Investing in a smart thermostat is one purchase you’ll never regret. A networked temperature control device means easy degree adjustments using your phone, tablet, or voice commands when at home. Who could say no to month-over-month energy savings? If you’ve been thinking about buying a smart thermostat, you may be familiar with some of the top names in the marketplace — from Nest to Ecobee. Now, there’s a new thermostat brand to be reckoned with (and it’s also one of the most affordable).
First unveiled at Amazon’s fall 2021 hardware event, the all-new Amazon Smart Thermostat is a $60 smart thermostat that Amazon co-developed with Resideo, the genius minds behind the Honeywell Home line of thermostats. With Alexa built right into the thermostat, homeowners can use the Alexa app to adjust the temperature on the go, set schedules, monitor energy efficiency, and more.
While the Smart Thermostat doesn’t hit shelves until November 4, there’s plenty to learn about this exciting new device. Here’s all the intel we’ve gathered.
Design and installation
Going with a sleek and minimalist (and slightly boxy) thermostat design, the Amazon Smart Thermostat measures 3.56-inches wide, 3.56-inches tall, and 0.84-inches from front to back. In terms of faceplate colors, the only shell shade available is white. The touchscreen portion of the thermostat keeps things simple, too. A majority of the thermostat’s face is taken up by the digital temperature display and has buttons below for temperature up/down and select/mode.
After unboxing, you can use the Alexa app to walk through a guided install of the Smart Thermostat. When it comes time to pair the thermostat to Wi-Fi, it’s important to know that the Smart Thermostat can only be connected to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks (not compatible with 5GHz bands). If you’re having trouble getting the thermostat connected, you can opt for the Amazon Home Services team to install the thermostat. Of course, you can always contact a local HVAC pro to do the job, too.
Smart Thermostat compatibility
Amazon claims that the Smart Thermostat will be compatible with most 24-volt HVAC systems. If you’re not sure if the device will interface with your home’s heating and cooling, there’s a handy compatibility checker right on the Smart Thermostat product page. The widget will ask a series of guided questions to determine what kind of wiring your HVAC system uses. If everything checks out in the end, Amazon will give you the go-ahead for integrating the Smart Thermostat with your home’s system. If it seems that the wiring or HVAC components in your house won’t mesh with the device, the widget informs you the Smart Thermostat probably won’t work.
Speaking of wiring: The Smart Thermostat requires a C-wire connection. Known as the common wire, this is the powered lead that provides consistent power to Wi-Fi-powered thermostats. If your HVAC system is fairly old, there’s a chance the system won’t have a common wire. Thankfully, there’s a pretty easy way to determine whether or not your HVAC has a C-wire.
First, turn off the circuit that your HVAC wiring is tied into. Then, pull the faceplate off of your existing thermostat. If there’s a lead connected to the C-labeled terminal, that’s the common wire connection. If there’s nothing connected to the C-terminal, look in the wall opening where the wires are fished up (or down) from your HVAC to the thermostat. Sometimes, if the system is old, the service team that installed the original gear may have run a C-wire as a means of future-proofing.
If there are no extra wires with a C-label hanging out in the stud bay, rest assured, you can still purchase the Smart Thermostat — you’ll just need to fork over 15 extra dollars. For systems with no C-wire, Amazon sells the thermostat with a handy C-wire adapter kit.
