ecobee, Generac and the current lineup
ecobee was founded in 2007, and Generac Holdings closed its purchase of the company on December 1, 2021. The thermostats still carry the ecobee name, now as ecobee by Generac. ecobee's website leads with three models: the Smart Thermostat Premium, Enhanced and Essential. In houses we still find the earlier ecobee3, ecobee3 lite and ecobee4, which take the same Power Extender Kit as the new ones.
We install ecobee thermostats where they fit the equipment, and we troubleshoot the ones homeowners put in themselves. Our thermostat service page covers our thermostat and zoning work in general, and our smart thermostat roundup compares ecobee with Nest, Honeywell Home and Sensi.
How does an ecobee get power without a C-wire?
An ecobee needs steady 24-volt power through a C-wire, the common side of the furnace transformer. A lot of Minnesota houses wired before smart thermostats have a four-wire cable carrying R, G, Y and W and no C. ecobee's answer is the Power Extender Kit, a small module that mounts at the furnace control board so you don't have to run a fifth wire. ecobee includes it with its thermostats except the Essential and Lite.
The kit has limits. ecobee lists it as incompatible with millivolt, high-voltage, dual-transformer, fan coil and communicating systems, and it needs at least four wires to start with. A two-wire boiler circuit, or a communicating Carrier, Lennox or Trane system, needs a different plan: a new cable, a separate transformer, or the manufacturer's own control. Our C-wire guide walks through the options.
Which ecobee works with a heat pump or dual fuel?
ecobee lists the Premium for heat pumps with up to two heat and two cool stages plus two stages of auxiliary heat, and the Enhanced with one stage of auxiliary heat. The Essential handles two stages on one side, heating or cooling but not both, and ecobee lists it for dual-fuel heat pumps.
The settings that decide a Minnesota heating bill sit under Installation Settings, then Thresholds, and ecobee says they can only be changed at the thermostat itself, not in the app. Two matter most. Compressor Min Outdoor Temperature is the coldest weather the heat pump may run in. Aux Heat Max Outdoor Temperature is the warmest weather backup heat may run in. Set the first too high and the thermostat shuts off a cold-climate heat pump that could still carry the house on a 10-degree night. Set the second too high and electric strips come on during a mild October morning. On a dual-fuel system the same thinking decides when the gas furnace takes over. We set both from the heat pump's cold-weather output and your fuel and electric rates. See our heat pump page for the equipment side.
Humidifiers, dehumidifiers and ventilators
The Premium can run one accessory on either one wire or two, while the Enhanced takes only one-wire accessories. That accessory can be a humidifier, a dehumidifier or a ventilator such as an HRV or ERV, so check how yours is wired before you choose a model. The Essential doesn't list accessory control. It does have AC Overcool, which runs the air conditioner a little past the setpoint to pull more moisture out on a sticky July day.
In winter the humidifier target has to come down as it gets colder outside, roughly 25–35% in cold weather and lower in deep cold, or the windows frost. Our humidifier service covers adding one to the furnace.
What causes a no-heat call on an ecobee?
On an ecobee, these are the usual suspects:
- A Power Extender Kit wired wrong at the furnace, so the call for heat or cooling never reaches the equipment.
- A blown low-voltage fuse on the furnace control board after a wire shorted during the swap.
- Equipment settings that don't match, such as a heat pump reversing valve set for the wrong direction.
- Thresholds that locked out the heat pump or the backup heat.
We test for 24 volts at the thermostat and at the furnace before replacing anything, and if the thermostat checks out we move on to the furnace or heat pump. A service call is a $79 trip charge, waived when you approve the repair, with a written price before we start. Call 612-429-3465, 7am–9pm, seven days a week.
ecobee questions
Do I need a C-wire for an ecobee?
An ecobee needs steady 24-volt power. Without a C-wire, ecobee's Power Extender Kit mounts at the furnace control board and supplies it, as long as you have at least four wires: R, G, Y and W. ecobee includes it with its thermostats except the Essential and Lite. ecobee says it doesn't work with millivolt, high-voltage, dual-transformer, fan coil or communicating systems, which need a new cable or a different plan.
Which ecobee settings matter most on a heat pump in Minnesota?
Two thresholds. Compressor Min Outdoor Temperature is the coldest weather the heat pump is allowed to run in, and Aux Heat Max Outdoor Temperature is the warmest weather backup heat is allowed. ecobee says thresholds can only be changed at the thermostat, not in the app. We set them from the heat pump's cold-weather output and your fuel and electric rates, so you're not paying for strips the heat pump could have covered.
Can an ecobee control my whole-home humidifier?
The Premium and Enhanced can. The Premium runs one 1-wire or one 2-wire accessory, while the Enhanced takes only a one-wire accessory, so your humidifier's wiring decides which model works. The Essential doesn't list accessory control, but it has AC Overcool, which runs the air conditioner past the setpoint to pull moisture in summer. In winter, set the humidity target lower as it gets colder outside.
Is ecobee still its own company?
ecobee is owned by Generac Holdings, which closed the purchase on December 1, 2021. ecobee still sells its thermostats and sensors under its own name, and its website carries an ecobee by Generac logo. ecobee also still lists the older ecobee3 and ecobee4 as compatible with its Power Extender Kit, and if one of those is working well on your wall, there's no reason to replace it just because it's older.
My furnace quit after an ecobee install. What happened?
Usually wiring at the furnace. A wire on the wrong Power Extender Kit terminal, a loose wire at the control board, or a short that blew the low-voltage fuse will leave the furnace dead while the thermostat looks fine. The equipment settings in the thermostat also have to match what's in the basement. We test for 24 volts at the thermostat and at the furnace before changing any parts.
Sources
- ecobee official site ecobee.com