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Cheaply Control Your Thermostat with a Smartphone!

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The ability to control the temperature of your home from anywhere with an Internet connection sounds expensive, but thanks to advances in technology you can purchase a WiFi connected thermostat for just $99.

The Filtrete 7-Day Touchscreen WiFi enabled thermostat brings the convenience of a programmable thermostat into your house as well as the ability to hook your HVAC system into your WiFi network so that you can control it from your smartphone and computer.

The thermostat is a rebadged version of the Radio Thermostat CT-30, which is the company that makes the apps which allow you to change the temperature from your Android, iPhone, iPad or computer. These apps are available for free, and there are no fees to access your WiFi connected thermostat.

Grab the iPhone and iPad app, or the Android Radio Thermostat app.

radio thermostat Android app

Control your thermostat with your Android phone.

According to Home Depot, which sells the thermostat online and in stores, the system is compatible with all home and commercial heating and cooling systems, though at least one review states that the thermostat was not compatible with their system. It is important to note that you need a C-wire to use this system. Unlike your standard thermostat, which uses a battery, the WiFi connection sucks up more power and requires a constant power source.

WiFi Thermostat Android and iPhone

Affordable WiFi Thermostat with Android and iPhone Apps

If you are planning to hook this system up yourself, you should check out the video below, which shows you how to use an unused wire as your C-Wire. This will help you get up and running faster. You can check out the installation guide for more on how to install your WiFi thermostat.

Overall, the installation looks pretty straightforward. Homehandyman101’s YouTube videos cover pretty much any question you have about the device.

I am pretty excited to get my hands on a this thermostat and try it out. Now that my thermostat is more than 5 feet away from the bed, I will enjoy being able to adjust the heat or A/C without getting out from under the covers. That’s not to mention the $180 in estimated savings that come from using a programmable thermostat.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    08/03/2011 at 3:23 pm

    I just paid $ 23.86 for an iPhone and my girlfriend loves her Dell laptop that we got for $ 38.76 there arriving tomorrow by UPS I will never pay such expensive retail prices in stores again. Especially when I also sold a 42 inch LED TV to my boss for $ 665 which only cost me $ 62,81 to buy. Here is the website we use to get it all from, GrabPenny.com

  2. Anonymous

    01/19/2012 at 7:22 am

    I looked in the manuals and this doesn’t have any setup guide for wifi setup. Is it in the menu’s right out of the box?
    Do I have to purchase a separate item to make the wifi work?

  3. orionQ

    04/15/2013 at 8:42 am

    My standard thermostat does not use a battery.

    • hg

      05/04/2013 at 3:20 pm

      Thanks for sharing –__–

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