Nest Thermostat

StadEMS3

StadEMS3

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
I was contemplating getting them but I would need 3 (zones) and I installed programable ones about a year ago. Maybe if the price comes down quite a bit I'll swap them out. They do look cool and have neat technology.
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
I didn't like that you had to create an account on their servers to take advantage of the remote stuff. No way to know what info they glean from it, like when you're home, and if the info could be hacked.
 
MMM_donuts

MMM_donuts

New Member
GWguy said:
I didn't like that you had to create an account on their servers to take advantage of the remote stuff. No way to know what info they glean from it, like when you're home, and if the info could be hacked.
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Oh now my husband will probably change his mind. He gets really weirded out by the thought of letting anyone else potentially knowing/controlling that sort of stuff.

When you adjust your settings via this account, is there any information that would be specifically telling to whether or not you are away from home? Like, does it get a label "home" or "away" status?
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
MMM_donuts said:
Oh now my husband will probably change his mind. He gets really weirded out by the thought of letting anyone else potentially knowing/controlling that sort of stuff.

When you adjust your settings via this account, is there any information that would be specifically telling to whether or not you are away from home? Like, does it get a label "home" or "away" status?
Click to expand...

The thermostat itself is 'smart'. It uses sensors to detect your presence and adjusts the heat/cook accordingly. It remembers patterns, self-learning. If that info is available or transmitted unencrypted over the 'net, it's possible that info could be available.

Yes, I wear a tin foil hat. I was brought up in a secure computing environment, so I look at things differently that others might ignore. Same reason I don't have a Facebook account and millions of others do.
 
ylexot

ylexot

Super Genius
I've been eying them, but I just don't think it's going to be significantly better than my current programmable thermostat.
 
M

MadDogMarine

New Member
MMM_donuts said:
Oh now my husband will probably change his mind. He gets really weirded out by the thought of letting anyone else potentially knowing/controlling that sort of stuff.

When you adjust your settings via this account, is there any information that would be specifically telling to whether or not you are away from home? Like, does it get a label "home" or "away" status?
Click to expand...


"weirded out by the thought of letting anyone else potentially knowing/controlling that sort of stuff"
I don't know what he is worried about.It is all to late to be concerned!

No warrant, no problem: How the government can still get your digital data
No warrant, no problem: How the government can still get your digital data | Ars Technica
 
awpitt

awpitt

Main Streeter
GWguy said:
The thermostat itself is 'smart'. It uses sensors to detect your presence and adjusts the heat/cook accordingly. It remembers patterns, self-learning. If that info is available or transmitted unencrypted over the 'net, it's possible that info could be available.

Yes, I wear a tin foil hat. I was brought up in a secure computing environment, so I look at things differently that others might ignore. Same reason I don't have a Facebook account and millions of others do.
Click to expand...

The info that goes over the Interent is encrypted in the same manner that bank transactions are. So, if this thing isn't safe, your online bank transactions aren't safe either. If you're comfortable with online banking, you shouldn't have a problem with the Nest. As far as knowing when people are home, I can use the Website or my phone to adjust the temps whether I'm at home or away so an adjustment made via the app doesn't have to mean that I'm not at home.
 
awpitt

awpitt

Main Streeter
Chasey_Lane said:
I saw them a few weeks back. Pretty cool, but wondered what it did that my current programmable thermostat couldn't. It didn't seem worth the cost. :shrug:
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Don't know what kind of programmable you have so it's hard to say. I do know that the Nest has a feature called Airwave. In the summer, when the AC is running, when the desired temp is reached, the Nest will turn off the AC compressor a few minutes before turning the blower motor off. This allows the fan to move the remaining cold air through the house while the evaporator coils are still cold. Most programmables will turn the whole system off once the desired temp is reached thus leaving the evap coils sitting cold with no air moving.
 
awpitt

awpitt

Main Streeter
MMM_donuts said:
We've been eyeing that as well. Please keep us posted on what you like and don't like about it.
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So far, I really like WWW and Phone apps. I was nice sitting at my computer to set up the programming schedule instead of having to stand at the programmable to do it. It also has a nice locking feature. I have two boys who would like to run the heat at 80 while wearing shorts. The Nest lets me lock it completley or I can lock it and leave a temp window that they're free to set the Nest any where they want within that window. If I want to set it outside of that window, I just enter the PIN that I set up.
 
Chasey_Lane

Chasey_Lane

Salt Life
awpitt said:
Don't know what kind of programmable you have so it's hard to say. I do know that the Nest has a feature called Airwave. In the summer, when the AC is running, when the desired temp is reached, the Nest will turn off the AC compressor a few minutes before turning the blower motor off. This allows the fan to move the remaining cold air through the house while the evaporator coils are still cold. Most programmables will turn the whole system off once the desired temp is reached thus leaving the evap coils sitting cold with no air moving.
Click to expand...

Okay, but this isn't a big enough wow factor for me and certainly not worth the cost of the unit.
 
blazinlow89

blazinlow89

Big Poppa
I have a smart thermostat. It gets too hot I push the down arrow and the a/c turns on. It gets to cold I push the up arrow and the heat turns on.

Vivint tried to sell us one of their units when we had the security system switched over, but the additional costs to access the feature (like $9 a month) did not seem worth being able to control it from my phone. Being programmable lets me set up what I need while I am gone. And the thermostat stays at 72 during the winter and 73 during the summer. Electric bill averages $130 a month.
 
awpitt

awpitt

Main Streeter
Chasey_Lane said:
Okay, but this isn't a big enough wow factor for me and certainly not worth the cost of the unit.
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I'm not figuring the cost of the unit because I won it in a prize drawing. If that wasn't the case, I don't know if I'd shell out the money for one. I do know people who bought the first generation Nest and they've seen a very noticable decrease in their heatin & A/C costs.
 
Baz

Baz

This. ------------------>
awpitt said:
I'm not figuring the cost of the unit because I won it in a prize drawing. If that wasn't the case, I don't know if I'd shell out the money for one. I do know people who bought the first generation Nest and they've seen a very noticable decrease in their heatin & A/C costs.
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I plan on getting one in the next month or so. I need to upgrade my current thermostat, so might as well shell out a few more dollars for state of the art. :yay:

I've read nothing but positive reviews on it so far.
 
GURPS

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
GWguy said:
Yes, I wear a tin foil hat. I was brought up in a secure computing environment, so I look at things differently that others might ignore. Same reason I don't have a Facebook account and millions of others do.
Click to expand...



are smart meters any better or worse - the power company controls your AC in the summer
 
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