Chewy Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Has anyone here bought and used one of these? I'm really thinking about doing it, but have one reservation. It says it looks at movement in the house and adjusts accordingly. Our thermostat was mounted in the dining room which means we don't go by it very often. I'm sure this was done purely for cost, as the furnace is directly below it in the basement. I really like what the NEST could do for us. From the iOS/Android app, to the fact that I don't have to sit there and program it. It's a HUGE cost to buy it, but I think in the long run, it'll be worth it. So... Anyone have one? Nest | The Learning Thermostat | Home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveVY Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I have been eyeing this one too. Cool gadget but would be much easier to operate than our current programmable one that my Bride won't touch but always asks me to adjust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAYBEN Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 looks like a cool idea.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ryan Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I want one, just not in the budget.. I almost impulse bought one at lowes last week, but I dont know that it will fit my needs since my wife is a stay at home mom and it learns by movement sensors. It is very cool though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewy Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 I want one, just not in the budget.. I almost impulse bought one at lowes last week, but I dont know that it will fit my needs since my wife is a stay at home mom and it learns by movement sensors. It is very cool though... Not completely true... I thought the same thing and then watched a video... My wife is a stay at home too. You can turn off the "away" function which looks for movement. Ours is in a part of the house we seldom frequent so that'd be necessary. The positive is it see repetition and if it happens frequently, it stores it and does it. It's kind of like fuzzy logic in a way. The cost is a hard pill to swallow, but I think it'd be a good addition to the house. Thermostats need to be replaced every 8-10 years from what I've read due to inaccuracy with age. Our home is 9 years old so I'm thinking now is the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ryan Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Welp mine is 10, so I guess I should take the plunge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I was going to buy a couple Nests for my new house (dual zone) and decided against it after looking deeper into them. Cool concept but still needs some work. Some of the big complaints, other than cost, was the auto learning as has been mentioned here. Thermostats generally aren't installed in a main living area (supposed to be in a spot without direct cooling/heating) so the sensor doesn't get tripped a lot. This was affecting not only the learning, but also causing the heating/cooling to be turned off since it thought no one was home which was causing odd temperature shifts for people. I ended up going with a wifi one that 3M makes. It's the same as this one from Amazon [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YZFU1Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=cynicalpeak-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004YZFU1Q]Homewerks Radio Thermostat CT-30-H-K2[/ame]. The one I bought is the same unit 3M branded and sold at Home Depot. The 3M one was slightly cheaper too at $99. It works similar to the Nest in that it's a programable thermostat that has built in wifi so that you can control it from your computer/ipad/iphone remotely. It doesn't contain the auto-learning feature though which doesn't really seem like it works anyway. So from what I found about them, I was able to do both my thermostats for $50 less then it would have been for one Nest and I get the same functionality. One thing to note with either unit that was a bit of a pain for me. They both need the "c" wire in order to be powered for wifi. My house had the classic old round honeywell ones that didn't require the "c" wire. So it was a little bit of a headache getting them running. The thermostat will work without it but you loose the main cool feature of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChargerMatt Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I heard about these a while ago, it was developed by an ex-officer of Apple. Go figure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ryan Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 It is cool.. I just don't know if I can justify the cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshman Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Very simple, bought one, love it. If the auto-away doesn''t work for you turn it off and manually away from your smart device or their website. It's already saved us money. Nest said the average RoI is 2 years. Not bad for something that will likely hang on the wall for 10+. It auto updates after attaching to your wifi network and going through setup. Some of the features in 2.0 are awesome it will turn off your AC compressor before turning off the fan to get the cooling left in the compressor cycling through your house to save you energy. It has gone auto away on my wife and I a couple times when we haven't walked by it in a while. But it doesn't recognize the cats as people either so not so bad. Overall I like it a lot. And yes, the guy who started the nest team is also heralded as the father of the iPod, so there's where the spinny clicky interface comes from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Has anyone here bought and used one of these? I'm really thinking about doing it, but have one reservation. It says it looks at movement in the house and adjusts accordingly. Our thermostat was mounted in the dining room which means we don't go by it very often. I'm sure this was done purely for cost, as the furnace is directly below it in the basement. I really like what the NEST could do for us. From the iOS/Android app, to the fact that I don't have to sit there and program it. It's a HUGE cost to buy it, but I think in the long run, it'll be worth it. So... Anyone have one? Nest | The Learning Thermostat | Home Chewy, you could always move your thermostat to a new location if you chose to. Not sure if your basement is finished. Usually from what I have seen thermostats are usually in the hallway by the bedrooms. Dining room to me sounds odd. IMHO, it just looks like another neat gadget. I have always read/heard it is cheaper and more efficient to maintain a constant temp than it is to try and catch up later in the day. If it were me I would do some research on the manufacuturer of your HVAC system and see what they have to offer in thermostats. I have a Lennox system and I don't think that NEST would work for me due to the different features that my system has. Good luck with whatever you decide on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryW Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Seen it on the Lowe's website.. 249.00 Have looked at the website often. Still up in the air as to most if it is really worth it. I love me some APPLE Gadgets,, and being it came from the IPOD guru to say..................