Smart thermostats are a major improvement to the heat pump systems, as they allow accurate temperature control, energy-saving, and remote access. As a heat pump owner, it is important to get the right smart thermostat since these systems require special operation unlike the traditional HVAC systems.
The most excellent smart thermostats in heat pumps are multi-stage control, energy consumption monitoring, and support of different smart home ecosystems.
This guide looks at the best smart thermostats that are specifically made to be compatible with heat pump systems. We compared such characteristics as heat pump compatibility, installation conditions, energy-saving features, and smart home integration to make sure that you could find the best solution to your heating and cooling system.
| Model | Heat Pump Compatibility | C-Wire Required | Voice Assistants |
|---|---|---|---|
| ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced | Excellent | Yes | Alexa, Google, Siri |
| Honeywell RTH9585WF | Excellent | Yes | Alexa |
| Saswell 3H/2C Smart Thermostat | Excellent (3H/2C) | Yes | Alexa, Google |
| Sensi Smart Thermostat ST55 | Good | Usually not | Alexa |
| Meross Smart Thermostat | Good | Yes | Alexa, Google, Apple Home |
ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced: Premier Choice For Heat Pumps
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced is a better alternative to heat pump system, as it is energy efficient and has advanced comfort features. It is an ENERGY STAR certified device that saves homeowners up to 26 percent of heating and cooling costs annually, and it is an affordable long-term investment to the owners of heat pumps who are interested in maximizing the performance of their systems.
The intelligent temperature control is what makes this thermostat especially appropriate to heat pumps. The ecobee has predictive technology that will preheat or precool your home before you get there so that when you arrive your home will be at the perfect temperature.
This aspect is particularly useful in heat pump systems which at times take longer to achieve desired temperatures than conventional furnaces.
Installation is also quite simplified to the DIY fanatics and most of the users have managed to do the installation within 45 minutes or less. The package comes with all the parts that are required to install it and the thermostat is compatible with most heat pump set ups.
The user-friendly interface allows an easy daily operation, and the companion app offers full control anywhere through smartphone, tablet, or Apple Watch.
The other aspect that the ecobee does well is Smart home integration, as it can be used with Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. This flexibility will mean that no matter which smart home ecosystem you prefer, the ecobee can fit into your current system.
The thermostat is also capable of taking into consideration the level of humidity and adjusting the temperatures accordingly and this is very important to the owners of heat pumps in areas where the weather varies.
Honeywell Home RTH9585WF: Reliable Control For Heat Pump Systems
Honeywell Home RTH9585WF Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat is an outstanding product that can provide the best performance in heat pump systems due to the wide range of control and an easy-to-use interface. This thermostat is both stylish and functional, whereby the user can customize the display color to suit the home design and yet it has powerful heat pump control.
To the owners of the heat pumps, this model has a high level of temperature control and flexible programming that fits different schedules and usage patterns. The thermostat is also suitable in heat pump systems as it can accommodate various stages of heating and cooling which is common in heat pump systems.
It has an easy to use programming interface that will enable you to set up customized schedules that fit your daily routine or to fit peak rate pricing by the utility companies.
One of the outstanding characteristics of the RTH9585WF is that it is energy efficient. This thermostat is ENERGY STAR certified and gives you detailed reports on energy usage to enable you to monitor the use and determine how to make further savings.
Most utility providers will provide rebates on the installation of this model and most customers will be able to enroll in demand response programs where they will be rewarded by allowing small temperature changes during times of high energy demand.
The large, colorful touchscreen display is easy to operate, and the temperature is easy to read, as well as system status. Although this model will need a C-wire to be installed, this is usually an advantage to heat pump systems since it will provide a steady power to maintain a steady performance.
The Honeywell Home app expands the capabilities of the thermostat so that it can be controlled remotely to change the temperature, alter schedules, and monitor the system in any location.
Saswell 3H/2C Smart Thermostat: Specialized For Multi-Stage Heat Pumps
The Saswell Smart Thermostat is unique to the owners of heat pumps especially in its amazing 3H/2C (three heating/two cooling) stage capacity and is therefore a perfect fit to complicated heat pumps. This is a special design that takes into consideration the requirements of the multi-stage heat pumps that are more demanding in terms of control than the standard HVAC systems to achieve the best efficiency and comfort.
