| All Things HVAC

Thermostats have always been difficult to work with, as most people will, probably, tell you. They are usually hard to program, requiring the user to press an endless number of arrows for their preferred temperature selection. Once it was selected, for a specific period of time, absolutely no adjustments are possible without going through the entire process all over again and ruining the programming. However, all that changed when Nest labs introduced to the world their programmable thermostat. The Nest Thermostat quickly won everybody’s hearts as a tool that is simple to use and definitely an improvement when it’s considered vs. the old solutions.

The Nest Thermostat – How It All began

The first key selling point of this ultimate generation gadget is the fact that it’s not just a thermostat, but a device that was originally the brainchild of two Apple engineers, Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. Therefore, when they got on board, in 2010, and decided that all the other thermostats on the market were inadequate, the outcome was bound to be good.

As expected, the gadget saw huge success and was later on, in 2014, purchased by Google, along with the entire Nest Company. In the same year, the Nest thermostat became available in Canada and European countries as well, such as Belgium, Ireland, France, the UK, and the Netherlands, making the device a world-wide trend.

Negative Commentaries and Parody towards Google

Not everybody was pleased, though, when Google decided to purchase Nest and continue manufacturing the Nest thermostat themselves. There were voices that actually accused the giant corporation of using the smart thermostat in its never ending campaign of personal data collection. There was a German activist group, called Peng Collective, which, in 2014, initiated a parody website called Google Nest, which they used as a satire against Google, “releasing” fake products that imitated the Google ones, such as Google Trust, Google Hug, Google Bee, and Google Bye. Needless to say, the very next day lawyers representing Google issued a cease-and-desist letter to Peng.

Nest Learning Thermostat’s Technical Features

Before you run out and buy the smart thermostat, there are certain features it has, regarding both hardware and software, which you must be aware of, seeing as it’s a smart device. Here they are.

Hardware details – as far as compatibility goes, the Nest thermostat does have a wide wireless compatibility network, comprising most standard HVAC systems which use central heating or cooling pumps. With regards to the thermostat controlling them, it uses standard connections.

The device has two main pieces of hardware: the display, which holds the circuit board and the rotating ring and the base, which contains the connection terminals, the bubble level, and the holes that one uses to anchor it to the wall. Neither one of these hardware pieces can function without the other, so it’s a good idea not to disassemble the device. Also, the Nest thermostat is coupled with a “Heat Link” piece that holds all the circuits needed to control the main voltage heating system. For people living in Europe, Nest sells a special edition of the thermostat there, which can control heating systems between 120 and 240 V.

Software details – The Nest thermostat is equipped with a piece of software that is mainly controlled by spinning and clicking the control wheel. This motion brings up option menus that allow you to switch from heating to cooling, to access the settings, their history, and the scheduling made. You can also control it with a touch screen. Apart from that, given that the gadget is linked to the Internet, the producers can use this path to introduce updates or additional features and fix bugs remotely. But, for that, the thermostat needs to be connected to your Wi-Fi network permanently and its battery has to have at least 3.7 V. This is the minimum power required so that the thermostat can download and install the necessary updates or any app it might require. And it has had quite a few so far. For the tech aficionados who really want to go in depth with their thermostat, you should know that it’s based on the Linux 2.6 37 version, which means it’s open to free updates.

As far as software goes, although not technical facts, but still good to know about, are the following features:

the thermostat’s amazing ability to learn. Users have delightedly reported that the appliance actually remembers your settings after you’ve done them a couple of times. So, let’s say that you wake up in the morning and go to the thermostat to crank up the heat, so that you warm up the house. After a few days of doing it, the Nest will remember your choice and do it for you.
the possibility of controlling it using your phone. Another great feature as far as software goes, you can actually change the temperature from your phone, as long as you’re in the house. It doesn’t even matter if it’s Android or iOS.
adding a PIN to the device so that you can lock down a certain temperature, in order for others not to be able to change it. This is great for making sure children don’t get around to toying with the device.

Nest Thermostat Installation

Before you will actually receive your own unit and start installing it, the people at Nest will advise you to use a compatibility widget you can find on their website. It’s actually a series of multiple questions you have to answer, in order to make sure your current heating system won’t experience any problems while you install the Nest.

After you’ve completed this step, as far as the actual manual installation goes, you can either install it yourself or call a professional for help, which the website will gladly assist you with as well. It will immediately locate those nearest to you and provide their contact details. But, if you want to install it on your own, you have to shut off power to the furnace and strip four wires (in average, because your mileage could vary), insert them in the holes in the base and then screw the base very tightly to the wall. Use the base’s level, which is built in, to make sure you got it on straight.

A great thing when it comes to installation is that, if you don’t have any tools around the house, you needn’t worry, as the Nest thermostat comes with a small, but very reliable screwdriver, which is worth its money.

