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In the review, what was the WiFi performance? Either the WiFi is going to be intermittent or battery life is not going to be nearly that long. It isn't possible, even with the lithium batteries.
I presume without a fancy color touchscreen like some other models, this model is likely more power-efficient than some other models that it can efficiently operate the Wi-Fi without a C-wire.
I saw what experts recommended for setups without a C-wire, and this was one of the most recommended models.
I've used the Lux Geo thermostat for a couple years on batteries alone, they lasted about 6-8 months (which isn't bad). I've also used battery operated z-wave thermostats which have really good battery life, like 2 years, but require a z-wave hub. My application was for a zone system that couldn't easily have a c wire added.
I'll also point out though that if he's connecting it to a regular air handler like 99% of systems have, there is often an extra unused wire in the thermostat wire bundle, and it's a 5 minute job to hook the other side of that unused wire to the C terminal inside the air handler.
I have several of the Emerson Wi-Fi thermostats at different locations and different system types. I can’t really remember if they all have c wire or not. ( I did all the installations) They work great and the batteries actually provide backup for power loss and power without a c-wire. They also have a battery power level indicator on the app, so it is available on your phone all the time. I haven’t found a system yet that does not support the Emerson unit. ( gas/electric, all electric, heat pumps)
I presume without a fancy color touchscreen like some other models, this model is likely more power-efficient than some other models that it can efficiently operate the Wi-Fi without a C-wire.
I saw what experts recommended for setups without a C-wire, and this was one of the most recommended models.
Are you looking for information or just affirmation? Because of how Wi-Fi works, running solely on batteries is either going to result in suboptimal performance or frequent battery replacement. If that is acceptable, then your brother is all set. Otherwise, you may want to consider running the c wire to the thermostat location.
I've used the LUX WIFI Tstat without C wire. It has 2 options - use the 2 Lithium AA batteries that comes in the box which needs replacement in about 6 months or Connect a micro USB cable to a USB plug.
I chose the 2nd option - purchased a 10 foot USB cable so it can reach an outlet. It's more economical than running Lithium batteries. Cable costs about $5 on Ebay. The App interface is pretty basic but I can do what I need - turn on the AC or heat remotely and see what the temp is.
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