read 58* in the house. Needed socks that morning

 

[bbhaag]

Congrats man! Glad to hear you got it hooked up and running although the Nest isn't exactly a "simple" thermostat like you mentioned in your first post.

Don't forget to fill out the rebate form for We-energy. The third gen Nest is on the approved list and you can get $50 back.
I'm sure you have but just making sure but did you turn on both heat and cool to make sure they work? With 2" of snow coming I'd hate to see you turn on the heat only to not have the Nest send a call to heat to your furnace.

 

[Homerboy]

Congrats man! Glad to hear you got it hooked up and running although the Nest isn't exactly a "simple" thermostat like you mentioned in your first post.

Don't forget to fill out the rebate form for We-energy. The third gen Nest is on the approved list and you can get $50 back.
I'm sure you have but just making sure but did you turn on both heat and cool to make sure they work? With 2" of snow coming I'd hate to see you turn on the heat only to not have the Nest send a call to heat to your furnace.

Heat worked fine. I actually can't even test the A/C as the nest wont turn it on until its over 60*
I still have the wires and bracket of the old thermostat hooked up in case of emergency. Once the Nest is running for a week or so (actually pumping out heat) I will go back in and undo those wires and remove the bracket from the wall.

Sometime in the near future, I will probably get a professional out to get the humidifier running off the nest too. The whole wiring layout is just too confusing and hacked together from what I can tell for me to make sense of it. The whole system could use a "tune up" I'm sure.

 

[bbhaag]

Heat worked fine. I actually can't even test the A/C as the nest wont turn it on until its over 60*
I still have the wires and bracket of the old thermostat hooked up in case of emergency. Once the Nest is running for a week or so (actually pumping out heat) I will go back in and undo those wires and remove the bracket from the wall.

Sometime in the near future, I will probably get a professional out to get the humidifier running off the nest too. The whole wiring layout is just too confusing and hacked together from what I can tell for me to make sense of it. The whole system could use a "tune up" I'm sure.

Cool I figured you did but I just wanted to make sure.

Hooking up the humidifier in our house was complicated for me to. I actually didn't get it fully figured out until about 3 weeks ago and considering I've had the Nest since last fall......yes it was complicated.

What threw me for a loop on the humidifier was the one wire vs. two wire deal. On mine there is one wire at the thermostat but two wires at the furnace. So do I have a one wire system or a two wire system??

Turns out I have what is considered a one wire system and the two wires in the basement are for controlling the on/off for the solenoid valve. Open circuit vs. closed circuit kind of situation. It's to hard to explain and I'm not smart enough to put it into words. haha

Anyway, I'll leave you alone now. Have fun enjoying your new smart thermostat!