By John R. Delaney

When you think of digital homethermostats, the Nest Learning Thermostat is probably the first product that comes to mind. But before Nest burst onto the scene in 2011, Canadian-based Ecobee had already introduced a smart thermostat two years earlier. The company has been at it ever since, and recently released the $249 Ecobee3, an attractive Wi-Fi thermostat that you can control from your iOS or Android phone and from your PC via the Web. The thermostat is easy to install and even easier to program, and it's loaded with features including a remote sensor for heating and cooling rooms outside of the thermostat zone, numerous reminders and alerts, a capacitive touch display, and a Home IQ system monitor that tracks heating and cooling usage. It's our new Editors' Choice for smart thermostats.

Design and Features The Ecobee3 eschews the puck-shaped design of the Nest and the Honeywell Lyric. Instead, the thermostat has a stylish 3.9-inch square housing with rounded corners that is under an inch (0.90-inch) thick. Behind the Ecobee3's black faceplate is a 3.5-inch full color capacitive touch display, and behind that is a white wall plate with 11 terminal connections for heating, cooling, heat pumps, air handlers, and accessories. The Ecobee3 is compatible with most 1- and 2-stage HVAC systems and can control compatible dehumidifier, humidifier, and ventilation devices.

In the middle of the display is the current temperature, and to the right is a vertical slider for manually setting the temperature. I found the slider to be a bit too sensitive, forcing me to slow down my finger swiping to land on the desired degree mark. Other than that, the screen is very responsive and easy to navigate. A snowflake icon appears above the temperature readout when the system is in cooling mode, and a flame icon appears when it's in heating mode. Below the temperature readout are icons for the Main Menu, Live Weather, and Quick Changes. Quick Changes lets you override your current heating, cooling, and ventilator settings without changing your programmed schedule. Live Weather shows the current local weather conditions with temperatures and icons for snow, rain, clouds, or sun. It also displays the extended weekly forecast.

The Main Menu is where you go to enable and disable your HVAC system and set fan runtimes. Here you can also set Comfort settings for when you're home, away, or asleep, and create daily and weekly schedules using these settings. You can also set a vacation schedule based on your departure and arrival dates and times, and set a temperature for that timeframe. The Ecobee3 offers a nice selection of alerts and reminders for things like maintenance, filter replacement, UV lamp replacement, low and high temperature, and low and high humidity. You can have notifications pushed to your smartphone and sent to an email address.

The iOS and Android apps offer the same basic functionality as the thermostat menus, but you can't configure the remote sensors from the app; that must be done directly on the thermostat. The Web app looks similar to a Windows 8 desktop, and is populated with tiles for Weather, Quick Changes, Vacation, Settings, Reminders and Alerts, Schedule, and Home IQ. The Home IQ feature, which is only available on the Web app, offers colorful graphs that show you a historical track of HVAC usage for the entire system. You can also see what the outside temperature was during a specific time to see how it impacted your HVAC system.

Included in the box is a single remote temperature and motion sensorthatcan be placed in any room. The sensor measures the temperature in the room and sends a call to the thermostat to ensure that the room is heated or cooled to the house temperature setting. It also works with Ecobee's Smart Home/Away feature, which uses the sensor's motion detector to bring the room up to temperature (Home mode) when it is occupied, and suspend heating and cooling (Away mode) when it is empty. Additional sensors go for $79 for a two-pack, and the Ecobee3 supports up to 32 sensors.

Installation and Performance Installing and configuring the Ecobee3 is fairly easy. If you're not familiar with thermostat wiring, you can refer to the comprehensive and easy to follow printed installation guide. It does require a C (common) wire, which supplies power to the thermostat, but if your system doesn't have one, don't despair: The Ecobee3 comes with a Power Extender Kit that supplies power to the thermostat. The power kit is not difficult to install, and Ecobee provides explicit instructions. It does require tinkering with your furnace wiring, so if you're not comfortable with that, you might want to bring in a professional.