The high compatibility with different system configurations is what makes this thermostat especially useful in heat pump systems. Depending on whether you own a basic heat pump or a more sophisticated multi-stage system, Saswell thermostat will adjust to your unique needs.
Such flexibility means that owners of heat pumps can get the accurate temperature control no matter how complex their system is.
The installation has been made easy to the home owners with the basic DIY skills, but it should be noted that a C-wire is a must to ensure the proper functioning. The thermostat is easy to set up and install, and it has a clear instruction and all the required parts so that it is easy to install without professional help.
This is a welcome feature to the heat pump owners who might have had a bad experience in the past with some thermostats that are not compatible with their heat pumps.
The smart feature is not limited to simple temperature control as it is compatible with such popular platforms as Tuya Smart, Smart Life, Google Home, and Alexa. This connectivity allows easy access to the apps and voice control, which provides heat pump owners with a full range of management capabilities.
The remote control of the settings is especially useful in heat pump systems where the user can optimize the performance according to the weather conditions or changes in the schedule.
Sensi Smart Thermostat ST55: Easy Installation For Heat Pump Systems
Emerson Sensi Smart Thermostat ST55 is a great choice of heat pump owners who want to install a smart thermostat that is easy to install and has good privacy protection. Supported by a century of experience in temperature control, this ENERGY STAR certified product offers dependable performance that is uniquely appropriate to heat pump systems without overloading the user with more than is needed.
The ease of installation is one of the most attractive features of the Sensi ST55 to the owners of the heat pumps. The in-built level and step-by-step application instructions help users to complete a fast installation process which is compatible with most of the residential HVAC systems, including heat pumps.
Significantly, this thermostat does not need a common wire (C-wire) in most applications, a fact that can be a great benefit to older heat pump systems where such a wire may not be available.
The main strength of this model is energy efficiency, which has the potential to save about 23 percent of the HVAC energy costs. These extra savings are of added value to the heat pump owners who are already energy conscious.
These savings are realized by the thermostat by having such features as flexible scheduling where the user can program his/her own temperature schedule to fit his/her lifestyle and at the same time maximize the performance of the heat pump.
The consumers who care about their privacy will feel good about Sensi not selling their personal data to third parties. This strategy is opposed to others of its competitors who sell user data.
Remote access feature of the thermostat allows the owners of heat pumps to observe and control their system remotely with the help of the mobile app, and the usage reports give the owners an idea of their consumption patterns and further efficiency gains that can be achieved.
Meross Smart Thermostat: Matter-Compatible Option For Heat Pumps
The Meross Smart Thermostat offers an amazing level of flexibility to owners of heat pumps who want a smart, connected temperature control system. The most interesting characteristic of this thermostat is the fact that it is Matter compatible, which is the latest standard in smart home connectivity.
Such future-proof design allows a smooth connection to Apple Home, Alexa, and Google Assistant systems, which means that the owners of heat pumps will have an outstanding degree of flexibility in terms of how they manage their systems.
This model has a high heat pump compatibility, and it is compatible with around 95 percent of the heating and cooling systems. The thermostat is specially made to accommodate the special needs of the heat pumps so that it can cycle and manage the temperature properly to give the best efficiency.
It should be mentioned that this model is not suitable to work with the electric baseboard heaters, however, this drawback does not impact the majority of heat pump uses.
The scheduling functions are especially useful to heat pump systems which are able to take advantage of steady temperature control. The Meross has a full 7-day programmability with 24-hour flexibility, which enables the user to design individual heating and cooling schedules that suit his or her lifestyle.
The thermostat also works according to the preset schedules even when there is no Wi-Fi, and it provides constant comfort.
The installation does need a C-wire to power, which is common with most smart thermostats today. Meross has a separate C-wire adapter to use with heat pump systems that do not have this wire. The thermostat can only connect to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks and this is something you might want to consider when installing it.
On the whole, this thermostat is a good compromise between the functionality and dependability that is especially useful in a heat pump.
