Before you buy

Will Sensi thermostats work with my HVAC system?

Sensi thermostats work with most combined heating and cooling systems, however, the need for a common wire or “c-wire” is different based on the Sensi thermostat model. Please see the chart below for full compatibility information.

Sensi Compatibility Chart

System Type	Sensi Lite smart thermostat	Sensi smart thermostat	Sensi Touch smart thermostat	Sensi Touch 2 smart thermostat

Conventional Heating and Cooling - Gas/Oil/Propane Furnace - Air Conditioner - Electric Furnace - Boiler/Radiant	Yes1	Yes2	Yes3	Yes3
Heat Only - Gas/Oil/Propane Furnace - Electric Furnace - Boiler/Radiant	Yes3	Yes3	Yes3	Yes3
Cool Only - Air Conditioner	Yes3	Yes3	Yes3
Heat Pump/Geothermal	Yes1,3	Yes3	Yes3	Yes3
Whole Home Humidifiers / Dehumidifiers	Yes	Yes
Communicating/Proprietary System	No	No	No	No
Line Voltage	No	No	No	No
Millivolt	No	No	No	No
RV/Camper 12VDC Applications	No	No	No	No

¹ Compatible with multi-stage systems up to 1H/2C or 2H/1C
² Common wire required for HomeKit compatibility
³ Common wire required

Combined Heating and Cooling Systems

The Sensi Lite and Sensi smart thermostat work on most conventional heating and cooling systems without a common wire, or “c-wire.” Heat pump systems do require a c-wire.

The Sensi Touch and Sensi Touch 2 smart thermostats always require a c-wire.

Heat-only or Cool-only Systems

On heat-only or cool-only systems, Sensi thermostats require a c-wire. A heat-only or cool-only system without a c-wire installed will cause the Wi-Fi connection to drop out after about two hours of operation. The Sensi Touch and Touch 2 smart thermostats require a common wire for basic operation.

If you need a c-wire, there are a few main options:

Using an extra, unused wire as a c-wire
Using your thermostat’s g-wire (fan wire) as a c-wire
Installing an Add-a-Wire Kit (These kits can be purchased from another manufacturer and used with Sensi.)

If you would like to understand what a c-wire is and learn more about these three options, watch our helpful videos on our c-wire page .

If you have a 2-wire, heat-only system, you could also install a 24VAC power transformer to supply constant power to your Sensi thermostat.

Incompatible system types include:

Line Voltage Systems (generally 110V/220V baseboard heating) - Sensi is only compatible with low voltage. Consult an HVAC professional regarding step down transformers.
Proprietary or Communicating Systems - The Sensi thermostat can’t communicate with serial protocols, although some proprietary HVAC equipment can be wired with standard HVAC wires
Stranded wiring – Wiring at the thermostat should be the standard 18 gauge thermostat wiring for best performance.
12VDC (RV/campers) - Sensi requires 20-30VAC. You can make modifications to your system to be compatible with Sensi, but it's best to involve a professional to add the needed transformer and relays.

Remote Sensors

If you have remote sensors, the Sensi thermostats may still be compatible with your system. They will just be incompatible with the sensors, and you will not install the sensor wires to the thermostat.

If you have a Sensi Touch 2 smart thermostat, it is compatible with the wireless Sensi Room Sensors only. Any outdoor or wired sensors are not compatible.