Ecobee’s Smart Thermostat Humidity Guide: All You Need To Know

The built-in settings on the ecobee smart thermostat allow you to fine-tune the humidity in your house. The ecobee smart thermostat can help you regulate your home even if you don’t have a dedicated dehumidifier. From fan adjustments to HVAC configurations, these options are available.

Optimize Comfort: Ecobee Smart Thermostat Tips

When it comes to adding some lack of sophistication to your HVAC system, the ecobee smart thermostat is one of the best popular options. This smart thermostat is jam-packed with capabilities that manage everything from scheduling to adapting your usual schedule.

Humidity is at the top of every homeowner’s concern. Not only is this about convenience, but if your HVAC system isn’t up to the task of dealing with the excess moisture, you could be in for some expensive repairs down the line. Fortunately, the ecobee can assist you in resolving this issue.

What is the ecobee Smart Thermostat?

This is one of the best popular choices for consumers looking for a smart thermometer.

The ecobee not only has all of the normal capabilities that any conventional thermometer should have, but it also has a slew of smart thing that gives you the granular control that smart home devotees crave.

This gadget also works with all of the most up-to-date smart home apps and hubs, such as:

  •  
  • Alexa
  • Google’s virtual assistant 
  • Samsung SmartThings 
  • Apple’s HomeKit

Among the most common concerns among homeowners is the ecobee’s ability to control humidity. 

Your HVAC system may have to work extra hours to overcome constantly shifting moisture levels in the air due to humidity development. If the humidity level increases too high, it can cause catastrophic problems, including rot and flood damage. Your ecobee can assist you in controlling the humidity.

Here’s what you need to know to get started.

How Does it Measure Humidity?

Let’s start with a quick rundown of the fundamentals. A built-in sensor in the ecobee detects humidity.

This sensor is part of the ecobee’s sensor cluster, which you can place all throughout your house. These sensors can track anything from temperature to occupancy and, yes, even humidity, depending on the version of ecobee you get:

Some consumers report differences between their ecobee’s humidity readings and what other gadgets in their home display. Calibrate and synchronize your ecobee devices — this is normally a one-time activity when setting up your system and should require up to 20 minutes. Any big disparities should be readily eliminated, and your ecobee system should be back on the right track.

You can also utilize the Humidity Correction setting to adjust the humidity level by 10% if necessary.

How does the ecobee control the humidity in our home now that we know how it works?

Does ecobee Control Humidity?

Does ecobee Control Humidity

Yes! Your home’s humidity can be controlled with the ecobee smart thermostat. Your HVAC system is responsible for the majority of its ability to control humidity.

Your ecobee is a smart thermostat that connects to your existing HVAC system. The ecobee has a lot of capabilities that let you regulate your house to the nth degree, but if your HVAC system is old or in need of repair, it will automatically limit what your ecobee can do. When you are installing a smart thermostat system like ecobee, it’s important to maintain your HVAC system up to date.

Your ecobee can control humidity in a variety of ways after it’s connected in. The ecobee can be linked to a range of household accessories, including dehumidifiers. The humidity in your home is reduced by these gadgets.

By default, your ecobee is connected to the most effective dehumidifier equipment in the world: your air conditioner. The ecobee will primarily control humidity in your house by making granular modifications to your air conditioner:

It’s great to have all this power, but how precise is the sensor we’re working with?

How Accurate is ecobee’s Humidity Sensor?

The ecobee’s humidity sensor is usually highly reliable. This sensor can be adjusted and synchronized with other devices, and it responds to changes in your environment. This means you can count on your ecobee to be accurate to within a few units at all times.

Whereas the ecobee humidity sensor’s exact specifications are kept under wraps, we can make some assumptions based on the temperature sensor’s findings.

Official documentation claims that the ecobee thermostat is accurate to within +/- 1.0F. The temperature sensor creates an average from the last two measurements in order to keep adjusted. Under the usual settings, it also takes these measures every 15 seconds.

What this means for humidity is that we should expect a reasonable level of accuracy in most cases. A difference in temperature of one degree isn’t excessive, and as long as the humidity readings are within that range, we’ll be fine.

