New heat pump install - replace old tstat with ecobees

617_heat_781

Trying to replace old tstats with ecobees. Will be installing 3 ecobees. New wire has been run to the 3 tstat locations. Have a taco SR503-4 switching relay board currently with 3 zone gas furnace. What other pieces are required to get this to work? What is the best way to do this? I have read that isolation relays may be needed. Is it best to power the Ecobees with separate transformer? I also am contacting Ecobee to see what they. I am just trying to get an idea of what needs to be done so I can intelligently discuss with my electrician or another electrician I may need to hire.

pecmsg

are you controlling dampers or separate systems?

617_heat_781

Not controlling dampers or separate systems.

pecmsg

so what are the ecobee‘s controlling?

617_heat_781

Spoke with ecobee support and they sent me this diagram of what I need to do. I am not sure if this is accurate for my case as the Hvac company is saying we need isolation relays. Maybe there is a reason in my case isolation relays are needed. I will followw up with Hvac and see. Maybe this diagram will help someone else in the future.

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pecmsg

so you have a Zoned System.
you need a separate 40VA transformer not isolation relays.

Do not take power from the Taco zone panel.

617_heat_781

@pecmsg Ecobees are controling the gas furnace.

pecmsg

your link shows a zone panel!

you also said Heat Pump.

pecmsg

so you have Duel Fuel systems.
3 gas furnaces with heat pumps.

617_heat_781

@pecmsg This is all new for us in terms of heat pump. We added heat pumps. We have Ecobees that will run heat pumps until temp drop below a certain threshhold and then it will switch to furnance. Basically just need to get the Ecobees wired to the taco. Sounds like what you said matches with what Ecobee said, use a separate transformer for Ecobee power.

617_heat_781

Had an electrian in and the Ecobees are installed and working. My question is was this overkill for the Ecobees? It feels like the electrician added some unneeded complexity but I am really don't know because its not my area of expertise. Not saying its wrong just curious if there was a better way. They added 3 isolation relays, and 2 transformers. Could it just have been the transformers and then the ecobees wired to the taco direct without the relays?

LRCCBJ

The electrician did exactly the right thing. He definitely needed the three RIB relays (they are almost free). He played it safe and used a second transformer.

Good job.

617_heat_781

Thanks @LRCCBJ