If you have an Ecobee thermostat, the Ecobee sensor is the add-on purchase you never knew you needed. The ability to sense people in a room and only activate the thermostat’s temperature settings as programmed will go a long way in saving energy.
This adoption of motion sensing intelligence for thermostat regulation is a game-changer. Especially since it helps to regulate the temperature depending on the number of occupants in the room, so if you own an Ecobee sensor, stay tuned to learn how to troubleshoot it.
How do I reset my Ecobee sensor?
To do a factory reset, follow the steps below;
- Remove the circular backing from the back of the sensor.
- Circular backing from the unit
- Remove the battery from the battery slot.
- Removing the battery
- Gently lift the prongs in the middle of the battery slot with your index fingernail.
- Prongs in the battery slot
- Place the battery back into the battery slot with the positive side facing down for 30 seconds.
- Wait 30 Seconds
- Remove the battery and place the battery back in with the positive side facing up.
- The positive side facing up
- Place the backing back onto the battery slot.
How do I calibrate my Ecobee smart sensor?
- Go to the menu on your Ecobee screen.
- Select ‘Installation settings’ from the Settings menu.
- Now go to ‘Thresholds’ and select ‘Temperature Correction.’
- You can adjust the temperature to what you see fit.
How do I pair my Ecobee smart sensor?
To activate a Room Sensor, ensure that your Ecobee is awake by standing in front of it or touching the screen. You may need to back out of the menu or clear any full-screen alerts first.
Once your thermostat is on the Home Screen;
- Gently pull the plastic tab on the back of the sensor.
- Look for a message on your Ecobee’s screen. The 4-digit ID should match the 4-digit code on the back of your sensor. Tap Pair now to confirm pairing.
- Choose a sensor name from the list or enter a custom name by selecting Enter Your Own. Tap Next when you are done.
- Choose what Comfort Settings (i.e., Home, Away, and Sleep) you want the Room Sensor to participate in by checking or unchecking the boxes. When a sensor participates in a Comfort Setting, its temperature readings are used with the thermostat’s readings to calculate an average temperature across multiple rooms.
- Tap Next, then Finish when you’re done.
Note:
If you’re unsure what settings you’d like to use, leave all of the boxes checked for now. You can always change participation settings later by going to MAIN MENU > SENSORS > Tapping the sensor in question > PARTICIPATION. Learn more about sensor participation in the next section.
How to unpair a Room Sensor
- On the thermostat, select the hamburger menu
- From your thermostat’s Main Menu, select Sensors.
- Tap on the sensor you’d like to remove.
- Select the trash icon in the top-right corner, then select Unpair.
What does it mean when the Ecobee sensor is occupied?
If an Ecobee sensor is occupied, it means that movement was detected within the motion sensor’s range. Ecobee’s sensor occupancy motion detection has three smart modes:
Follow Me mode
A sensor will stay occupied in Follow Me Mode for as long as you remain in the room. When you leave that room, the sensor will remain occupied for 30 minutes. This prevents the thermostat from continually turning on and off if you are moving around the house.
However, after 30 minutes of no movement, the sensor will become unoccupied. It will then stay unoccupied until motion is detected again. If you have disabled a sensor in your Comfort Settings, that sensor will not detect occupancy in Follow Me mode.
The Follow Me function uses all the sensors connected to your thermostat to make heating and cooling decisions for the room intelligently. If the Follow Me function is disabled, your Ecobee thermostat will make heating and cooling decisions based on the average temperatures measured between the sensors in your home.
Smart Home Mode and Smart Away Mode
When Smart Home mode is enabled, your thermostat will automatically apply your Home comfort settings when it detects motion. Once Smart Home is activated, the sensor will remain occupied until there is no occupancy for two hours.
Check this too: Ecobee Switch+ How to & Troubleshooting Guide
Conversely, Smart Away mode will activate when all sensors remain unoccupied for two hours. Your thermostat will remain in Smart Away mode until it detects occupancy or a scheduled Away setting begins.
