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So recently my wife and I bought these four Ecobee 3 thermostats that we wanted to use in our home. So I finally knew that all our problems had come to an end when they arrived at our apartment.

Then when we started the connection, we finally figured out that there are some few things that we didn’t know about Ecobee and Google Home. I have shared some of the issues and concerns that I had here in this article, hopefully, it will help you with your thermostats.

As a side note, I have written a complete hands-on review of all smart thermostats and whether they are worth buying here, where I outlined the durability issues I ran into with those I have. I would suggest checking them out.

Is Ecobee3 Compatible With Google Home?

When we encountered the small hitch, the first question that came to our mind is a concern whether the Ecobee3 thermostat that we had was compatible with Google Home. I had done some previous research before I bought it and was sure that all will go on well, not until it had now come to my home. This was when doubts started to creep in.

But there was actually nothing to worry myself with because Ecobee is making one of my most favorite thermostats that I have ever used. Ecobee thermostats are getting more compatible as they have enabled the support for Google Assistant.

Now any Ecobee3, Ecobee3 Lite, and Ecobee4 can be controlled from Google Home or any other device that one has which supports Google Assistant.

This is a very nice feature that Ecobee has incorporated into their devices because it now enables you to use your voice to set or check the temperature of your house or basement.

Does Ecobee Work With Alexa Too?

By now I knew that the problem we had was a short-term one and would be solved easily. Ecobee have been doing a great job in making sure that they integrate all their devices with the available smart home systems.

To answer the question, YES! Ecobee now already supports services like SmartThings and IFTTT. I also came to realize lately that Ecobee4 has Alexa built in. This, therefore, means that you can treat it a bit like Echo Dot.

You can have a look at the Ecobee4 here and with built-in Alexa and definitely check out their durability and functionality from this listing on Amazon.

Though the addition of Google Assistant will not support will not change that, this is because you cannot ask Ecobee4 to Google something for you, but this just means that those who have Ecobee4 and have an android phone will be having one more way which they can control the temperature of their homes.

If you don’t have Alexa already, you may check their current prices here I was surprised at how cheap I was able to buy them on the cheap from this listing on Amazon.

Google Assistant or Ecobee Problem

At first, we had an issue with Google Home not recognizing our new Ecobee thermostats. We had tried several times to link our new Ecobee thermostats to the Google Assistant. We knew everything else was working just fine, including automation through the Google assistant from the phone.

However, the problem came when our Google Home was not able to recognize the Ecobe devices as “Set up yet.” It was suggesting that we open the Google Home app and link our devices. This was not a big deal though we were all newbies with my wife.

We called the customer support at Ecobee and told them of what we had, and the solution came in quick. YES!    Quick than we expected, their response is awesome. This is one reason we like Ecobee devices.

All we had to do is to unlink the associated Google Assistant account, and then factory reset the Home. It finally helped us in our situation. The problem was solved, at least for now.

If you are wondering if Ecobee4 works with Google Home, then you may consider having a look at my article here for more information including a guide, that you should check out if you’re considering.

Has Anyone Run Into This Problem?

When our first problem was solved, we encountered yet another one of its kind. When we had authorized the Ecobee, we received an error “something went wrong, try again” in the Google Assistant app. This got us thinking. We don’t know if the problem was a Google thing or an Ecobee thing or something we had tampered with the settings and we were missing out as newbies.

Some of my friends who had the same issue advised us to go to the Ecobee site and enter the Apps section. Which we did, then remove all the apps and then try it again. Well for some people that would work right away.

But for our situation there was more to this, we had to figure still out what was not right with our set up.

If you are using android, the key to solving such a problem would be to remove all the authorized apps. Clear everything and try it again, it may be the solution you are waiting for.

Some of these problems are just specific to android phones. That is what I guessed might be the problem because when I used my wife’s iPhone, it just worked well.

Link Button Doesn’t Work

Yet in other circumstances, you may find that the link button does not work. You may touch it, and nothing happens to it. If you may be experiencing the same issue as we did, don’t freak out. We were once there, and we got help.

The problem with my link button was kind of wired now. I thought it was only specific to my android phone. I tried using it to my wife’s iPhone, and I realized that the problem was still there.

This was super wired; I would not just click. Yeah! I even borrowed a friend’s Nexus and tried it on it so that I could establish if it were a cross-platform thing. I thought the problem was related to iOS, but it was not clear to me that there was something wrong with the authorization process.

