We just had a Lennox Elite Variable speed HVAC installed. I was under the impression that the compressor fan unit outside would run continuously just at different levels of speed depending on the need (30%-100%). I feel like it still turns on and off like our old 2-speed Lennox system.
Do I need to have the dealer check it? Or does the variable units still turn off at times?
(For context, we live in CenTex. 85° with 80% humidity)
Thought it might be helpful to share my experience. I had a new Lennox system installed in early 2017, had the whole system replaced, and some ductwork fixed. The installer replaced my Nest with an S30. We talked about the replacement, and they said the Nest couldn't do variable fan speeds, which is one of the reasons I bought the system I did, hopefully to save on energy costs.
The system has worked great, no issues at all. No service calls other than cleaning the coils and the like. Fast forward to last month. It started with the wi-fi not connecting. After rebooting the thermostat and going through setup again, it connected.
Then the random reboots started. You'd be like, "Man, the house is warm", and the thermostat was on the dealer information screen. After about the third time, I called my dealer. They said they didn't have any more stock of the S30s but would happily upgrade me to the S40 for a discounted warranty repair of $1100. WHAT?!? I asked how much it would cost to just get the system working, and they said it would be the normal service call fee. However, the wait for the S30 was about two months, and if it needed the Smart Hub replaced as well, they are on indefinite backorder. Meanwhile, the reboots are happening two or three times a day.
I'm annoyed now. My choice is $1100 or wait, who knows how long, into the summer without dependable air. So I started Googling about the S30. Find a ton of people online with issues. I find a thread with someone with the exact same symptoms on some HVAC forum. I followed some of his troubleshooting steps and found that the S30's battery wasn't holding a charge, so it was bad. However, wi-fi is at the Smart Hub and cannot be fixed at the thermostat. So both my thermostat and Smart Hub were bad.
While troubleshooting, I saw how simple the wiring was and figured I could DIY this with some replacement parts. The prices on the parts were outrageous. The cheapest find was used and was about $500. New, it was about $900. So I was like, okay, if the installed upgrade was $1100. How much would it be to upgrade??
Doing my research, the S40 doesn't use the Smart Hub and is directly wired. Awesome, reducing complexity is a good thing; I'm in. I called back my dealer to see if I could convince them to upgrade for less. I got them down to $900. Okay, that's my bar. If I can get an S40 for less than $900, I will do it myself.
Looking on Google Shopping, I found a new, sealed S40 on Amazon 3rd-party for $440! Put that sucker right in the cart, bought it. Got a follow-up email from the vendor thanking me and asking me to let them know if I had any problems. Perfect. Waited for the weekend and got ready to do the replacement. After a bit of fiddling, correcting the wire colors which the installer did backward, a little shrinkwrap, and BOOM! New working thermostat! Wi-fi worked like a champ, and the new features were nice. I was quite proud of myself.
Three days later... I wake up, go to make my tea, and see the thermostat. Instead of being dark, the screen was white with a huge QR code. I walk over, and it says this thermostat was part of a stolen shipment, that its features could be disabled, and that the thermostat could be bricked sometime in the future! WTF??!?
So now that I've committed to the upgrade, what do I do?? Call the dealer again, tell them the issue, ask how much a thermostat would be, no labor, just need to click it in to replace the existing one that works, but was stolen. Still $900, they said that was just the cost of the device, and they were not charging for labor.
Meanwhile, I got my money back from the Amazon vendor, which was pretty easy, actually. Now to find an S40 under $900. Found one that was just under $800 after discount codes and whatnot. Cleared it with them in chat support that they are an authorized dealer. Two days later, with upgraded shipping because I had no idea when they would brick my thermostat, I saved about $60 from the dealer.
I am now the proud owner of a working Lennox system, but I will never buy their products again. Between the proprietary thermostat, the caveat emptor response from the company that locks you into their dealer network, the cost of a shitty tablet-with-a-sensor thermostat, and the short life of the original equipment, I'm done supporting them with my dollars.
Now what to do with my stolen S40?