While Smart Home/Away modes are enabled, the sensors measure occupancy every 5 minutes. In addition, the Smart Home/Away function uses all the sensors connected to your thermostat to detect if anyone is currently home.
According to your regular schedule, suppose your thermostat believes you should be “home,” but your sensors detect that your home is unoccupied. In that case, your Ecobee thermostat will make adjustments, so you aren’t unnecessarily heating or cooling an empty house.
Ecobee sensor temperature wrong
Suppose your Ecobee sensor is displaying the wrong temperature. In that case, you can fix it by recalibrating it, place it in a position that makes it easier to read the ambient temperature, or replacing the batteries. You can check the status of the sensor from your thermostat or the smartphone app.
Check to see if the sensor connects to the Wi-Fi properly as the sensor connects to the thermostat wirelessly. Change the location of the sensor for a better connection. If this does not work, change the temperature calibration on the Ecobee.
How to recalibrate the thermostat;
- Go to the thermostat Menu
- Then select Settings > Installation Settings > Thresholds
- Choose Temperature Correction.
- Then adjust the thermostat and sensors’ overall temperature up or down according to your needs.
How to make Ecobee sensor occupied
When an Ecobee sensor is disabled, it will not detect motion or become occupied while that mode is in use. The sensors can be disabled through the thermostat settings. In addition, you can disable specific sensors for specific Comfort modes. The adjusted sensor settings will also apply to Follow Me Occupied mode.
Here are the steps to enable and disable specific sensors:
- Open the thermostat’s main menu.
- Tap on “Comfort Settings.”
- Select one of the three comfort modes.
- Tap on “Participating Sensors.”
- Choose the sensors that you want to enable when your thermostat is in the selected mode.
Note: Sensors cannot be disabled for Smart Home and Smart Away modes. These modes use the information from each sensor connected to the thermostat regardless of what settings you have set up.
Ecobee sensor battery replacement
Replacing a Room Sensor battery involves gently prying off the battery cover, popping the battery out, and replacing it with a fresh CR-2032 coin-cell battery, inserted positive side up.
If your sensor uses the sensor stand:
- Place your thumb and index finger on the narrow part of the sensor stand and your other hand on the front of the sensor.
- Gently pull upwards to release the sensor.
- Remove the battery by gently prying it out of the battery compartment with a thin tool such as a pen, plastic card, or screwdriver.
- Ensure the battery is inserted positive (+) side up, as shown here. Next, you will need to gently seat the new battery into place, allowing the metal prongs to hold the battery into place.
- Then replace the battery cover by snapping it back into place.
If your sensor uses the circular battery cover:
- Using a thin tool such as a pen, plastic card, or screwdriver, slip the tool into one of the recessed corners of the battery cover.
- Gently pry the battery cover off.
- Using the same tool, gently pry the battery from the battery compartment.
- Ensure the battery is inserted positive (+) side up, as shown here. Next, you will need to gently seat the new battery into place, allowing the metal prongs to hold the battery into place.
- Replace the battery cover by snapping it back into place.
Ecobee sensor battery life
The CR2032 battery used in the old Ecobee Room sensors can last at least 18 months. In contrast, the CR2477 battery used in the new Smart Sensors can last for five years.
Ecobee sensor unavailable after pairing
If your Ecobee sensor keeps disconnecting or registering as unavailable, these could be the reasons why;
- Low battery
- Static interference from walkie-talkies, baby monitors, or phones lying
- The sensor is too far from the thermostat
How do I know if my Ecobee sensor is working?
Go to MAIN MENU > SENSORS on the thermostat, the Ecobee app, or the web portal and look for the following icons:
- The sensor is currently active/participating (sensor is filled in with white)
- The sensor is currently inactive/not participating (sensor is hollow
- The sensor is not connected and not participating (sensor is hollow and has no signal waves)
Alternatively, you can place your Ecobee thermostat back on the wall and wait for it to power up. Then place the battery back in the sensor, and the battery cover or sensor stands onto the battery slot. You should receive a prompt on your Ecobee’s screen to pair the sensor.
