Yes, we have drunk the Kool-Aid and bought a Nest thermostat fellowship (www.nest.com) — come join our weekly worship meetings! We were unsure at first if we wanted to take the step, but some good friends of ours, Brother Stan and Sister Mary, convinced us that this was what our hearts were searching after, and now that we've been enlightened by its warmth and friendliness, we, too, are one of the Body …
No, it's not quite that bad, but there is a certain Apple-esque religious cult nature about the Nest company and user community. Since the founder was a former Apple exec, that's probably not surprising.
No, it's not quite that bad, but there is a certain Apple-esque religious cult nature about the Nest company and user community. Since the founder was a former Apple exec, that's probably not surprising.
While our current thermostat location is not ideal, either for any thermostat or for the Nest's movement detection abilities, it should still work (we're relocating the thing when we do the kitchen remodel this spring).
It was not quite as brainless to install as the ads all make it out to be, but there are some well-thought-out installation features. It's ability to learn when and what temperatures you want, figure out if you're actually at home, and the general user interface (including accessibility from computers and mobiles) are darned spiffy. We won't save as much as some folks (our previous thermostat was … well, not smart, but certainly not dumb), but it's just kind of a cool indulgence that will have some actual utility.
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Controls from anywhere? Do you have to buy a sim card for it or something? Oh, wait. Probably wireless. Do you have to pay for a service or an app?
I got one in December. It was very nice to be able to start the furnace when I landed at DIA so the house was warm when I got home.
Al, you control Nest from a web page or an app on your phone. When you first install it, you give it access to your home wifi network. There's no recurring fee, you effectively pay for remote access in the original purchase price.
+Al Hunt Yup — WiFi connection. Free online account, accessible through web browser or by iPhone or Android app. No service charges.
+David Newman That's precisely one of the contexts I thinking would be useful. In the past when we've gone off for the holidays (for example), we've overriden the old thermostat to stay to a won't-kill-the-cats low-energy-usage setting — which means getting back to a house that is cold in the winter or hot in the summer. Now we don't even have to tell it we're leaving (Auto-Away) and can tell it we're on our way home in time for it to adjust. Might even be able to use that in conjunction with more local outings.
Welcome to the club! I've had mine for a few years and love them. You'll be amazed how you'll want to change it to a temperature and it's already set! If you Have any questions, let me know!
+Al Hunt No extra fees! It connects via wifi and the app is free. You can also control it via web. Or even not he thermostat itself! Go figure. 😉
+Aaron Crocco Will do, thanks!