Micro-air Thermostat

[Dave Pumphrey]

Has anyone tried this new digital thermostat?

It looks good. One issue I wonder about is they say if you replace your A/C units, the new units don't work with the older thermostat.

Wonder if this is the case with these also?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PJZG6L4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_PCZE97HHK1RFS321M1DR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[ktloah]

The price alone keeps me away...

[Hypoxia]

I read some reviews and decided they need to refine it more.  Micro Air Review

[Chuck B 2004 Windsor]

Looking good is Not a requirement for a given thermostat to work in a given application.  Chuck B

[fredelkamp]

If you go to their website you can put in your RV info and they will provide you with the proper model to purchase.

https://www.microair.net/products/easytouch-rv-thermostat?variant=32199143555156

I'm thinking about getting one.

[Skipper h]

They are thermostat specific. Go to their web site and find your thermostat and it will tell you which one to order. Or you can call them and they will help. 

[Steven P]

Saw this on FB. 

 

[Dave Pumphrey]

Facebook is where I first saw it also.

I looked at their site.

Looks a lot easier to see.

I like the remote idea.

No reviews on Amazon yet...

 

[Doug K]

I just installed one last week and we love it. Ours is mounted high and my wife always needed a stool to stand on to see the old 5 button Dometic. It wasn’t the easiest for me to see either. Numbers are now easy to see and WiFi / Bluetooth makes it really nice for adjustments or schedule setting from your phone or tablet. I had a small glitch when setting it up ( my fault). Their tech support got me right on track. Yes, it was a lot of money for a thermostat, but we feel it was well worth it to be able to see it and to set a schedule so we wake up to a warm coach in the morning !

[Grampy OG]

Count me in. I have installed 3 of them (pricey) in my 03 Executive and they work great. 100% plug and play as far as electronics and two mounting screws. I have used them from 100 miles away and more importantly while I am driving down the road. I do not have a co-pilot so too many times I have been freezing (A/C too low) or sweated (heater too high). Now I can adjust in seconds while driving. The app is super simple and it only takes two or 3 button presses to change your settings. 

I have to admit that now I can also keep my heater super low at night and reach over for the phone when waking up and doing a quick heater bump while I take a few minutes in the warm bed to wake up. 

I say if you can do then DO it. They work well.

 

Ken

 

P.S. Let me clarify that to use the units remotely you MUST have an always on internet connected router in your RV. When you are in the coach you do not need an internet connection the units work quite well on Bluetooth. 

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by Grampy OG

[rpasetto]

6 hours ago, Grampy OG said:

Count me in. I have installed 3 of them (pricey) in my 03 Executive and they work great. 100% plug and play as far as electronics and two mounting screws. I have used them from 100 miles away and more importantly while I am driving down the road. I do not have a co-pilot so too many times I have been freezing (A/C too low) or sweated (heater too high). Now I can adjust in seconds while driving. The app is super simple and it only takes two or 3 button presses to change your settings. 

I have to admit that now I can also keep my heater super low at night and reach over for the phone when waking up and doing a quick heater bump while I take a few minutes in the warm bed to wake up. 

I say if you can do then DO it. They work well.

 

Ken

 

P.S. Let me clarify that to use the units remotely you MUST have an always on internet connected router in your RV. When you are in the coach you do not need an internet connection the units work quite well on Bluetooth. 

 

You said 'three'.  Do you have a separate therm. for each AC/HeatPump?  The way I recall the longer Monacos with 3AC/HP units, there's one Dometic CCC for the mid and rear units, another for the front one.

Did you make that change... because the MicroAirs require it or for another reason?  If so, what was rewired?

[Grampy OG]

3 hours ago, rpasetto said:

You said 'three'.  Do you have a separate therm. for each AC/HeatPump?  The way I recall the longer Monacos with 3AC/HP units, there's one Dometic CCC for the mid and rear units, another for the front one.

Did you make that change... because the MicroAirs require it or for another reason?  If so, what was rewired?

