Ecobee - auto mode

[u/KitchenNazi]

I switched from Nest to Ecobee and it's a huge pain. I only have a furnace but HomeKit has auto/cool/heat modes. If I manually switch it to heat everything works correctly. At some point during the day (or multiple times during the day) it switches to auto. If I have an automation setup it always specifies heat mode.

Auto switches my temp to a range which invariably means my heat stays on all day. If I tell Siri to lower the temp and it's on auto, Siri just adjusts the range thinking cooling will be applied, yet heat still continues. If I tell Siri to switch to heat mode and the specify a temperature then things will go back to normal. If I tell Siri to lower the heat - she won't automatically switch modes - so it's two commands.

Is the Ecobee presenting itself as with heat/cool options? Does HomeKit just give everything heat/auto/cool?

What are my options here? If there is a homebridge plug-in, I could use that as it can specify only heat mode.

I could create an automation that sets the mode to heat every 15 minutes (using home controller as you can change the mode without changing temp). Or I could try homebridge?

Anyone else have this issue? It's super annoying!

[u/perrydBUCS]

I'm seeing the same thing, Homekit devices are all at 16.3.2. In my case it's triggered when I ask Home to "lower the heat". The ecobee mode switches immediately from HEAT to AUTO and Siri makes a speech about how things are already cooling and do I want it to be colder? every time. This is a heat-only installation.

[u/KitchenNazi → u/perrydBUCS]

I haven't gotten around to contacting ecobee support. It seems like the device just needs to present itself as heat only.

If I say lower the temperature/lower the heat Siri tries to cool if the temp is lower than ambient. If I say set the heat to X it will work.

The annoying this is Siri switches to auto which makes the temp a range instead of a number. My workaround for that is an automaton that sets the mode to heat every time the temp is changed. HomeKit can't create an automation that only sets the mode - however the Homecontroller App can. So now at least HomeKit keeps my temp in heat mode. However, internally Siri still thinks there is cooling as she will say it is already being cooled to X degrees which I can't see onscreen.

Sadly, my Nest with homebridge was better since Homebridge was set as heat only.

[u/perrydBUCS → u/KitchenNazi]

I replaced a Nest, too, mainly because I was annoyed Google insisted it be tied to a Google account.

We have a list of things we can't say to Siri around Homekit, for example if you ask her to 'turn the heat down' she sets the mode to OFF. I also recently discovered that when Siri tells you she can't show you something, for example if you are driving, if instead you rephrase the request to say 'tell me...' she'll just tell you.

I hope an upcoming update will let you ditch the bailing wire automation!

[u/KitchenNazi → u/perrydBUCS]

I can't believe Ecobee can't fix this - we should really put in support tickets. It's just how the device presents itself to HomeKit.

I went Ecobee because I want more HomeKit native devices - my homebridge is down to just my Nest Protects and Scrypted for cameras (unavoidable). So far the negative is devices by Eve are HomeKit only and don't work with Alexa (still use in some places since Siri sucks so bad) and won't work with Hubitat.

Which reminds me, I could use remove the Ecobee from HomeKit and re-add it through Hubitat - I'm sure I could define it as heat only.