How to reconnect an Ecobee sensor
Stand in front of your Ecobee, hold up your Room Sensor, and pull the green tab out of the back. Your Ecobee thermostat will notify you that it has detected a Room Sensor. Tap Yes to proceed with the pairing, and it will automatically pair the sensor.
Do Ecobee sensors reset after a power outage?
No, it will not reset. A smart thermostat remembers the schedule that it was going to run and continues to run it.
Why does my Ecobee keep going offline?
There are several reasons why an Ecobee device won’t connect to Wi-Fi;
- Lack of power
- A disconnected router
- Incorrect encryptions
- Poor signal strength
- Incorrect Wi-Fi password
- Incompatible router broadcast network
How to reconnect your Ecobee Sensor to Wi-Fi
The solutions listed below will enable you to reconnect your sensor to the Wi-Fi network;
- Change your router’s broadcast network settings
- Change your router’s encryption settings
- Move your router closer to the sensor
- Upgrade your router
Ecobee sensor not detecting the motion
These are the main reasons why your sensor is not detecting motion;
- The sensor has a low battery
- The sensor is too far or too high
Ecobee sensor not pairing
Before you begin troubleshooting to find out why your sensor is not pairing, you need to make sure your thermostat is updated and running on the latest firmware and the room sensor has a good battery.
Here’s how to find the firmware version running on your thermostat:
- Tap the Menu icon on the thermostat screen.
- Scroll to the bottom and select “About.”
- Check the Version number.
- Compare it to the latest firmware version your Ecobee thermostat is supposed to have.
If the battery on the Ecobee sensor is running low, make sure you replace it before you try repairing it. Once this is done, reboot the thermostat to reprogram it before pair it with the sensor again.
How to Reboot the Thermostat
There are two ways to reboot an Ecobee thermostat:
1. From the Thermostat
- Pull the thermostat from its wall mount.
- Keep the thermostat powered off for a minute, then put it back on the wall.
- Allow the thermostat to complete its boot-up process.
2. From the Breaker Box
- At the circuit breaker box, switch off the heating and cooling system.
- Keep the thermostat powered off for a minute, then switch the breaker back on.
- Allow the thermostat to complete its boot-up process.
How to Pair the Sensor to an Ecobee Thermostat
- Your Ecobee will notify you that it has found a Room Sensor. Tap Yes to proceed with pairing.
- Your Sensor will start to pair, and a four-digit code will appear on your thermostat.
- Select a name for your Sensor, then tap Next.
- Select when your Sensor is active, then Tap Next.
- Enable or Disable the Smart Home/Away function by tapping the desired setting.
- Enable or Disable the Follow Me function by tapping the desired setting.
Check this too: Dometic Thermostat How to & Troubleshooting Guide
Ecobee sensor not showing in Homekit
Make sure your Ecobee and your iPhone are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
To check the status of your Ecobee’s Wi-Fi connection, go to the MAIN MENU > ABOUT > WI-FI on your thermostat. If the Wi-Fi is okay, but your sensor is still not connecting, follow the steps below:
- On the thermostat, go to MAIN MENU > SETTINGS > RESET > DISCONNECT FROM HOMEKIT.
- Reboot the Ecobee by gently removing your thermostat from its backplate and the wall and leaving it off for about two minutes.
- Place the Ecobee back on the wall after one minute and wait for it to reconnect to Wi-Fi.
- Repair your Ecobee either through the Home app or the Ecobee app.
- Try adjusting the temperature on your Ecobee through the Home app to see if it responds.
Ecobee sensor not updating
Check to see if the Wi-Fi router is on, and then check if the thermostat is connecting to the wireless network properly. Then check to see if the sensor has fully functioning batteries and replace them if they are running low.