So, how can we regain control of the humidity?

How do I Adjust/Lower the Humidity on My ecobee?

Let’s begin with the “coolest” option on your ecobee: Overcool Max!

No, Overcool Max is not really a fictional character from the 1980s; it’s the humidity-control setting on your ecobee.

This feature essentially allows your HVAC system to get cooler than your specified settings in order to regulate humidity. Controlling Overcool Max’s wacky abilities comes in two flavors.

To correct for humidity, the first step is to specify how many degrees your HVAC system can overcool. This is adjustable in.5 degree increments. Whenever your home becomes excessively humid, your ecobee will alert your HVAC system that it has momentary permission to raise the chill until the humidity is reduced.

It’s also simple to choose the ideal humidity level.

Menu > Dehumidify using AC > Enable is where you’ll find it.

You can choose a proportion for your home’s humidity in this setting.

Depending on your demands, you can go skeleton dry or tropical.

This is also the percentage used by the Overcool Max option to determine when your air conditioner may work harder to combat humidity.

Bare in mind that Overcool Max will turn off when the humidity or temperature percentage is reached. Whatever event occurs first. So if it can’t get chilly enough, it might not acquire the right humidity.

The always important but less awesomely named fan settings are another set to keep an eye out for.

Always On VS Auto Fan and Humidity

Your fan configurations aren’t going to get an action movie bid anytime soon, but this is the one that’s truly working for you when it comes to humidity. This is how it goes.

If your fan is always set to be on, it will circulate humid air throughout your home at all times. This will raise the humidity over time. The fan will turn off automatically, allowing humidity to accumulate inside your HVAC system. Your HVAC system has tools built in to deal with moisture. Essentially, an auto fan allows your HVAC system to cycle off undesired humidity while continuously increasing humidity.

Let’s take a look at your most powerful anti-humidity weapon: the air conditioner.

Dehumidify Using AC Setting

Your air conditioner has the capacity to reduce humidity quickly. Here’s how it works scientifically.

Warm air can transport a lot more moisture than cold air. This is why your skin becomes drier in the winter. When it’s hot outside, the air simply can’t hold the same quantity of moisture. This is taken full advantage of by your HVAC system, which uses your air conditioner to reduce humidity in your home.

Simply lower the thermostat on your ecobee by a few degrees to send the humidity packing. Remember that if it’s already freezing outside or you’re in the middle of an extreme tropical heat, your air conditioner system may struggle to keep the humidity and heat at bay.

What are you going to do with all of this power?

What is a normal indoor humidity reading to aim for?

What is a normal indoor humidity reading to aim for

It’s simple when it comes to the perfect temperature. Simply choose whatever makes you happy! Are you a hot-weather all-star who enjoys sunbathing? Then crank it up a notch. On a hot day, do you want to keep your cool? Then, to the left, turn the dial. On bad days, those of us who have a regulated, balanced energy and financial utilization can simply reclaim Mother Nature’s edge.

When it comes to humidity, though, the story keeps changing.

The optimal relative indoor humidity is expressed as a percentage, and it varies greatly depending on your demands, where you reside, and the size of your home.

As per the Mayo Clinic, the optimal humidity level for most indoor situations is between 30% and 50%. Even though some specialists believe that up to 65 percent is OK!

Comfort plays a role in this swing, just as it does in temperature. Sometimes many people prefer it to be a little be a little more humid, while others prefer it to be a little dryer. Certain conditions can be induced by the improper humidity. Therefore personal issues such as health come into play. Another consideration is the construction of your home. Older homes were designed to keep heat more efficiently, and as a result, they may also retain humidity more easily.

In brief, regardless based on your convenience, your home, and your demands, your ideal humidity percentage will be between 30 and 65 percent. Feel free to experiment with that quantity as the season’s change and see what works best for you.

Lance Ulanoff is a renowned tech journalist, commentator, and on-air expert with over 36 years of experience. He has held esteemed positions including Editor in Chief of Lifewire and Mashable, where he delved into the impact of technology on daily life. Lance's expertise has been featured on major news programs globally, and he has made appearances on Fox News, CNBC, and the BBC.