Hi everyone! I wanted to share some tips on setting up vacation mode with my smart thermostats. I recently upgraded to the HM-CC-RT-DN thermostats and have been experimenting with creating a vacation mode that automatically adjusts temperatures while I’m away. 
Here’s what I’ve learned:
-
Scheduling: I set up daily schedules for each thermostat under the Auto Mode. This works perfectly for my regular routine, but I wanted to override these settings when I’m away.
-
Vacation Mode Automation: I created a system variable called “Away Mode” with two states: “Away” and “Home”. When I switch to “Away”, it triggers a program that disables the Auto Mode schedules and sets the temperature to a lower setting (around 5°C/41°F) to save energy.
-
Manual Override: The best part is being able to manually override this setting from my iPhone using PocketControl. It gives me peace of mind knowing I can adjust the temperature anytime, even if I’m not home.
-
Challenges: The main challenge was figuring out how to stop the Auto Mode from overriding the vacation settings. After some research, I realized I needed to disable the Auto Mode entirely during the vacation period. This was a bit tricky, but it worked out in the end!
If anyone has tips on optimizing this setup or has tried something similar, I’d love to hear about it! 