Honeywell Home RENEWRTH9585WF: Cost-Effective Renewed Option
The Honeywell Home RENEWRTH9585WF provides owners of heat pumps with an affordable means of enjoying the benefits of the best thermostats on the market by using a certified renewed product. It is identical in functionality to the new RTH9585WF model but at a lower cost, which makes it a good choice among the owners of heat pumps who do not want to lose their quality and functionality but are not ready to pay a high price.
This thermostat with its smart energy management capabilities is especially beneficial to heat pump systems. Its efficiency credentials are confirmed by the ENERGY STAR certification, and the monthly energy reports allow the users to monitor the heating and cooling patterns that are unique to the heat pump usage.
These insights are complemented with individual recommendations on how to use less energy so that the owners of the heat pumps can make their system work as efficiently as possible at all times.
The user interface is also a highlight and it has a bright, intuitive touchscreen that makes it easy to operate by everyone. The display is customizable using various color choices to suit your home decor and the best part is that it is aesthetically pleasing yet very functional.
With the heat pump systems and their peculiarities of operation, this user-friendly interface allows setting the settings and making schedules easily.
Although it is a renewed product, it is professionally inspected and tested so that it can work properly. To the owners of heat pumps in particular, the thermostat provides suitable staging controls and settings to regulate the heating and cooling cycles.
The companion app will enable control outside the home, which can be especially useful to adjust the performance of the heat pumps according to weather changes or unforeseen schedule changes.
Buying Guide: Selecting The Ideal Smart Thermostat For Your Heat Pump
There are a number of important aspects that should be kept in mind when selecting a smart thermostat to work with a heat pump system in particular to achieve the best performance and compatibility. The nature of heat pumps is different in terms of operation than the traditional HVAC systems, which is why the choice of thermostats is especially crucial.
Heat Pump Compatibility and Staging
The first thing you should consider is heat pump staging abilities. Seek thermostats that specifically accommodate heat pump systems, and provide multi-stage control (usually marked 2H/1C or 3H/2C). These labels show the amount of heating and cooling steps that the thermostat is capable of handling.
High-end heat pumps that have auxiliary/emergency heat need thermostats that will adequately regulate these extra levels.
Make sure that the thermostat has certain features of heat pump, such as the capability to control defrost cycles and auxiliary heat effectively. Other models have more advanced capabilities such as intelligent recovery, which computes the best moment to turn on your system to achieve a target temperature, which can be especially useful with heat pumps, which can take longer to change temperature compared with conventional systems.
Installation Requirements
The majority of the new smart thermostats need a C-wire (common wire) to have a steady power supply. Although this wire is installed in some heat pumps, it is not installed in many older systems.
Choosing a thermostat, find out whether your system has a C-wire or you are ready to add one. Others such as the Sensi ST55 might run without a C-wire in most installations, and others include an adapter kit to use in systems that do not have this connection.
The compatibility is also revealed by the number of wires in the connection of your current thermostat. Common heat pump systems have compressor (Y), fan (G), reversing valve (O/B) and auxiliary heat (W/E) wires.
Before you decide to buy something, count the number of wires you have and compare it to the requirements of the thermostat.
Energy Efficiency Features
The already-efficient heat pump systems can be greatly improved by the use of smart thermostats. Seek ENERGY STAR certified models, which must adhere to high standards of efficiency. Such characteristics as learning abilities, occupancy detection, and usage reports open additional optimization opportunities.
There are other thermostats which can vary their operation depending on the outside temperature or humidity which significantly affect the efficiency of the heat pump.
Most utility companies have rebates to install a smart thermostat, which may cover a large part of the cost of purchase. Before purchasing, check with your local utility to see whether certain programs need particular models that are approved.
Also, there are thermostats that have demand response programs that can offer continuous savings by making small temperature changes during peak demand times.
Smart Home Integration
Think about the way a smart thermostat will fit into your current smart home environment. In case you already have certain voice assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, make sure that they are compatible with them.
More recent standards such as Matter (which is supported by the Meross thermostat) provide more extensive compatibility with other smart home systems, which could make your purchase future-proof.
In addition to simple compatibility, check the level of integration that is offered. There are thermostats that have limited commands via voice assistants and there are those that have full control.
The companion app is also a crucial factor since this is where you will be doing most of your remote adjustments and programming. Seek user-friendly designs with specifications that are of great advantage in managing heat pumps.
