Wireless Home Thermostats

[Tom Hendricks]

Hi all, was wondering if anyone uses any wireless home thermostats to control their heating and cooling? I was looking at get the Nest http://www.nest.com/ however the $250 price tag seams a little steep and I need two of them. Anyone use the Nest or something similar? What are your opinions, have you seen a reduction or just better temperature management in your home?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I am also intrigued by the Nest. That thing is WiFi aware!

 

[Tom Hendricks]

I would like to get better control of my heating & cooling. In our previous place we had a thermostat that you just set to a temperature and it decided either to heat or cool. It would also just cycle the fan, without engaging the AC during the summer to move air when the humidity got high but the temperature was not.

Having poured over the Nest website, it really is intriguing to me. However the price is a real sticking point, just seams to much. Was hoping that there was someone out there on here that use either the Nest or something similar to give some guidance.

ps. Did you watch opening day yesterday? The tribute to Gary Cater was fantastic.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

I was in Home Depot today, had to pick up a few things and wondered over to the thermostat area. I found this http://www.homedepot.com/buy/electrical-home-automation-security-home-automation-climate-control/filtrete-7-day-touchscreen-wifi-enabled-programmable-thermostat-with-backlight-182800.html Its a 3M wifi enabled thermostat, with a price of $99. So not to bad, however it needs a dedicated power source, called "C" wire and of course I don't have that with my setup and would have to run a dedicated power source to the thermostat. So that would be either having an electrician running the cables or running extension cords. It has very good reviews on the Home Depot site, may still consider this. I'm gonna head over to Lowes tomorrow and check out what they have.

 

[Alrik]

Before you give up on the Home Depot option, take a look at the Installation Guide and double check your wiring options. You say you don't a "C" wire running to your current thermostat, however there should be some source of constant power coming from your HVAC unit to the thermostat. Check page 5 of the Guide. I would be surprised if your current wiring doesn't match one of these configurations. As long as you find a match, you're in business. Good luck.

 

[Scout101]

A buddy of mine has that NEST thermostat, and likes it alot. Mostly has fun playing with it from his iPhone...

 

[Tom Hendricks]

Went to Lowes this morning and they have no wifi enabled thermostats. I'm going to check my wiring to see exactly what I have, before making a decision.