After powering down my HVAC system I removed my old thermostat, labeled the wires, hooked up the Ecobee3, and attached it to the wall (I have a C wire and did not have to install the power kit). Upon powering up the system, the Ecobee3's display showed a wiring diagram and asked me to verify if it was correct. It then asked if I had any dehumidifier, humidifier, or ventilator devices installed, and asked me to choose Fahrenheit or Celsius and to verify my heating system type. Next, I was prompted to enter my ideal home temperature (for when the home is occupied), and I enabled the Smart Home/Away feature. Now it was time to connect to my Wi-Fi; I chose my SSID, entered my password, and was connected within 15 seconds. At this point a registration code (required to create a user account) was generated. I went to the Ecobee site to register the thermostat, and was asked to enter my 4-digit registration code, my name, email address, and password. I was then asked if I wanted to set up my weather, which involves accessing my location and supplying an address, and if I wanted to enable the Home IQ feature. I answered yes to both and that was it. The entire installation process took less than 30 minutes.

Enabling the sensor was simply a matter of standing in front of the thermostat and pulling out the battery tab. The sensor was identified and paired with the Ecobee3 in just a few seconds. I named it and placed it in my office, which is on the other side of the house from the thermostat and is usually a few degrees cooler than the rest of the house.

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Ecobee3 Smart WiFi Thermostat

DES MOINES | A bill that would keep convicted kidnappers in prison longer made it through a House subcommittee Thursday.

Similar to a bill the House and Senate couldnt agree on last year, House Study Bill 31 adds where the victim is 15 years of age or younger to the states definition of second-degree kidnapping and makes those convicted of such an offense ineligible for sentence reductions. Its in response to a 2013 abduction and slaying of 15-year-old Kathlynn Shepard and her companion, Dezirea Hughes, who escaped. Their alleged kidnapper, Michael Klunder, apparently committed suicide.

Republican Reps. Chip Baltimore of Boone and Darrel Branhagen of Decorah signed the bill sending it to the full Judiciary Committee.

A bill making it an aggravated misdemeanor to install counterfeit air bags in a vehicle is headed to the House Judiciary Committee.

Chairman Ken Rizer, R-Marion, said the use and sale of Chinese-made counterfeit air bags by web-based retailers has become a problem, according to representatives of auto dealers associations that spoke at the subcommittee hearing.

A Senate bill banning the sale of alcohol in powdered or crystalline form moved, to the full Commerce Committee.

Powdered alcohol is not available for sale in Iowa and the Alcoholic Beverages Division is asking the Legislature to ban its sale.

Despite objections from attorneys groups, a House Judiciary subcommittee signed off on House Study Bill 35 to limit cities liability for damages incurred when sledding.

David Adelman, representing the Metropolitan Coalition of Iowa's 10 largest cities, said the risks cities face is too high based on previous lawsuits.

Iowa corrections director John Baldwin said he is hopeful a new state penitentiary in Fort Madison that has been plagued by construction delays will be able to open sometime this summer.

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Capitol Digest: From kidnapping to catfishing

Smart thermostats are so hot right now, so its no wonder heating and air conditioning specialist Carrier is getting into the game. At CES 2015, the company introduced Cr, its own smart thermostat.

The market isnt exactly crowded, but it is dominated byNest and Honeywells Lyric. Still, it makes sense for Carrier to get in the game. The company has been in business for 100 years and was founded by Willis Carrier, the inventor of modern air conditioning.

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Its clear Carrier has the expertise to back up Cr, but whats less obvious is what sets the device apart from its predecessors. Carrier claims the thermostat will reduce heating and cooling costs by 20 percent, which is on par with Nest. Users can control the device via mobile apps and get reports on their energy usage, much like with similar thermostats. While Cr claims its simple to use, Carrier recommends professional installation. Its competitors are usually fairly easy to self-install.

The style of heater your home has hasnt been much of a problem for Nest or Lyric, which are compatible with most all of them. Carriers products include air conditioners and furnaces, so if it can get ahead of the innovation game there, it could have the upper hand on its competition one day.

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Carrier turns up the heat on Nest with Cr, its own smart thermostat

When Red Mountain Inn owner Arthur Rothman wanted to do some upgrades to improve energy efficiency at his 40-unit lodge in West Glenwood, he turned to Garfield Clean Energy for help.

