If you have kids in the house and are strict about the thermostat, you can lock down your Ecobee3 with a PIN code so that no one can adjust the temperature except those authorized to do so.
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With a non-smart thermostat, you’d usually have to get a locked enclosure to put around it, like you see in most businesses. But with smart thermostats like the Ecobee3, you can simply put a passcode lock on it just like you would with your smartphone.
Unfortunately, you can only set this up from the thermostat itself and not from the Ecobee3 app on your phone (like the Nest allows you to do), but it’s easy to do and doesn’t take a lot of time at all.
Start by tapping on the menu button in the bottom-left corner of the screen on the Ecobee3 thermostat.
Scroll down and tap on “Settings”.
Select “Access Control”.
Tap on “Enable Security Code”.
Enter in a four-digit passcode that you want to use with the thermostat in order to unlock it.
Once you enter that in, tap “Save” in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Next, select all of the features that will require a passcode in order to change them. You can simply tap on “All” in order to lock down the thermostat entirely.
After you’re done with that, tap on the back arrow in the top-left corner to go back to the main screen.
At this point, the passcode will be enabled, but you’ll have to wait for the thermostat to go into standby mode before it will begin activating. You’ll know when it’s in standby mode when all that shows on the screen is the indoor temperature and a smaller icon below that denoting the outdoor temperature.
Now, whenever someone tries to change settings or adjust the indoor temperature, they will be met with a screen where they will need to enter in the passcode before they can change anything.
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How to Install and Set Up the Ecobee3 Smart Thermostat
How to Enable HomeKit on the Ecobee3 Thermostat
