Newbie - Trane thermostat scheduling

Other Devices & Integrations Climate Control & Temperature Sensors
1

Hi,

i just purchased the Vera 2 and two Trane z-wave thermostats. What is the easiest way to set up a schedule for varying the temperature? for example, M-F 68F at 6am, 62F at 8am, 68F at 5p, 60F at 9p with a different schedule on the weekends?

Thanks

2

Just create an event and use the timers to lay it out.
You can have multiple timers…

3

I created four scenes, Morning, Daytime, Evening and Night. The Morning scene, for example, sets the heat setpoint to 72 and cool setpoint to 74, runs Monday through Friday at 6:00am and Sat and Sun at 8:00am. To do this, (assuming you have UI4) create a scene; name it; click on the “Commands” tab; locate the thermostats; enter the heat and cool set points for the morning; click on the “Timer” tab; click the “Add Timer” button; select the “Day of the Week based” radio button; pick each day, Monday through Friday, and enter the time you want (6:00am); click “Add Timer” again (to add second timer); pick “Day of the Week based” button; pick Saturday and Sunday then enter the weekend morning time (such as 8:00am). Save your work and repeat for each of the other scenes.

I set both the heat and cool set points with the same scene since I have essentially the same schedule year round. Depending on the thermostat mode (heat vs cool), the thermostat picks the appropriate set point.

Here’s something to consider. I have three thermostats in my house. Before automation, one would be off, another running the AC, the other heat. I set my verde to change all thermostats to the same mode as the main floor thermostat using an event trigger. Now if the main floor thermostat is changed from one mode to another the others follow.

4

What a clear, easy to follow, and excellent explanation. Thanks!

5

One thing to keep in mind, if your VERA loses power; your events might not trigger. I also have a TRANE tstat, but I use the internal tstat scheduling to control heat and cool set points. VERA only allows me to control the tstat remotely when needed, or trigger special events that are outside of the capabilities of the internal scheduling on the TRANE tstat.

6

I couldn’t figure out how to schedule the trane thermostat internally. Can you help explain? Thanks. The thermostat manual said to use the zwave controller and there were no options on the thermostat’s menu. I have a model tzemt043ab32maa.

7

http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Products/TZEMT043AB32MAA/manuals/TZEMT043AB32MAAmanual.pdf

Take a look at page 19 to enable SCHEDULING on the tstat (disable by default); once that is done, read page 21 for setting up internal schedule. Hope this helps.

8

If you lose power, your HVAC wouldn’t work anyways right? I guess if the thermostat used internal scheduling, it would kick the system on after power is restored whereas Vera would simply miss the trigger altogether.

I’ve have my Trane for about a month and am still trying to find a balance between comfort vs cost. I have yet to set up scheduling and just turn on the heat “as needed”.

9

Perhaps I should’ve started a different thread, but I’ll ask anyway…

Is there a way to set the time on the Trane thermostat through Vera? I’ve noticed that the Trane, with all that it does so well, does not actually keep track of DST, and it also seems to run a couple minutes fast over the course of a month or two. I’d like to be able to set the time remotely and/or run a regularly-scheduled command to send Vera’s time to the tstat.

Similarly, does anyone know the commands to send to modify the ESM setpoints? I actually switch my tstat between ESM and normal schedule/run mode when I’m there/not there (my weekend home), and that works really great. However, last time I was there, I forgot to modify the heat setpoint for ESM and I’d like to be able to do that remotely. Just putting in an override, I’ve found, doesn’t work when in ESM mode. For some reason - I think it’s when it hits the next schedule event even though I’m not running in regular scheduled mode - the overridden setpoint reverts back to the ESM setpoint stored in the tstat.

Ideas/suggestions on either/both of these questions appreciated.

10

@ jeffy1021 → that is the beauty of Home Automation, there is no single correct answer to accomplish your goal, it is simple a matter of what works for your application.

In my case, I rather use the internal scheduling of the TRANE tstat and have VERA trigger especial events if needed. The great thing about VERA is that allows you to remotely control the tstat settings and adjust them on the fly when needed.

11

Thanks for the quick response on changing the default on the thermostat.

12

I just switched from using Vera to control my Trane Thermostats to using the internal scheduling capabilities. If you want to make changes in the setpoints it is a PITA to navigate to the change, and it you want different Weekday and Weekend schedules you need twice as many “scenes” in Vera to handle the 4 normal daily setpoint changes. I have added 2 scenes for Vacation and Return in Vera that makes use of the Energy Saving Mode setting for times we are away. These scenes can then be set to trigger when we leave, and when we return.

13

Ahh I stand corrected regarding scenes required for Weekday and Weekend programming…

14

if you use the internal schedules for the trane thermostats, will the vera control override if you send a signal like away?

15

I would imagine that it would override until the next scheduled change from the internal occurs.

16

@dgmanny → ASIHome is correct, it will overwrite the setting until the next scheduled change takes place (from the internal tstat schedule). I am not aware of being able to enable ESM (energy savings mode) from Vera (which will overwrite even internal scheduling). Last I remember searching for it, seemed like VERA had the capabilities, but the commands were not written into the firmware.

17

The commands are in there to put the stat into ESM via Z-Wave, it’s just not very easy to do in the Vera. You have to be able to send the raw command.

18

You can choose ESM easily in the Vera web interface. It is on the first page of my Thermostat interface for the Trane, and you can set it with a Scene easily also.

19

Along the same lines, I would like to program two ‘modes’ – the 4 standard temperature changes for when I’m at home and a simple flat-lined temperature setting for when I’m not home.

Near as I can tell, I need to set up a scene for home/away (so there is a bit to test), and then code Luup with the home/away scene ANDed with the 4 standard temperature changes?

20

[quote=“danwing, post:19, topic:167245”]Along the same lines, I would like to program two ‘modes’ – the 4 standard temperature changes for when I’m at home and a simple flat-lined temperature setting for when I’m not home.

Near as I can tell, I need to set up a scene for home/away (so there is a bit to test), and then code Luup with the home/away scene ANDed with the 4 standard temperature changes?[/quote]

Easiest way is to set up the Thermostat with your normal program and the ESM Setpoints (single temperature for Heat and Cool each) and use Vera in a simple Scene to flip on ESM and a Scene to Turn it Off. That is how I am set up now.