ecobee automation is built from comfort settings, schedules and SmartSensors. A schedule sets comfort settings such as Home, Away and Sleep at times you choose, and each comfort setting holds a heating and cooling temperature. SmartSensors report temperature and occupancy in rooms, and ecobee's sensor participation article explains that you choose which sensors take part in each comfort setting, so the thermostat weighs rooms with people in them; Follow Me does this automatically.
The checks in more detail
ecobee's SmartSensor placement article suggests placing sensors up to about 60 feet from the thermostat, away from direct sun and vents, at a comfortable height. If the schedule is ignored, check for a hold, since a hold overrides the schedule until it ends, and check that the thermostat is not in vacation mode. If comfort is wrong in one room, check which sensors participate and that batteries are fresh. Apple Home, Alexa and other integrations can create routines.
Time-based schedules follow the thermostat's time zone, so check it. Smart Home and Away uses occupancy from sensors and the app. Keep automations simple, review them each season and change one setting at a time. Change one setting at a time and wait a day before judging it. A schedule that does not fit may have been changed by a hold, so cancel it. Review your schedule at the start of each season.
Give a new schedule two weeks before adjusting it, because comfort settings and sensors need consistent behavior to give a clear picture. A sensor that takes part in every comfort setting will keep the heat on for a cold room nobody uses, so limit participation to rooms with people at those times. ecobee sensors take a few minutes to report, so judge a schedule change after a full cycle rather than after the first few minutes, when the room has not yet responded.
Differential
Likely causes of “ecobee thermostats routine, schedule or automation is not running”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A hold
What separates it The schedule is ignored because a hold is overriding it
How to confirm Cancel the hold, so the thermostat goes back to following its schedule
- 2
Wrong sensor participation
What separates it A room is too warm or too cold because the wrong sensors are taking part in that comfort setting
How to confirm Change which sensors participate in the comfort setting, so the rooms you use are the ones counted
- 3
A poorly placed sensor
What separates it The readings are odd because a sensor sits in direct sun or next to a vent
How to confirm Move the sensor away from sun and vents, to somewhere that reflects the room's normal temperature
- 4
A wrong time zone
What separates it The schedule fires at the wrong hour because the time zone is set incorrectly
How to confirm Correct the location and the time zone, so that the schedule follows your local time
- 5
A weak sensor battery
What separates it The sensor keeps dropping out because its battery is weak
How to confirm Replace the battery in the sensor, then check that it reports to the thermostat again
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which comfort settings you have set, such as Home, Away and Sleep
- Which sensors take part in each comfort setting
- Any holds that are active at the moment
- The time zone that is set for the thermostat
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck for a hold
ReversibleCheck for a hold on the thermostat, and cancel it if the schedule is not being followed.
Review comfort settings
ReversibleReview the comfort settings, meaning Home, Away and Sleep, and check their temperatures suit you.
Choose participating sensors
ReversibleChoose the participating sensors for each comfort setting, so that the right rooms are counted.
Place sensors well
ReversiblePlace sensors well, away from direct sun and from vents that blow hot or cold air on them.
Check the time zone
ReversibleCheck the time zone and the schedule, because a wrong zone makes the schedule run at the wrong hour.
Replace sensor batteries
ReversibleReplace the sensor batteries if they are weak, since a weak battery makes a sensor drop out.
Contact ecobee
ReversibleContact ecobee if it still fails, and tell them the comfort settings and which sensors take part.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Devices this page covers
- ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium, Smart Thermostat Enhanced and ecobee3 lite, with the SmartSensor room sensors. ecobee writes one support article per fault for its thermostats; the notes name where wifi bands, the Power Extender Kit and built-in voice differ.
- Sensors
- Up to a set number can join a thermostat.
- Follow Me
- Uses occupancy to weight rooms.
- Tools and supplies
- The ecobee app on an up-to-date phone, a small screwdriver for the wire connectors, a phone camera for photographing wiring, a flashlight and a pen and paper to label wires. Turn off the HVAC breaker before touching any wires.
- Repair cost
- Most fixes cost nothing. Figures: an ecobee Power Extender Kit is $29.98, a SmartSensor 2-pack is $79.99 and a Smart Thermostat Premium is about $284 against a $329 list price. A professional C-wire fix runs about $160 to $380. Check the limited warranty first.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Smart Thermostat Enhanced, ecobee3 lite.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If schedules fail after correcting these, contact ecobee support
- !If a sensor never reports, remove it and add it again to the thermostat
- !If comfort suffers, adjust the temperatures in the comfort settings
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Sensor participation.
Sensor setup.
Reset options.
Offline and disconnecting steps.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
What is a comfort setting?+
A comfort setting is a preset of temperatures, such as Home, Away or Sleep, used by the schedule.
What does a hold do?+
A hold overrides the schedule for a time, and it ends at the next schedule change or a time you set.
What is sensor participation?+
Sensor participation decides which sensors count towards the temperature in a comfort setting.
How far can a sensor be?+
A sensor can be up to about sixty feet from the thermostat, though walls can shorten that range.
Where should sensors go?+
Place sensors away from direct sun and from vents, so that the readings reflect the room.
Can voice change the schedule?+
A voice command that changes the temperature creates a hold on the schedule, and does not edit it.
Should I review seasonally?+
Yes, review your settings each season, since your temperature needs change through the year.