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewy Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 (edited) Some of the features in 2.0 are awesome it will turn off your AC compressor before turning off the fan to get the cooling left in the compressor cycling through your house to save you energy. ^^^THIS^^^ I thought was pretty neat! It's as easy as telling the fan to go manual or ON as the compressor turns off. LOVE THAT! Chewy, you could always move your thermostat to a new location if you chose to. Not sure if your basement is finished. Usually from what I have seen thermostats are usually in the hallway by the bedrooms. Dining room to me sounds odd. IMHO, it just looks like another neat gadget. I have always read/heard it is cheaper and more efficient to maintain a constant temp than it is to try and catch up later in the day. If it were me I would do some research on the manufacuturer of your HVAC system and see what they have to offer in thermostats. I have a Lennox system and I don't think that NEST would work for me due to the different features that my system has. Good luck with whatever you decide on. Yeah... Finished basement makes it VERY hard to move it. The one that's on there now is SUPER basic. On/Off, temp UP/Down, Fan Auto/On, and Heat/Cool... THAT is it. I too have heard that it's cheaper to leave it at a constant temp. Plus my wife is home all day and wouldn't be happy with me cranking it up or down (depending on the temp outside) when I left in the AM. Edited June 12, 2012 by Chewy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryW Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Would anyone say it works as good as they say it does???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewy Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 Would anyone say it works as good as they say it does???? The reviews do! Check out YouTube or Cnet... I wanted to get a peers perspective so I came here to see if anyone had one. I am a form AND function kind of guy (hence my Apple fascination) so when I saw this, saw the UI, I fell in love. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryW Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 The reviews do! Check out YouTube or Cnet... I wanted to get a peers perspective so I came here to see if anyone had one. I am a form AND function kind of guy (hence my Apple fascination) so when I saw this, saw the UI, I fell in love. Chris I love Apple also,, that is why I have been checking it out. Off subject alittle , did you catch this at the WWDC for Apple??? Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselDude Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Impressive I do like it, especially the part it learns your schedule. Looking back it is what I paid for my current thermostat. Only two features that I wish it had was that it would display the outdoor temperature and reminders (Air Purifier Filter and UV Bulbs). Chewy that does not surprise me that your thermostat is in your dining room which is above your furnace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewy Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 I love Apple also,, that is why I have been checking it out. Off subject alittle , did you catch this at the WWDC for Apple??? Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com Yep! There's a thread here on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 ^^^THIS^^^ I thought was pretty neat! It's as easy as telling the fan to go manual or ON as the compressor turns off. LOVE THAT! Yeah... Finished basement makes it VERY hard to move it. The one that's on there now is SUPER basic. On/Off, temp UP/Down, Fan Auto/On, and Heat/Cool... THAT is it. I too have heard that it's cheaper to leave it at a constant temp. Plus my wife is home all day and wouldn't be happy with me cranking it up or down (depending on the temp outside) when I left in the AM. I just leave my fan running 24/7 and I know that it continues to run at whatever speed it deems necessary when the compressor kicks off then slowly winds down. Supposedly it uses no more energy than leaving a 100 watt light bulb on. If you don't have anything fancy on your set up like humidifiers/de-humidifiers, 2 Stage furnace/AC, etc., I wouldn't think you would need anything more than a basic T-stat. This is what I have and hence my earlier statement in regards to seeing what your HVAC manufacturer offers. I love this thing. Thermostats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewy Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 I just leave my fan running 24/7 and I know that it continues to run at whatever speed it deems necessary when the compressor kicks off then slowly winds down. Supposedly it uses no more energy than leaving a 100 watt light bulb on. If you don't have anything fancy on your set up like humidifiers/de-humidifiers, 2 Stage furnace/AC, etc., I wouldn't think you would need anything more than a basic T-stat. This is what I have and hence my earlier statement in regards to seeing what your HVAC manufacturer offers. I love this thing. Thermostats I've heard the 100 watt theory as well, but know that that motor with labor can be close to 500 bucks to replace. I just can't make myself let it run, plus the noise of it running constantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAYBEN Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 hmm.. I have my thermo set to 75 when I leave in the morning and a half hour before I return it switches back to 70.. I wonder if leaving it on would be cheaper.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewy Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 hmm.. I have my thermo set to 75 when I leave in the morning and a half hour before I return it switches back to 70.. I wonder if leaving it on would be cheaper.. Or perhaps not such a large swing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAYBEN Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 hmm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corners Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Chewy, you could always move your thermostat to a new location if you chose to. Not sure if your basement is finished. Usually from what I have seen thermostats are usually in the hallway by the bedrooms. Dining room to me sounds odd. IMHO, it just looks like another neat gadget. I have always read/heard it is cheaper and more efficient to maintain a constant temp than it is to try and catch up later in the day. If it were me I would do some research on the manufacuturer of your HVAC system and see what they have to offer in thermostats. I have a Lennox system and I don't think that NEST would work for me due to the different features that my system has. Good luck with whatever you decide on. I too have a new Lennox system. With the thermostat that came with it, I have it programmed and never touch it. Our monthly light bill is much lower due to leaving the settings alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselDude Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Or perhaps not such a large swing... Chewy has a good point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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