I've had similar hiccups with geofencing, especially when I'm working in the garage or shed. Honestly, I've found Ecobee to be slightly more consistent than Nest for me, but even then, it's not foolproof. Seems like it depends a lot on your home's layout and Wi-Fi coverage too. Wonder if anyone's tried pairing their thermostat with motion sensors or other smart devices to get better accuracy? Curious if that makes a noticeable difference...
I've wondered about motion sensors too... seems like they'd help, especially for rooms you don't use as often. But would pets trigger them and mess things up? Still, worth experimenting if geofencing alone isn't cutting it.
Yeah, pets can definitely trigger them sometimes... I've heard newer motion sensors have pet immunity features though, like ignoring anything under a certain weight or height. Might be worth checking out if your geofencing setup isn't quite doing the trick.
I've worked with a lot of clients who've had similar issues—pets triggering motion sensors can drive you nuts, especially if you're trying to automate your home to be comfy without constantly tweaking settings. Honestly, the newer pet-friendly sensors are pretty decent, but they're not always foolproof. A friend of mine installed one that was supposed to ignore anything under 40 lbs, and her chunky little corgi still set it off every time he waddled by. (I guess his fluff made him look taller or heavier than he really was? Who knows!)
Anyway, something else you might wanna think about is sensor placement. I've noticed that even the best "pet-immune" sensors can get confused if they're positioned too low or aimed at furniture your pets use a lot. I once helped a client rearrange their sensor setup—basically just raising it up and angling it differently—and suddenly their cat wasn't setting off the thermostat every time she jumped onto the couch.
If geofencing isn't cutting it (and honestly, sometimes it just won't, depending on your phone's GPS accuracy and your home's layout), combining strategies usually works better. Maybe keep the geofencing as a baseline for adjusting temps when you're away, but add smarter placement of motion sensors or even door/window sensors as backup triggers. This layered approach tends to be more reliable and less frustrating in the long run.
Just my two cents...and hey, worst-case scenario, you might have to accept that our furry overlords occasionally mess with our smart-home dreams. It's part of their charm, right?
Yeah, sensor placement is definitely key. I've seen setups where even shadows from ceiling fans triggered false alerts—talk about frustrating. Honestly, a layered approach like you're suggesting usually saves a lot of headaches down the road...pets or no pets.