Now, thanks to energy rebates, special financing and other incentives offered through GCE, he has been able to add insulation to the heating and cooling system, began converting his outdoor lighting to LED fixtures and, most recently, replaced several refrigerators in his guest units with super-efficient Energy Star-rated appliances.

The savings in energy costs are just starting to pay off, but will be huge over the long run, Rothman said.

We have a lot of kitchen units, and when we started looking to upgrade we couldnt afford to do as many of the Energy Star refrigerators, he said. Working with Garfield Clean Energy really made the difference.

Rothman also obtained a free energy audit for his business and coaching that pointed him in the right direction to take advantage of the many incentives available to do the upgrades.

He is just one of the dozens of business owners and residents in Garfield County who benefit each year from GCEs efforts to make it easier for both the private and public sectors to become more energy efficient and tap clean energy.

The collaborative, formed in 2012 after about three years operating under a state grant, is funded by 10 partner governments. Those include Garfield County, the countys six municipalities, Colorado Mountain College, the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority and the Garfield County Public Library District.

LONG-TERM FUNDING QUESTIONS

The GCE collaborative is pushing forward this year with a full slate of projects and programs aimed at helping businesses, residents and local governments.

Just this week, the town of Silt, working with GCE and its contract program manager, Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER), will dedicate a new 234-kilowatt solar electric array at the towns water treatment plant.

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Garfield Clean Energy works toward future

The papals visit last week has generated renewed interest in the Vatican Cityincluding its works of art.

The walled city within the enclave of Rome receives up to 20,000 visitors a day. These huge crowds bring in a mix of dust, body sweat, and carbon dioxide, which end up on the surface of the paintings and can harm them over time.

Earlier this year, the Vatican partnered with Carrier Corporation to install top-end HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) units in the Sistine Chapel in an effort to properly preserve Michelangelos frescoes.

According to Concepcion Building & Industrial Solutions, proper ventilation and heating plays a critical role in preserving works of art.

In light of the oncoming papal visit, our brand is proud to have played a role in helping protect the Vaticans art pieces, said Rajan Komarasu, Group Director of Concepcion Building & Industrial Solutions.

Jointly developed by museum experts and the Carrier Air Conditioning Company, the Vaticans new air-conditioning system regulates humidity and temperature to help preserve some of the most famous art pieces in history.

High-tech cooling for the Sistine Chapel

Carrier installed and designed the Sistine Chapels first air-conditioning units in 1993. At the time, the HVAC system was engineered to accommodate a maximum load of 700 visitors.

Over the last two decades, however, the foot traffic in the renowned chapel has significantly increased. In fact, visits are estimated to have grown by over 300 percent from the 1980s.

To address these changes, Carrier has installed a new system using two AquaForce 30XWV water-cooled chillersan enhanced HVAC system that enables optimum temperature control which prevents climate fluctuations in the process. It also comes with air-filtration technologies that prevent the proliferation of airborne contaminants.

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Carrier cooling solutions help preserve Vatican art pieces

For the past four years, Mendocino College has been developing and growing its Sustainable Technology Program, with ever-increasing interest from students and a need to expand the curriculum.

This semester, staff has responded with a brand new course Introduction to Plumbing, designed to enhance and complement the existing classes.

"All our classes have been very popular. Students have been asking for this course for quite a while," explains Jennifer Riddell, Sustainable Technology Program coordinator.

The dual-course will be co-instructed by two individuals, each bringing a unique level of mastery to the course. Anna Birkas is a hydrologist, green builder and owner of Village Ecosystems, and Sam Halstad, affectionately known as "Sam the Plumber," is a 38-year veteran in the plumbing industry and well-known by longtime residents and businesses.

"This will be a dual-purpose class," says Riddell. "Sam has probably plumbed half the businesses in town, and Anna has a strong background in hydrology. They're going to combine their backgrounds, teaching traditional and alternative plumbing, and how these processes connect to green building," she continues.