Originally 2 units. I had a 3rd installed and elected to have it on it's own thermostat. The third unit was put in for redundancy as I've been burnt (pun intended) before when a unit went out. I figured if the thermostat went out I would lose 2 units in one shot. The most troublesome thermostat was the Dometic single zone controller. If I did it again I might have had the 2 front units wired together because the single thermostat is junk. I could have gone back and had the units wired to one thermo but the boards and install would have been more than a couple of Benjies anyway so I elected to just keep using 3 controllers. 

[Hypoxia]

I would like to see someone that has the MicroAir Thermostat address the points made in the MicroAir review,  it is the only review I can find.   Also, what thermostat was replaced, a 4 button or 5 button or??

[wamcneil]

1 hour ago, Hypoxia said:

I would like to see someone that has the MicroAir Thermostat address the points made in the MicroAir review,  it is the only review I can find.   Also, what thermostat was replaced, a 4 button or 5 button or??

I didn't read all of that review, but in Final Verdict  he thought the user interface isn't polished enough to justify its price, but he mostly didn't like it because the protocol is too secure for him to hack it for use with his highly complex self-developed automations systems.

I'm wishing I'd tried one instead of the CCC 2. That's a high-volume product that should (IMO) absolutely be engineered a lot better than it is. I think I can forgive a clunky UI in the low-volume aftermarket unit, in exchange for a LOT more functionality. 

Other than an easier reading screen, I'm not a big fan of the CCC2. And I'm especially irritated that it's twice the size of the thermostat it replaced, AND it requires a BIG GRATUITOUS HOLE IN THE WALL behind it.

Cheers,

Walter

Edited February 12, 2021 by wamcneil

[Skipper h]

On 2/11/2021 at 5:23 AM, Grampy OG said:

Count me in. I have installed 3 of them (pricey) in my 03 Executive and they work great. 100% plug and play as far as electronics and two mounting screws. I have used them from 100 miles away and more importantly while I am driving down the road. I do not have a co-pilot so too many times I have been freezing (A/C too low) or sweated (heater too high). Now I can adjust in seconds while driving. The app is super simple and it only takes two or 3 button presses to change your settings. 

I have to admit that now I can also keep my heater super low at night and reach over for the phone when waking up and doing a quick heater bump while I take a few minutes in the warm bed to wake up. 

I say if you can do then DO it. They work well.

 

Ken

 

P.S. Let me clarify that to use the units remotely you MUST have an always on internet connected router in your RV. When you are in the coach you do not need an internet connection the units work quite well on Bluetooth. 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2021 by Skipper h

[Converterjoe]

3 hours ago, wamcneil said:

I didn't read all of that review, but in Final Verdict  he thought the user interface isn't polished enough to justify its price, but he mostly didn't like it because the protocol is too secure for him to hack it for use with his highly complex self-developed automations systems.

I'm wishing I'd tried one instead of the CCC 2. That's a high-volume product that should (IMO) absolutely be engineered a lot better than it is. I think I can forgive a clunky UI in the low-volume aftermarket unit, in exchange for a LOT more functionality. 

Other than an easier reading screen, I'm not a big fan of the CCC2. And I'm especially irritated that it's twice the size of the thermostat it replaced, AND it requires a BIG GRATUITOUS HOLE IN THE WALL behind it.

Cheers,

Walter

I'm with ya on the CCC2.  I've seen them and am not a big fan.  I'm having 3 brand new Penguin II's with heat pump installed in my Signature.  Right now I've got the 2-zone 5 button in the bedroom and a 5-button with a single zone in the kitchen.  Rather than buying 2 new CCC2's I'm getting the Micro-Airs.  The Micro-Air is capable of controlling 4 zones so if I was a magician I could rewire the coach and have all 3 AC units running through just one Micro-Air but I've been told that the cost of rewiring the coach would be far more than the cost of a thermostat.  Can anyone verify the truth of that statement?

[wamcneil]

46 minutes ago, Converterjoe said:

... I've been told that the cost of rewiring the coach would be far more than the cost of a thermostat.  Can anyone verify the truth of that statement?

I can't speak to the cost specifically, but I think I understand the requiring requirements . At least in my RV...

The wall thermostat is connected to the first rooftop unit by a phone cable. you should already have that cable, and that first unit will be Zone1.

