Does anyone have experience integrating a Bryant mini-split Heat Pump? …. It’s made by Carrier so Carrier heat pump may be similar.

It looks like the strategy is

  • install a “System Access Module”
  • download Bryant home app
  • set up and account
  • connect the SAM to the account over WiFi
  • there’s an integration which probably connects to the cloud service

This is going to be expensive, getting the SAM installed (new system so I don’t want to risk losing warranty by doing it myself) so I need to know what to expect and whether it is worth it

  1. The unit has many modes and controls whereas traditional thermostat just holds a temperature. Will this let me automate additional modes like “dry”, fan speed, vent direction, etc?
  2. Is there a better approach with local control? I have zwave, Zigbee, thread meshes so any of those would be ideal.
  3. I have an old remotec ir blaster that I used on my previous ac, but have not yet tried on this one. Is that my only local choice?
  4. Can anyone speak to ir blaster improvements since broadlink bought remotec? Is there anything worth buying an updated device?
  • artyom@piefed.socialEnglish
    3·
    2 days ago

    This is going to be expensive… so I need to know what to expect and whether it is worth it

    I would expect any integration of a cloud based system to be closed, because it happens often.

  • dan@upvote.auEnglish
    3·
    2 days ago

    I’d make sure there’s an officially supported integration, or one that’s 100% local (no cloud needed).

    It’d be frustrating to spend money and get everything set up only for Bryant/Carrier to decide that they don’t like Home Assistant any more and block an unofficial integration.

    Maybe someone else has better advice for your particular setup.

    For my house, it had central heating so I ended up replacing that with a central heat pump HVAC system that uses a regular thermostat (Gree Flexx with an Ecobee). I didn’t want to deal with anything proprietary. The Ecobee supports local control via HomeKit, which Home Assistant supports natively (no Apple device needed).

    • AA5B@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      2 days ago

      I already asked about that, since I already have an ecobee and have it integrated with HA. But nope, they claim it only supports a couple specific Honeywell thermostats

      The local option has a lot of uncertainty. I’d still need to get the access module installed but it has a serial port. I see writeups where people use a serial to usb adapter to connect directly to HA. I can’t do that do would need to figure an additional layer of connectivity, maybe an eco or pi zero can send that over WiFi or Zigbee or something