I then tried to add my Ecobee thermostats under a different Google account instead of the original one which I had connected my Google Home to. The workaround was not still successful.

Link Button Solution

Finally, we figured out how to go around it and solve the problem. We called the Ecobee support who would end up helping us in adding the Ecobees. We then realized that either the link button is broken or it is fake.

We had to go through the Google Home app and click “Home Control” in the menu and the Add New Device (+ Button). Then you click on Ecobee in the list and sign in.

We could not believe how hidden this was. This was definitely the last place which we expected to go and find it. This was super cool!

 

If your Ecobee is running too hot, I have written a hands-down guide on what exactly I went through here and the reason for it and the solutions to help you deal with the same.

How Do You Connect Ecobee Devices to Google Assistant?

This simple instructions below were of great help to us when we were setting up our Ecobees with Google Assistant.

Connecting Using Google Home Speaker

These are the steps you will follow if you have a Google Home speaker.

• Open the Google Home App.
• At the top left corner of the home screen, tap on the menu.
• Then verify that the Google Account which is listed is the one linked to Google Home. If you would like to switch the accounts, click on the triangle on the right of the account name.
• Then tap on the Home Control on the Menu screen.
• Tap Add in the Devices tab.
• You will then see a list of supported partners, select Ecobee.
• Go through all the authorization steps so that you link your Ecobee account to the Google Assistant.
• Start to assign them to a room so that you can have better voice control with your Google Home Device.

If You Don’t Have Google Home Speaker and Would Like To Use Google Assistant

This is the steps that you may follow if you wish to use Google Assistant, but you do not have Google Home speaker.

• Open the Google Assistant app
• Then tap on the top right corner of your screen.
• Tap the ellipsis icon which is on the top right corner of your screen.
• Click on the settings.
• Under the services section, scroll down to Home Control.
• Go through all the authorization steps so that you link your Ecobee account to the Google Assistant.
• Then start assigning them to a room to enable better control with the Google Assistant.

When you finish the pairing process, Google Assistant will then integrate with all connected Ecobee3, Ecobee3 Lite or Ecobee4 thermostats.

You may get Google Home Speaker here . You may also find Google Home Speakers if you don’t have one here, they are a whole other animal you cannot miss if you are building a smart home.

Here are a few of the commands you may use if you want to turn your switch on or off.

• Ok Google, turn the <switch name> On
• Ok Google, turn the <switch name> switch On
• Hey Google, turn the <switch name> off
• Ok Google, turn off all switches

You can find out more commands and phrases that you can use with the Google Assistant here.

My Ecobee Won’t Work, How Do I Troubleshoot?

In some cases, you may have already set up your Ecobee thermostat, and it is working just fine, then you notice that a sudden black screen then appears. This may happen even if it was powered previously and was just working fine.

This should not scare you because it usually indicates insufficient voltage that is going to the thermostat. The Ecobee thermostat usually draws its power from the furnace, and if it gets any disruption to the power source, it may result in a loss of power to your thermostat.

If you have a multimeter in your home, you can have the voltage tested between RC and C at the Ecobee. If you have anything that is less than 24 VAC, that is insufficient.

You may have a look at these Multimeter options here on Amazon and see their durability and functionality.

You may then consider checking the following

A Tripped Circuit

You may consider then checking the breaker box so that you ensure the circuit that is powering the furnace is not tipped. If you notice that the circuit has been tipped off, turn it back on so that you restore power back to the furnace and your Ecobee should power back on.

A Fuse That is Blown on The Furnace Control Board

You may also open the panel on your furnace so that you expose the control panel where your thermostat wires are connected. Most of the systems have an orange 5 amp or purple 3 fuses on the board.

You should have a look at this fuse and make sure that it is intact. If you find that the fuse is blown, you may have to replace it. When you have finally replaced, the Ecobee should then be able to power on.

A tipped high limit temperature sensor

This is accompanied by a rebooting of the thermostat during a call for the heat that may also result in complete loss of power of the thermostat.

A tripped float switch

This is usually followed with a rebooting during a call for cooling or condensation pump or drip pan which is located on the furnace. This is to see if there is an excess of water or anything that is blocking the water from draining. When this has been addressed, your Ecobee should now be back on.

Conclusion

If you are installing your new Ecobee for the first time just like we did, there are many small hitches you may encounter as a newbie. But that should not wear you down; there are easy steps that can be solved simply.