Then the other rooftop units are daisy-chained to Zone1 with a phone cable (Thermostat>>Zone1>>Zone2>>Zone3>>Zone4)

Only the first rooftop unit (Zone1) can use the temp sensor in the wall thermostat. Any other rooftop units that are daisy-chained off of Zone1 will each require a remote temp sensor to be connected to each rooftop unit.

Otherwise, I'm not sure any more rewiring is necessary. The wall thermostat isn't connected directly to the furnace or aquahot. It's the rooftop unit circuit boards trigger other features like the furnace or aquahot when told to do so by the thermostat. And all that other wiring should already in place.

Example: In my case, I've got a middle AC that is Zone2 on the bedroom thermostat. I would like it to be connected to the front thermostat instead. I believe I can run a phone cable overhead from the front AC to the middle AC, disconnect the phone cable that presently connects the middle AC to the bedroom AC and I think that's all that is needed. The middle AC already has a remote temp sensor located in the bathroom because it is currently Zone2 on the bedroom thermostat, and not controlled by a dedicated thermostat.

Does that help?

Cheers.

Walter

Edited February 12, 2021 by wamcneil

[rpasetto]

@Walter, Thanks for the info.  Let us know if you do this.  That would mean getting only one micro-air; less of a bite on the wallet.

Edited February 13, 2021 by rpasetto

[wamcneil]

2 hours ago, rpasetto said:

@Walter, Tanks for the info.  Let us know if you do this.  That would mean getting only one micro-air; less of a bite on the wallet.

Sure. Will do. I've got a new rooftop unit sitting out beside the motorhome to install in that middle hole very soon. My plan is to run a fish tape up beside the duct overhead and try to pull a cable between the two units.

Wish me luck...

Cheers.

Walter

Edited February 12, 2021 by wamcneil

[Dave Pumphrey]

While I have not tried them in this application, I have had good success with the fiberglass rods that screw together like these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075FS229F/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_9WGYB99A3X0C9MCFM52Q?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

They can hold a pretty good straight path...

[granvillebarker]

I installed two in my Dynasty about two months ago.   They are great, took less than 5 minutes to install each one.

Edited February 14, 2021 by granvillebarker
Typo

[Dave Pumphrey]

 

30 minutes ago, granvillebarker said:

I installed two in my Dynasty about two months ago.   They aren great, took less than 5 minutes to install each one.

Are or Aren't?

Maybe a typo?

Edited February 13, 2021 by Dave Pumphrey

[granvillebarker]

They are great, interface is a little weird, but I can turn the heat on and check the temperature in my motorhome from anywhere.

[Grampy OG]

On 2/12/2021 at 6:21 AM, Hypoxia said:

I would like to see someone that has the MicroAir Thermostat address the points made in the MicroAir review,  it is the only review I can find.   Also, what thermostat was replaced, a 4 button or 5 button or??

Personally being in the tech world for 30+ years I am more than comfortable with the interface. The reviewer that you mention above was thorough but maybe a bit on the picky side. Let's face it he said he has no less than 10 temperature sensors in a motorhome. If you feel the need to calibrate the unit(s), and I did by a couple of degrees, it is super fast and simple. Comparing the resistive/capacitive touch ability is a bit silly. We interact with our phones constantly and probably with our thermostats a 2 or 3 times a day. With the scheduling features (umm not available on any dometic product) you might never need to interact on a daily basis. I replaced two 5 button dometic controllers and one single zone (miserable) dometic controller. I would say if there is a weakness that bothered me it is the fact that support is a bit lacking. I could find no phone numbers to call only email questions which drive me nuts. I figured out my question much faster than waiting for an email response. Additionally the thin manual appears to only be available online. I never looked at the manual but some may want it. As far as any additional points in the review I would just say if you are happy with the OEM thermostats and they are doing what you want you should stop right there and enjoy them. 

Hope this helps

[CRY1942]

According to Micro Air this is a Plug & Play replacement.

However, it does NOT work with the Dometic, four button, thermostat. One has to upgrade from the FOUR button thermostat to the FIVE button thermostat and new A/C board(s).

Given the cost to upgrade to the Five Button Thermostat, new A/C Control Boards (2) and the Micro Aire, the total cost was a bit too high for me, although I really like the looks of the Micro Air. I replaced the insides of the Four Button Switches and the thermostat works good as new, so guess I will pass.