Bosch Connected Control BCC100 Thermostat Review, Pros & Cons and Specs 2022

THE BOTTOM LINE for Bosch Connected Control BCC100 Thermostat

Bosch Connected Control The BCC100 is a usable thermostat that you can control from anywhere, but it's not as smart as its competitors.

Bosch Connected Control BCC100 Thermostat PROS

Easy to install.

Large color touch screen.

Works with Alexa.

Threshold alerts.

Bosch Connected Control BCC100 Thermostat CONS

Doesn't integrate with other smart home devices.

Lacks IFTTT support and geofencing capabilities.

BOSCH CONNECTED CONTROL BCC100 THERMOSTAT SPECS

Compatibility                             Multi-stage

C-Wire                                     Yes

Self-Install                             Yes

Multiple Zones                     No

Sensors                                     No

Motion Activation                     No

Geofencing                             No

Smart Home Integration             None

Like any good smart thermostat, the Bosch Connected Control BCC100 ($ 169.99) lets you control your home's heating and cooling system from anywhere using your phone and mobile app. It has a relatively large full color touch screen display, is easy to install and program, and works with Alexa voice commands. It's a solid buy, but it lacks many of the features you get with the $ 249 Ecobee 4, our editors' choice.

Design and features

At 3.0 by 5.1 by 1.0 inches (HWD), the Rectangle BCC100 ($ 156.89 on Amazon) (opens in a new window) is about the same size as the Trane XL824 Connected Control Thermostat. It has a 5-inch color touch screen and works with most 24V HVAC systems including conventional gas, oil, and electric systems with two heating and two cooling stages, and a heat pump system with four heating and two cooling stages. Are with It can also control a device such as a humidifier or dehumidifier, and uses 802.11n (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi radio to connect to your home network. It comes with installation and user guides, wiring labels, a small screwdriver, and mounting screws.

The BCC100 can be programmed and controlled via a touch display or through free Android and iOS mobile apps that give you access from anywhere. The main menu on the touch display shows the current room temperature and humidity, and has buttons for system mode (heat, cool, auto, emergency heat, off) and fan mode (auto, on, circulation). It also shows the current schedule and time, and has a Wi-Fi status indicator, up and down buttons to adjust the temperature set point, and a menu button.

When you tap the menu button in the upper left corner, it opens a menu on the left side of the screen. Tapping the Weather tab displays your five-day local forecast (based on your zip code), and the Schedule tab opens a screen where you can create and edit your home and vacation schedules. Are Opens a submenu with tabs for adjusting device settings Wi-Fi settings, screen brightness, and date and time, and setting up system settings early, setting temperature alerts, updating system firmware Launches a submenu with tabs for. And viewing runtime statistics.

The main screen of the mobile app shows a round dial with current room and target temperature, current mode and current schedule. To temporarily change the target temperature, press the heat or cool button and scroll through the temperature scale until you reach the desired number. Press the hot or cold button again and then press the hold button. To release the hold, press the X key. Below the temperature gauge are the buttons to select System Mode, Fan Mode, and Humidifier / Dehumidifier Mode (if you have one or both installed).

In the upper right corner is a three-way button that takes you to the main menu. The Schedule screen lets you create daily and weekly heating and cooling schedules with five temperature changes per day. The temperature screen is where you go to set hot and cold temperature limits that will automatically turn on the system and send a push alert to your phone. Other settings allow you to view the date and time, your location (for weather data), system logs and device alerts, and update the firmware.

The BCC100 does not support IFTTT integration or interact with other smart home devices such as the Ecobee4 and Nest Learning Thermostat, but it works with Amazon's Alexa Voice Assistant. You can increase or decrease the temperature using Alexa commands, but as is the case with most smart thermostats, that's all you can do.

Installation and performance

The BCC100 requires a C (common) wire to power the thermostat, so if you have an older system you may need to bring in a professional to install a bridge device. C will add the wire. Some thermostats, such as the Lux Kono and Ecobee 4, include a C-wire bridge that is easy to install.

I took a picture of the wiring of my existing thermostat before removing the old device. Since I only have heating, I connected the C, W, and Rh wires (Rc is for cooling) from their respective terminals to the mounting plate, attached the plate to the wall, and the thermostat body to the plate. Snatched away The BCC100 was immediately powered up and I followed the onscreen initial steps to select my system type (gas / oil / propane, heat pump, electric), set the time and date, and my Wi-Fi. Configured Fi settings. I downloaded the mobile app, created an account, and tapped Add a new device. Then I entered a name for the thermostat, scanned the QR code, and done.

BCC100 is a solid actor. It responded promptly to my manual and in-app requests to increase and decrease the target temperature, and had no trouble following my programmed heating schedules. The touch screen display was very responsive, and its bright light made it easy to read throughout the room. In addition, the thermostat responded to my Alexa voice commands to raise and lower the temperature and to turn the thermostat on and off, without a beat.

Conclusion

The Bosch Connected Control BCC100 Thermostat is a great choice for homeowners who want to improve their HVAC system. It's easy to install and easy to program, whether you're using a large color touch screen or a well-thought-out mobile app, and it worked flawlessly in testing. That said, it lacks some of the features you get with a competitive thermostat, including support for geo-fencing, integration with other smart home devices via IFTTT, and with Apple's HomeKit platform. Interoperability. For this, you will have to spend a little more on a thermostat like the Ecobee 4, which is the choice of our current editors. Meanwhile, the Nest Thermostat E is priced the same as the BCC100 and offers more smart features, but it can't handle sophisticated multi-stage HVAC systems.