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Nest Thermostat Review: 6 Months With a Smart Thermostat

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The Nest Thermostat is an easy to install effective way to efficiently heat a home or apartment.

With good-looking design and smart power management, the Nest Learning Thermostat fits in with most home and office decor and is compatible with many home heating and cooling systems, even those without a dedicated power wire.

After using the Nest Learning Thermostat for half of a year, it’s easily one of the best connected home gadgets we’ve used thanks to ease of installation, reliability and convenience.

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This isn’t a light bulb you’ll change colors on once a month to impress a friend, it’s a smarter way to heat and cool a home or office.

Nest Learning Thermostat Review

The Nest Learning Thermostat includes everything needed for an average user to install it.

Installation and Setup

Nest Learning Thermostat Review - Installation

Nest installation is easy.

Installing the Nest Thermostat is easy enough for the average homeowner to tackle, but Nest offers connections to a professional installer.

Installation takes less than half an hour, including removing the old thermostat. The Nest comes with a variety of installation plates, a built-in level and a screwdriver,

Setup is swift, as there is no need to set temperature for times and days. The Nest learns from the actions users take during the first week or two, to understand the owner’s schedule and preferences.

The Nest sticks out from the wall more than many home thermostats, but it is not an issue, even when installed in a hallway.

Users can install multiple Nest Thermostats in a house to create zones if the house is set up in such a manner.

Using the Nest Learning Thermostat

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The Nest offers controls and info at a glance on the thermostat.

The Nest connects to a WiFi network to enable remote control features. Once connected, users can adjust the schedule or change temperature from the Nest Website or with the iPhone, iPad and Android apps.

The apps offer an easy way to control the home temperature while traveling or just to turn the heat down more at bedtime.

Once the Nest learns the heating and cooling schedule, the app isn’t needed as often, but it’s a nice way to make adjustments when the outside temperature keeps the home warmer or colder than desired.

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The Nest learns your heating and cooling habits.

Users can login to the Nest Website and view the schedule, energy usage and to adjust settings.

The Nest Thermostat also includes the ability automatically turn the heat or air conditioner off when no one is home with Nest Sense, so there’s no need to manually change things.

The Nest can also learn how long it takes to heat or cool a home or apartment and start the process in time to get the home up to the eight temperature before owners get out of bed.

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Control the Nest Learning Thermostat with an iPhone, iPad or Android.

The Nest will even tell users when to change their air filter.

Sometimes the app can not connect to the Nest, but latest update helped with this problem. The Nest will cycle the heating or cooling system as needed to keep the battery charged, but if it gets too low users will need to wait.

In most cases, even when the app fails to connect users can control the temperature at the thermostat. During our review the house was without power for a week, once the power came back in the Nest recharged to normal within five to six hours.

Users can lock out control of the Nest so only select users can manage the temperature, handy for businesses or families with kids.

Energy Savings

Even after six months of use its tough to say if the Nest Learning Thermostat is saving on heating and cooling in a new house, but the leaf indicator, which shows up when the Nest sets the temperature at an energy saving level, is a nice motivator to keep the temperature at a reasonable level.

Nest Review - Learning Thermostat Energy Report

Nest emails monthly energy reports.

The system emails a report to users every month highlighting their use and comparing it to previous months and other users.

Nest Thermostat Recommendation

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The Nest is a great gadget and that we would buy again.

Nest makes two models, the first generation Nest Thermostat we reviewed is available for $199 and the new Nest second-generation is $249. The apps are free to use with the app.

Nest takes an iPhone approach to software, rolling out new features to the older model so users don’t need to buy a new Nest for the latest features.

The Nest Learning Thermostat is an excellent thermostat that is worth the price for users looking for a thermostat that learns their schedule without my need to set it up and want the ability to control the heat or cooling with an iPhone or Android.

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Andrew weber

    11/30/2012 at 10:29 am

    What is your average daily run time for your furnace? Mine seems to be 3 hours for a 2,150 square foot place.

  2. BrianCahill

    12/01/2012 at 9:19 am

    Love my job, since I’ve been bringing in $5600… I sit at home, music playing while I work in front of my new iMac that I got now that I’m making it online(Click on menu Home)
    https://goo.gl/sp0aJ

  3. Joe

    12/24/2012 at 10:28 am

    I do have some concerns

    1) What happens if Nest goes out of buiness or gets bought out? Will their away system still work or will we have to pay a vendor? Chances are we will or loose support.

    2) If bought out what are the chances they will no longer support the older onces forcing you to buy a new one? I would say very good in the US

  4. eidolon

    01/16/2013 at 1:07 pm

    Had one of these since they came out. Software worthless, support worthless. Failed afar 10 months. Took three months to get the replacement…
    Do not buy from this company.

  5. Anita

    02/16/2013 at 7:02 pm

    IRISH company CLIMOTE launched a competing product to NEST for the European market and their already picking Utility contracts & national awards for their intuitive design and approach to remotely controlling your home. Their proposition is a fully integrated 3 zone controller with built in thermostat, GSM communication, and a full user interface on the device should you decide not to use the remote control. It is fully certified CE approved 220v controller that connects directly to your Heating or cooling source

  6. hywel

    04/09/2014 at 3:55 am

    Other than controlling the temperature remotely I can’t really see what this device brings to the party. My current 7 year old system switches the heating on and off when I want every day and I simply reduce the temperature when I’m leaving the house.

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