Stelpro, based in Quebec is one of the leaders in the North American electric heating industry and HVAC control market. Out of the many Stelpro products that boast of innovation and high-standard design, here we have reviewed one of its thermostat models – Stelpro KI STZW402WB – Z Wave Thermostat.

Stelpro KI Z Wave Plus, North America’s pioneer Z wave-enabled line voltage thermostat is wired directly to the power source. This means you need not worry about changing the batteries and the additional cost involved in the process.

Quick Highlights

  1.  Stelpro thermostat controls electric baseboards and convectors.
  2. Elevated climate control is a wonderful feature of this stelpro smart thermostat. You can pair stelpro with Z Wae devices and create advanced automation.
  3. Canadian technology, Z-wave plus, and UL Certified.
  4. Works with Vera, Winka Nexia, SmartThings, HomeSeer, etc.
  5. Easy to navigate menu and back-lit screen
  6. 20 percent energy savings manually.
  7. Two modes (comfort and economy are available). Comfort mode gives importance to comfort while economy mode focuses on energy savings.
  8. Warranty of 3 years.

Stelpro Thermostat Z wave
Stelpro Thermostat – Z Wave – Source

This thermostat works with 120V (up to 2000W) and 240V (up to 4000W) baseboards and convector heaters. It cannot be used for heating systems with fans, like a fan-forced heater. The temperature can be set in the range of 41 deg F to 86 deg F and can be toggled between its two modes namely eco and comfort mode.

This Canadian model uses Z wave protocol and hence gives the liberty to remotely control your thermostat, through a z wave gateway controller like Samsung SmartThings, Vera, Wink, etc.

If you are new to the concept of Z wave protocol and are wondering what is so great about it, here is the answer.

What is the Z wave protocol?

Z wave protocol is one of the smart home wireless standards which is now becoming an integral part of any smart home system. If you have a smart home, you must be familiar with the idea of IoT where the devices are interconnected over the internet connection and are controlled by an app on your mobile phone.

The Z wave devices follow such protocols and have an upside in that you barely need to do anything. These devices find each other on their own and create a strong mesh network to work seamlessly giving you all the comfort you desire.

Stelpro KI Z wave plus uses a Z wave plus protocol which is nothing but a newer version of the Z-wave system.

This upgraded system provides additional advantages like better RF range and access to more RF channels.

This unit is ideal for smart home lovers who love to save some good bucks on energy bills via a smart solution.

Proper programming of this thermostat helps you to cut down your electricity bills.

Z wave plus technology aids in activating the scenes and several other activities like temperature adjustments and switching the lights on/off, activating the safety and entertainment systems, etc. 

This was a brief of the Stelpro KI Z Wave plus thermostat.

A detailed review is given below, read on to know more.

#1 – Design

The Stelpro KI Z wave plus thermostat comes in a 5×5.2×2 rectangular package. It has a small yet clear LCD digital display, the details of which have been mentioned in the next point. Below the display leis two buttons exclusively for temperature control.

There is no provision to switch off the heater though, so you will need to set the temperature to the minimum possible temperature. It is designed to be sleek and stylish which would complement any wall. The vertically placed buttons give ease of access to control the temperatures.

Stelpro Thermostat App
Mobile App – Stelpro Thermostat

#2 – Display

The digital LCD display of this thermostat is easy to read and gives out vital information in just one look.

If the temperature displays in °C then it will have a 0.5°C resolution. If you want a °F temperature display then it will have a 1°F resolution.

It also has the additional feature of displaying the outdoor temperature, provided the unit is connected to the sensors outside through the Z wave. The LCD indicates if the unit is connected over Z-Wave on its top.

It displays the ambient temperature, set temperature, Z wave connectivity, and menu for advanced temperature settings. Along with these, it also indicates the mode in which the thermostat is running like frost-free mode, eco mode like so. The heating status is also displayed on the LCD screen through a graph that has 4 bars. If it shows no bar, it means 0% heating, 1 bar indicates 1-25% heating. Likewise, 4 bars indicate 76-100% heating. In short, you get a quick brief about the overall status of your heating system.

