To Nest or Not To Nest

SueC_2

Having suffered a dodgy boiler for the last year, we are finally biting the bullet and having it replaced. Our plumber has suggested that we get Nest installed at the same time.

My initial reaction was a resounding 'No'. Whilst not a complete technophobe, I don't like technology for the sake of technology, or things that turn out to be a five-minute-wonder. But then I wondered if I had been hasty.

There are two of us living in a house that has a relatively large number of rooms, many of which are unused in day to day life, but then hammered when we have big groups of family and friends to stay. Our daily schedules are relatively stable - I get up and go out early each day, OH gets up and goes out a bit later. Then one or other of us is normally home at about 6:30 each day, and we generally go to bed at the same time each evening. Weekends vary massively - either a houseful, or we go away, or sometimes just us there but in and out all day.

Currently we set the boiler timer to come on for a few hours in the morning, and a few hours in the evening. We have a room thermostat that sets the overall temperature, and thermostatic radiator valves so we can turn off heating when rooms aren't being used.

Would Nest 'learn' all this and improve on our current setup? Or would OH and I end up in a battle of the sexes trying to outwit each other by controlling the temperature from our phones (he likes it red hot, I'd sit in an icehouse if I could).

To be honest, I don't understand how they work at all so all advice welcome. Thanks!

btr30

Ultimately a Nest or similar smart enabled programmable thermostat will not offer you much more than your existing setup, other than ability to control via an app rather than manual changes to time and thermostat settings.
It does connect to your wifi and can pick up on external temperature in the area from the internet, which means on cold mornings it would allow system to come on earlier to ensure room is at desired temperature for the correct time, rather than pre setting a time which may not be early enough or too early.
Personally, I would stick with what you have.

Takmon

The Nest will learn what temperature you prefer the house at certain times of the day and how long it will take to heat up to that temperature. So it will mean you always have the temperature you like without the heating being on too long or too short a period.

Your current arbitrary few hours in the morning and evening may be too long or too short or not needed at all depending on your schedule.

The Nest will also know when your both out and not home so if you go away it won't heat an empty house or if your out longer than usual.

After it learns your schedule it is very good at just working and you don't need to think about adjusting times/temp to save energy.

SueC_2

Takmon wrote: »

The Nest will learn what temperature you prefer the house at certain times of the day and how long it will take to heat up to that temperature. So it will mean you always have the temperature you like without the heating being on too long or too short a period. Does a 'thingy' need to go into every room, so it knows that some rooms are unheated when we're not using them, and others go to different temperatures (eg. bedroom much cooler than living room)?

Your current arbitrary few hours in the morning and evening may be too long or too short or not needed at all depending on your schedule. If they're too short, then we'd feel cold and extend them. But if they're too long, then the temperature (and therefore boiler output?) would 'click off' when the room and/or radiator thermostats reached their level. No?

The Nest will also know when your both out and not home so if you go away it won't heat an empty house or if your out longer than usual. But if we left guests in the house while we went out, would the heating go off because our phones were out of reach?

After it learns your schedule it is very good at just working and you don't need to think about adjusting times/temp to save energy.

Sorry, I really don't understand how it works, are you able to expand on the above for me?

jaybeetoo

Also have a look at Hive (I'm not familiar with Nest). You can get thermostatic radiator valves to enable you to control the temperature in each room via an app.

Takmon

SueC wrote: »

Does a 'thingy' need to go into every room, so it knows that some rooms are unheated when we're not using them, and others go to different temperatures (eg. bedroom much cooler than living room)?

It will go on the wall where your existing thermostat is and read the temperature from that. So when you adjust your thermostat to higher or lower when your too hot or too cold it will learn this pattern and adjust it for you.

SueC wrote: »

If they're too short, then we'd feel cold and extend them. But if they're too long, then the temperature (and therefore boiler output?) would 'click off' when the room and/or radiator thermostats reached their level. No?

Well if it knows you like to be at 20 degrees at 8am for example it will know how long it takes to get to that temperature depending on outside weather and start at an appropriate time. Currently you may have the heating come on at 7am for example and it might be too early and be heating when your asleep wasting energy or too late and your cold when you get up.

If you have two hours in the evening but go out for a meal it will continue to heat the house when your out wasting energy but this will stop.

So basically only uses the energy you need to keep your house at a comfortable temperature.

SueC wrote: »

But if we left guests in the house while we went out, would the heating go off because our phones were out of reach?

Yes it would but atleast it saves you energy :rotfl:

You can turn this feature off if you need too temporarily.

Gerry1

After they killed off Revolv, would you trust Google?

• https://theusbport.com/nest-labs-end-support-300-revolv-smart-hub/7220

• https://www.zdnet.com/article/revolv-is-dead-google-killed-it-long-live-innovation/

• https://www.zdnet.com/article/nest-killed-its-smart-home-hub-what-do-they-owe-customers/

And you'd better cross your fingers that there's not a secret microphone that they forgot to warn you about...

• https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/8476838/google-apologies-home-camera-spying/

• https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/20/nest-secret-microphone/

• https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/20/google_nest_secret_microphone/

Talldave

A decent programmable thermostat with optimum start is a good solution that doesn't involve all the phone/app stuff. Honeywell ones I've used have a day off button (weekend settings used on a weekday), party mode (stay warm extra late) and holiday mode (frost protection mode that reverts to normal cycle on the day you teyurn).

It might be worth spending the money having upstairs and downstairs separately zoned so you can set different temperature schedules for each floor.

SueC_2

Thank you everyone, this has all been very informative. And the more I read, the more I'm inclined to stick with what I have. Call me old fashioned, but I know what I like, and I like what I know!

matelodave

I'm with TallDave, a programmable stat should give you as much control as you need and at significantly less cost unless you really want a toy you can play with on your mobile phone.

I think Gerry might be stretching it a bit with hidden microphones but I certainly agree that it would be wise to be more concerned about spending a couple of hundred quid on an all singing/dancing thermostat and then have Google or whoever decide to give up on it or start charging a monthly or annual fee to use use it.

Gerry1

matelodave wrote: »

I think Gerry might be stretching it a bit with hidden microphones

Don't blame the messenger, read the links ! And have you forgotten about Google slurping SSIDs and MAC addresses?

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/04/30/google_slurp_ok/

You can have privacy OR Google.