SmartZone-3X : 3 Zone HVAC Controller KIT w/ Temp Sensor; Dual Climate Control to Replace Honeywell HZ322, EWC, Zonefirst, Zonex, Durozone & More

This is a superior product through and through and a huge improvement over the DuroZone it replaced. Ecojay is the only brand I would recommend for DYI based on my experience.The quality and engineering is impressive, especially at this price. The PC Board and components appear to be very high quality. The design is simple and elegant. I've worked with commercial HVAC systems from Honeywell and I would rank this above it in quality. I was pleased to learn the basic design has been refined over more than a decade to improve reliability and features, so I expect it to be very robust, reliable and last far beyond it's warranty.Having LED indicators for every connections status makes troubleshooting incredibly simple because you can see exactly what the controller and thermostats are doing at all times. I have an Ecobee thermostat, so I can cycle the system through various settings while watching the panel indicators. I actually thought of putting a cheap WiFi camera pointing at it, so I can check status without going into the crawlspace. Support said that's not uncommon.The supply temperature sensor provides additional protection from over and under temp situations. I discovered the hard way that it must be connected or only the primary zone will operate.Instructions are simple and straightforward, but I had had to contact support, which was exceptionally responsive and helpful to deal with a couple issues that came from switching from the DuroZone controller so the wiring wasn't simple 1-to-1. Support explained the issues with the Durozone damper (it's weird in the way closed is signaled) and emailed a wiring diagram.While the spring loaded screwless contacts make hookup easy, I prefer screw terminals for a permanent, reliable connection, as there's no chance of a wire coming loose when tugged on with a properly set screw terminal. I needed to double up wires in a couple terminals, where I would have really preferred screws. I used wire ties to fasten the wires to the loops on the mounting bracket to keep tension in the right direction. I needed a screwdriver to remove the wires from the old controller, so I had one to connect the new one with screw terminals.

We moved into our current home six months ago and decided to call a HVAC tech to come and look at our furnace and give it a once over. He cleaned it and was on his way. We woke up the next morning without heat. The HVAC tech came back within two hours and told us our zone panel was not communicating with the furnace anymore (it was old) and his company wanted $2600 to redo the zone system. He did bypass the zone panel and just communicated with the one thermostat. I told them I would look elsewhere for a solution.I looked for systems online that would be compatible with my current setup, which is a two-zone. Naturally I found the upgrade to what I had, which was the honeywell Trol-a-temp. But I also found the Ecojay on Amazon, and I was interested. I studied many reviews for this and looked at the pictures, manual, YT videos, and I decided to pull the trigger and go ahead and do it myself. The overall good reviews and knowing that the customer service was very good was enough for me to try it.I noticed from the reviews that a dedicated transformer would be needed, so I bought one of those too. It was not very clear in the description of the item, but it does also say in the manual one is needed. I didn't realize our furnace already had a dedicated transformer wired in for the zone panel already.Overall, it was very easy to move the wires over. The only tricky thing for me was knowing what order the wires needed to be for the dampers. The trol-a-temp is labeled horribly so I decided to go by the order in which the manual had the wires. I plugged it in to the existing transformer and it lit up perfectly. I was excited! The furnace communicated with the panel very well and so did the thermostats.About ten minutes later, the transformer started smoking terribly and then the Ecojay board only lit up two lights for the Equip connection. Oh no, I thought. Did I blow the board? I was thankful I was present when it started smoking. I can't get the Ecojay to respond. I tried my backup transformer plug I had purchased and that did nothing either. I gave up and thought I would call support on the following Monday.I decided to attack it again the next day. I found an old manual online for my Trol-a-temp and read for awhile and noticed I possibly had the wires wrong for the dampers in the ecojay. I rearranged the wires for the dampers, plugged it back in to the plug transformer, and the board lit back up! I was relieved. The incorrect wire placement for the dampers must have overloaded the transformer.After a few days, the board has been working perfectly. I love all of the lights and how they tell you exactly what is going on and what with each thermostat. The manual explains all of the lights and what process is going on at that moment very well.Overall, I think this is an excellent alternative from the big brand. The documentation is very good to DIY and from my understanding, the customer service is the best. You won't get that with the other brand.