The backlight of the display can be controlled, through the advanced menu settings. It can be set to turn off after 15 sec of inactivity or can be dimmed to 50% after 15 sec of inactivity or can be set to be on at full intensity throughout.

#3 – Advanced Settings

The Stelpro KI Z wave plus offers various lucrative features. Just scroll down the advanced menu on the LCD screen and you have modes to choose from that would make your home comfy and your pocket feels heavy.

You will need to press the UP/DOWN buttons simultaneously for 3 seconds to get the advanced menu. You can use the UP/DOWN button to select the 6 menu options.

Cutting down energy consumption is the foremost reason, why we opt for a smart thermostat like this. So obviously you need to be familiar with the various energy-saving modes.

The thermostat basically has 2 modes with a pre-set temperature namely comfort mode [pre set temperature:21°C (70°F)], and  Eco mode [pre-set temperature 17°C (63°F)]. These set temperatures can be changed and varied as long as the temperature lies in the range of 41F and 86F. When the thermostat is connected to other Z wave devices, it switches automatically to eco mode or comfort mode. For example, if the motion sensors sense an empty room, then the thermostat will automatically switch to eco mode.

Another feature that gives you the flexibility of use is that you can exclude the thermostat from your Z wave network anytime you want. The Z wave menu option gives you the liberty to add or delete the thermostat from your Z wave network. You can also toggle between the two temperature formats which are oC and 0F.

If you are worried about unauthorized tampering you can always use the lock option that safeguards the thermostat from all the wandering hands. The backlight status of the screen can also be selected from 0%, 50%, and 100%.

If you want to exit the advanced settings, repeat the same procedure, that is press the UP/DOWN button simultaneously for 3 sec. If the unit is kept idle for more than 30sec, it will revert back to the main home screen.

#4 – Interoperability

The stelpro KI Z wave plus unit has an immense ability to exchange or make use of the Z wave protocol to transfer information among the devices. This feature is termed interoperability. This means this unit can be included in any Z wave network, even if the other devices under this mesh are from different manufacturers. Together these devices will work to make your home smart. You can control these appliances through a Z wave gateway software such as Samsung smart things, vera, etc. on your phone or Tablet.

#5 – Compatibility

This line voltage thermostat is basically designed to be used with electric baseboard heaters up to 4000 W for 240V appliances and up to 2000W for 120 V appliances. It also works with convectors.

The devices that are NOT compatible with this unit are:

  • Inductive load
  • Central Heating Systems 
  • Fan-forced heaters (units containing motor and fan)
  • Heating loads outside the specified ratings

Demonstration Video

Watch this demonstration video by Stelpro.

#6 – Installation

The installation procedure has been clearly and concisely mentioned in its instruction manual. Both 2-wire and 4-wire installations are possible.

Before installation, a proper location needs to be selected that would provide the optimal results from this thermostat.

It should not be installed at locations where the ambient temperature can be changed like anywhere near the window, for example.  

Ensure that you follow all the installation instructions carefully. It is always better to seek professional help.

#7 – Power Source

This unit does not require batteries. It is directly wired to directly to the power source. It uses the variable duty cycle of the heaters which contributes to its silent operation.

It’s been quite a few years since stelpro stepped into making thermostats and have always delivered great products like this one. You must have got an idea about the features through this brief article.

Let me wrap it up for you, by highlighting its pros and cons in a nutshell.

Pros:

  • Compact, stylish design
  • Clear LCD display which indicates all the vital information
  • The backlight of the display can be controlled
  • Easy push-UP/DOWN buttons for control
  • Compatible with electric baseboard heaters and convectors up tp 4000W for 240V and 2000W for 120V
  • Uses Z wave plus protocol
  • Can be integrated with other Z wave devices through a Z wave gateway
  • Can be remotely controlled from anywhere
  • No need for batteries, it wired directly to the power source

Cons:

  • No option to turn off the heat completely
  • Not compatible with heaters that have fan-like fan-forced heaters
  • Does not work with Amazon Alexa
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