Carrier Infinity or IAQ Thermostat?

[lksmith]

I'm about to have a new Carrier Infinity 2 stage heatpump and a Carrier 2 stage 95% furnace installed in a vacation home. My initial thought was to have the Infinity thermostat installed too. The installer raves about all of it's features and how it can be remotely accessed by the installer for fault analysis, etc.

Up in the boonies where my house is to be located, we have no internet access--no cable, no DSL (and I refuse to do satellite). That seems like that pretty much nullifies some of the capabilities of the Infinity.

One of the items I wanted to include was the ability to call the thermostat via telephone to reset the temperature if I was going to be in residence. In other words the house would be warm in the winter when I arrived. I know that Honeywell makes a Telephone Access Module that works with the IAQ to provide this option. I haven't heard whether there is such an option for the Infinity.

So...the question is simple, what's the best way to go? Infinity without telephone access and inability to communicate back to the installer. Or, IAQ with telephone access but maybe not the 'perfect' match with the Carrier system.

Your thoughts, please.

lksmith

[Cold Feet]

I'm about to have a new Carrier Infinity 2 stage heatpump and a Carrier 2 stage 95% furnace installed in a vacation home.

Infinity heatpumps have been crippled to prevent operation by conventional thermostats. If you have an Infinity heat pump, you must have the infinity thermostat.

It's reportedly possible to control Infinity systems by phone.

[lksmith]

Cold Feet,

Thanks for the info on the Infinity "crippling." Do you (or anyone) have any specifics on Carrier telephone access? I've seen some old google references dating back to 2005, but nothing current. Everything I see now is internet connected which doesn't help me since I'm in a "no internet" zone.

Thanks,
lksmith

[DanW13]

They do offer a communicating stat but I am not sure if it's just by phone or internet or both but I do know they offer one it's just a matter of finding out how you communicate with it.