The next steps are to plug it in and power it up, as far as hardware goes. For the software part, you need to setup your Nest account, which means entering your WiFi info and some details about your home, which your device will provide, if you don’t know them. After that, simply wait for it to learn your house’s particularities, which it will do in a matter of days.

Nest Thermostat Reviews

Being such a widespread device nowadays, as well as a real pioneer in its niche, the Nest has received many reviews in the past couple of years. You can find them in magazines or on dedicated websites, if you’re looking for a specialized opinion. If you’re more interested in actual user’s opinions, you can find commentaries and home-made reviews mostly on the sites that sell the gadget, such as Ebay, Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon, or the Nest site itself. Also, this is the place where you can buy the thermostat and work on your savings as well. As far as buying is concerned, the resellers have it up all year round, they provide discounts, allow you to use coupons, put them on sale in certain periods, and organize Black Friday.

If you were wondering how much money you need to spend, the price differs from store to store and it depends on the generation you want to buy. The Nest thermostat has had three generations so far, all with a different cost range: the 1^st generation appeared in 2011, it’s smaller and has a thicker profile, the 2^nd generation was launched in 2012, and the 3^rd generation in 2015. 2^nd and the 3^rd are superior to the first, as far as both hardware and software go.

According to most reviews online, here are the pros and cons of the Nest thermostat:

Pros:

it has a very industrial and modern design, which everybody loves;
it’s intuitive in usage and setup;
it’s user friendly, even to those who are not best friends with technology;
it has a very fast learning trajectory;
it comes with excellent software support.

Cons:

it requires constant power connection, as well as powerful batteries;
it needs to be connected to WiFi at all times;
it has less granular control than its main competitor, Honeywell Evohome;
it cannot control hot water.

All in all, the Nest thermostat is a much loved and widely used device around the world. It literally changed the game and improved the way in which we set up the temperature in our homes, making it a lot easier to control and allowing us to save money on heating.

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

Lowes’ Nest Thermostat
By Betty Stephens

The Nest Learning Thermostat goes beyond this simple temperature detection to make a real impact in your HVAC energy consumption. A thermostat controls almost half one’s energy bill more than TVs, computers, appliances and lighting combined, but a lot of that energy is wasted. A properly programmed thermostat can cut your heating and cooling bills by 20%. The problem is 89% of thermostats are rarely or never programmed. Nest also makes it incredibly easy to adjust your schedule. You can add, edit or remove set points in seconds from the Nest thermostat or the web and mobile apps.

The Nest Learning Thermostat is simple. Nest works with its owners’ lives because Nest doesn’t need to be programmed: It remembers your temperature adjustments and programs itself. When you turn the temperature up or down, Nest remembers what you like and automatically creates a schedule for you. As your life or the weather changes, that schedule automatically adjusts as Nest learns your new preferences.

Features like Auto-Away and Airwave automatically save energy. The Nest thermostat tells you when you’re choosing an energy-efficient temperature or exactly how long it’ll take to reach the temperature you want. Most people can install it themselves in about 30 minutes.
Saves Energy
The Nest Thermostat saves energy by using the following tools:
Auto-Schedule: Turn it up when you’re cold, down when you’re hot. Nest will remember the temperatures you like and learn your schedule. And as your life changes, Nest’s schedule will automatically adapt.
Auto-Away: Nest senses when you’re gone and turns itself to an energy-saving temperature that you choose during setup.

Energy History and Energy Report: Nest shows you exactly when your system was on and what affects your bill the most.

Nest Leaf: The Nest Leaf appears when you turn Nest to an energy-saving temperature or make an efficient choice in Nest’s settings.

System Match: Nest uses SystemMatch to adapt to your system and activates features to maximize your comfort and savings.
Airwave: Airwave automatically turns off the air conditioner (A/C) a few minutes early, but keeps the fan running. The air stays cool, but you’re A/C runtime drops 30%.

Wi-Fi
You can connect the Nest thermostat to your home’s Wi-Fi network to control it from your iPhone, Android smartphone, iPad or computer. Software updates are loaded automatically as it stays connected to the Wi-Fi.
Who Is Behind the Nest Thermostat?
So, who is the brains behind Nest? Would you believe it’s the same brilliant mind behind the iPod and iPhone? Prior to 2008, Tony Fadell was a legend at Apple. Fadell is the father of the iPod, having led the Apple team that had developed the first 18 generations of the iPod and the first three generations of the iPhone.
After he retired in 2008, Fadell concentrated on building his new house in Lake Tahoe. It was during that time that Fadell, who owns more than 100 patents, had an innovative idea to improve the thermostat. He took that vision to his former colleague Matt Rogers, who was responsible for iPod software development. Seeing value in the idea, Rogers joined Fadell in nurturing it to fruition.

Improving Your House with the Nest Thermostat