"We have the use of an old wreck of a demonstration house. Our long-term goal is to turn it into a showpiece, displaying what we can do," says Riddell. The house was the long-ago dwelling for the college caretaker, built sometime in the 1930s or '40s.

"We're going to be redoing some of the plumbing in the demo house, starting the kitchen remodel, teaching leak detection and pre-heating water under the sink to make home plumbing more sustainable," says Riddell.

The college received a grant for water conservation, which will be used to fund some of the demonstration projects that will take place during the course. Birkas will instruct students in the installation of greywater and rainwater catchment systems.

"We've been getting it down to the sticks, bit by bit," notes Riddell. Hands-on construction work on this house and another tiny house located on campus help students develop the trade skills necessary for future employment in the construction industry.

"We want students to come out with skills that are very desirable to contractors," she continues.

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'Plumbing' the depths at Mendocino College

Souderton >> The curtain is opening for one request from Montgomery Theater and staying closed for another.

At the Jan. 5 Souderton Borough Council meeting, the theater asked to be allowed to add a banner across Main Street near the theater and for the boroughs help in paying what had been an unanticipated $5,300 bill to fix the heating and cooling system in the theaters rehearsal hall.

The question of adding poles for banners in the downtown area has been raised previously, Borough Manager Mike Coll said at councils Jan. 12 work session.

The only place banners are now sometimes placed is across Main Street near Reliance Road at the entrance to town.

Right now weve been essentially lassoing a banner to two electric poles up here, Coll said.

Installing equipment meant for banners would be a lot more sturdy, he said.

The current placement with the banners at the top of the Main Street hill leaves the banners open to the wind, council President Brian Goshow said.

Council member Jeff Gross said hes concerned that drivers might be distracted by a banner in the downtown area where there are pedestrians crossing the street.

The place now used for banners is near a traffic light, which may be safer and more effective, he said.

If youre near a traffic light, you always have a captive audience, Gross said. Continued...

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Souderton responds to Montgomery Theater requests

The city Department of Health has identified a cluster of cases of Legionnaires' Disease in the Bronx and has discovered the possible cause.

The department held a meeting in Co-op City Tuesday night, where eight people have been diagnosed with the disease since last month.

One of those diagnosed was Brenda Hines' son.

"I was shocked, horrified, because he was in the ICU with it for over, at least nine days with it. So it was very, very scary," Brenda Hines said.

Hundreds came to the meeting to learn about the disease and what happened.

"I think it was Friday afternoon, we were contacted by Department of Health. We had them come out, we allowed them access, we cooperated fully," said Jeff Buss, general counsel for Co-op City. "They did tests. They came back and indicated that there was Legionella bacteria in this cooling tower."

The Department of Health ordered Co-op City officials to decontaminate the towers and shut them down. The cooling tower cools off the turbines that generate electricity for the complex.

"People don't drink that water," Buss said. "It isn't in their heating system, and in fact, even though there is Legionella bacteria in the cooling tower, it is not in the drinking water here

The Department of Health has not concluded that those who contracted Legionnaires' got it from the towers, which are separate structures from the 35 high rises.

However, many residents left the meeting still concerned, knowing that two people in Co-op City were diagnosed with Legionnaires' in the last couple of years.

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Bacteria Causing Legionnaires' Disease Found at Bronx Housing Complex

By Marina WilliamsJan. 15, 2015, 3 p.m.

If the heat and humidity is getting you down, then keep the summertime blues at bay with these cool ideas.

Stay cool and stylish with Kambrook's retro fan in gun-metal grey. Photo: SUPPLIED.

Fujitsu's new Lifestyle Range is more streamlined and quieter. Photo: FILE.

The Kambrook pedestal fan suits larger spaces and comes with a remote. Photo: SUPPLIED.

Fujitsu suggests considering the space when choosing am air-con unit. Photo: FILE.

Ensuring your home has ceiling, wall and floor insulation is one of the most effective and sustainable ways to trap cold air indoors and keep the home at a comfortable temperature throughout summer.

But in reality not all homes are fully insulated, so it is up to homeowners to find other ways to stay cooler on hot and humid days.

