I’m not sure the best way to ask or if there is a better community to post…

I’m hoping to use my home server to control my home thermostat but not sure where to start.

Does anyone use Home Assistant for this? Another software?

I’m not sure if I’m allowed to ask about hardware here, but are there things to be aware of in making sure that a wifi thermostat is best suited for the job?

  • @aubeynarfEnglish
    9•15 hours ago

    Zigbee or Zwave temperature/humidity sensors are common. Add a 3-circuit relay box and you can simulate the behavior of pretty much any thermostat with a few rules.

    HA or any other system that can toggle outputs based on sensor thresholds would work just fine.

    there are some subtleties with real HVAC thermostats, like running your AC compressor at least five minutes and ensuring that it stays off for at least 5 minutes when it’s turned off.

    • @[email protected]English
      2•13 hours ago

      I’d highly recommend not doing that. A smart thermostat is much easier and going to be a lot more reliable. And it won’t stop working if your server goes down.

      • abeorch
        3•10 hours ago

        @atzanteol @aubeynarf Clarification here There are ZigBee thermostats that are integrated sensors and switches where you can control the switch, read the sensor and control the set point both on the device and via ZigBee so they are controllable locally in two senses - on the device and with the home. There are proprietary Smart thermostats that may be local on the device but rely on external servers for any off device control. then there are Proprietary thermostats that are totally dependent on an internet connection to do anything - Its important to check

      • @[email protected]English
        2•10 hours ago

        You can set up a simple, dumb thermostat in parallel, to act as a failsafe. Set it 5 degrees below your lowest heat setpoint, and even if your server crashes, it doesn’t let your house freeze.