Installing air conditioning, blinds and sealing gaps around doors and windows are one of the most popular choices for keeping the heat out and the cool air in. Whilenot everyone is able to install permanent air conditioning units in their house or rental property, Bunnings Warehouse national electrical buyer Jamie OMeara says doing a few small things such as closing blinds can go a long to creating a more energy-efficient cooler home this summer.

Its time to find affordable and practical ways to cool down and prepare for the sweltering heat of the Australian summer, without the hefty electricity bills, Jamie says.

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Staying cool in summer

The combination of 2014 coming to an end and Help Squads unwavering pursuit of the best deals and advice for everyday consumers has resulted in a Best-Of list for you, our cost- and quality- conscious readers. The below-assembled list focuses on household electronics and appliances that offer a combination of the following: a great price point, solid durability, energy efficiency and/or minimal maintenance.

To compile this list, we turned to one of the Chicago areas largest electronics and appliance retailers, Abt Electronics, based in Glenview (with a nationwide sales presence at Abt.com).

Jon Abt, co-president of Abt Electronics, made the following recommendations based upon customer feedback and his companys 2014 product sales.

Media streaming devices Google Chromecast ($35), Apple TV ($95), Roku ($99) Media streaming devices are small boxes that connect to your non-smart TV (a TV that is not Internet-enabled) via the TVs HDMI port for the purpose of accessing Internet-based media content, such as movies, TV shows, music and photos. The way it works is users send their favorite online programming from an app or web site on their smart phone, tablet or laptop to their TVs. Says Jon, These devices provide all the smart for the TV that doesnt have it built-in, and it is a fraction of the price of an actual smart TV.

Samsung LED TVs (example prices: $604 for 40, $690 for 50, $1223 for 60) LED stands for light emitting diode, and LEDs have become the industry standard for flat screen TVs. They are lighter, thinner, produce less heat and use less energy than plasma TVs. And according to Jon, Samsung LED TVs are top sellers because they are long-lasting televisions at a great price point compared with the competition.

Portable Bluetooth speakers Bose ($199-$299), JBL ($50-$250), Beats ($50-$300) These small, battery-operated speakers produce extremely clear, rich sound and connect wirelessly to all Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as smart phones, tablets and MP3 players. Many are no larger than the palm of your hand and have a battery life of up to 14 hours. Other features can include built-in microphones that enable users to answer phone calls and the ability to select tracks and adjust volume from up to 30 feet away. Jons observation is these high quality speakers are available at such a low price point due to this categorys incredibly competitive marketplace. He adds, These speakers produce amazing sound in a very small component.

Nest Learning Thermostat ($249) This is a wi-fi enabled home thermostat that is said to be as easy to install as a light fixture. Following installation, a user answers a few questions, and after a few days of adjusting temperatures up and down, Nest learns the homes heating and cooling schedule. The thermostat even has an auto-away function that knows when everyone has left the house and adjusts the temperature accordingly. Additionally, Nest can be controlled from just about anywhere via a users laptop, tablet or cell phone. Nest is said to be able to reduce a homes heating and cooling bills by up to 20 percent. According to Jon, consumers are moving to this thermostat because, It learns from your schedule, it saves energy when youre away and you can control it from your phone.

Bosch Express Cycle Dishwashers ($594) These dishwashers are the quietest in their class at 50 dBA (decibels), they reduce energy usage by 20 percent, can save up to 280 gallons of water per year compared with other comparable machines and they exceed Energy Star water requirements by 69 percent. Says Jon, These dishwashers are best-sellers because they start at just under $600. They also use the least amount of water compared to other dishwashers and can clean your dishes in half an hour.

Need help? Did a utilities company overcharge you? Did a boutique deny your request for a return? Are you the victim of fraudulent business practices? Is someone just exhibiting bad business behavior? Let Help Squad make the call for you. Send your letters, your complaints, your injustices and your story ideas to HelpSquad@pioneerlocal.com and we will be happy to help you.

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Help Squad: Best Selling, Best Value Electronics and Appliances of 2014