I have 3 zones (3 distinct AC units, 1 for each floor), so Id need to drop $750 for the bare bones and then another couple hundred for a few sensors per zone?
Oy.
They really do need to offer both a single device and also a pack for a larger zoned set up at a special pricing.
Since I installed nests in my house our bills have dropped significantly. Enough to pay for them in 2 years. Most brand name thermostats that do less are just as expensive. I will be selling my Nests online and switching to these. For some reason a sour taste is in my mouth since they were bought by Google.
I have 3 zones (3 distinct AC units, 1 for each floor), so Id need to drop $750 for the bare bones and then another couple hundred for a few sensors per zone?
Oy.
Wait a second. You can afford to have 3 AC units plumbed in for 3 zones in your house and you're complaining about the cost of a thermostat?
If saving money is that important, it's very easy to turn a thermostat down a couple of degrees and put a jumper on.
The various system are slightly different. My Tado adjusts heating based upon the weather forecast, where you are and has different temperature settings for different times of the day and week. This all produces savings at whatever the temperature, even if you turn the thermostat down.
Wait a second. You can afford to have 3 AC units plumbed in for 3 zones in your house and you're complaining about the cost of a thermostat?
Amortized over the life of the loan. Actually, larger homes are being built with multiple AC units instead of one large one. This makes it more efficient to run them only when they are needed in a specific part of the house. I don't have AC, I just open the windows and enjoy the breeze. The heater is a different story.
Amortized over the life of the loan. Actually, larger homes are being built with multiple AC units instead of one large one. This makes it more efficient to run them only when they are needed in a specific part of the house. I don't have AC, I just open the windows and enjoy the breeze. The heater is a different story.
Try opening the windows and enjoying the breeze when you live somewhere that is triple-digit hot with >80% humidity. It doesn't work.
So can this actually set the temperature in multiple zones independently (if, for example, you want bedrooms to be a cooler temperature than your living room), or is it just setting one global temperature across the whole home?
The Honeywell Prestige (and newer Prestige 2) thermostat has had this capability for years and is much easier to use than a Nest. The Honeywell also avoids the inaccuracy of "learning" people's comings and goings when they move about places within the house that Google... I mean Nest... can't see you. I tried a Nest and it was frequently not turning on the AC when it should, just because it couldn't see down the hall and around a corner that someone was in the house sweltering.
Nest released its "AirWave" technology a while back for homes with AC, but Honeywell already had this for years and uses it for AC and heat. A lot of what people think is new/unique to Nest was already available from Honeywell. Furthermore, the cute design of the Nest is actually difficult to use for anything other than setting the temperature; it's much like the horrible Samsung Gear user interface. The Honeywell Prestige interface is easy to use like an iPad.
The minute you say that Honeywell Prestige is easier, I become skeptical.
The point of Nest is that you don't really need to interact with it. Simplicity is a benefit, not a negative. You set the temps, it learns the schedule. You control it remotely, or do anything deeper via the iOS app or web browser, both screens that lend themselves to deeper interaction.
When I first got Nest, I asked HVAC installers at the HVAC forums about any mistakes to avoid making. They told me my first mistake was getting a Nest. They then pointed to Prestige.
Every modern LCD Honeywell I've ever used has been absurd. I don't need to view photos or movies on the thermostat. It showing the time is not a crucial feature. Requiring manual schedule programming is a pain. I definitely don't want to have to buy a separate "Internet Bridge" in order for it to have basic connectivity.
The Honeywell Lyric is the first thing they've done that looks promising, and I have high hopes for any future HomeKit-compatible products Honeywell may make - but Prestige and the separate Internet Bridge or separate RedLINK remote? Pass. Too much money, too complex, trying to do too much. Prestige was made for people who obsess about HVAC, installers, or engineers. Most of us aren't that user.
Do you like it?
What do you like about it? What's the best thing about it? What's the thing you would change if you could?
I do like it. The software setup was brain-dead easy, and their support was first-rate when I called about a wiring question. In fact, they thought they told me the wrong thing, so they actually called back to make sure.
I love the geofencing support - it automatically goes into away mode when I leave a 2 mile radius, and turns back into normal mode when I'm less than 2 miles away.
The app could use some work, but that's the easiest bit to fix. It seems they got the hardware right, which is the most important part.
I have one of these and I had the previous ecobee.
I have one of these and the main benefit is being able to set the temp without getting off the couch or getting out of bed. (yes I'm lazy)
It does save heating/cooling costs though as it learns your house and will conserve energy when you're not there or if you setup a vacation schedule. I'm not sure if they really end up paying for themselves, but they are a nice luxury.
I also had the previous ecobee. One benefit over the nest is they've never bricked my thermostat with a software update.
Actually it is nice to hear that someone finds it useful. I only have room air conditioners for two bedrooms so they aren't controlled by a smart system though they do come with remotes. My house is heated with a hydroponic system and the boiler is computer controlled so that the output is constantly adjusted based on outside temperature and the water return temperature. The result is that the system is at its most efficient when the temperature setting remains constant.
Comments
They really do need to offer both a single device and also a pack for a larger zoned set up at a special pricing.
Same here.
Wait a second. You can afford to have 3 AC units plumbed in for 3 zones in your house and you're complaining about the cost of a thermostat?
Wait a second. You can afford to have 3 AC units plumbed in for 3 zones in your house and you're complaining about the cost of a thermostat?
Amortized over the life of the loan. Actually, larger homes are being built with multiple AC units instead of one large one. This makes it more efficient to run them only when they are needed in a specific part of the house. I don't have AC, I just open the windows and enjoy the breeze. The heater is a different story.
I'm never paying $250 for a thermostat.
I bought a Honeywell Lyric, and it's already saved me it's purchase cost. Forest for the trees, and all that.
Amortized over the life of the loan. Actually, larger homes are being built with multiple AC units instead of one large one. This makes it more efficient to run them only when they are needed in a specific part of the house. I don't have AC, I just open the windows and enjoy the breeze. The heater is a different story.
Try opening the windows and enjoying the breeze when you live somewhere that is triple-digit hot with >80% humidity. It doesn't work.
How could you ever tell?
If saving money is that important, it's very easy to turn a thermostat down a couple of degrees and put a jumper on.
Most energy providers give you a nice helpful graph of the previous 12 months energy usage on the bill. Compare this month to 12 months ago.
No it isn't perfect, but if there's a significant difference, you'll see it.
So can this actually set the temperature in multiple zones independently (if, for example, you want bedrooms to be a cooler temperature than your living room), or is it just setting one global temperature across the whole home?
The Honeywell Prestige (and newer Prestige 2) thermostat has had this capability for years and is much easier to use than a Nest. The Honeywell also avoids the inaccuracy of "learning" people's comings and goings when they move about places within the house that Google... I mean Nest... can't see you. I tried a Nest and it was frequently not turning on the AC when it should, just because it couldn't see down the hall and around a corner that someone was in the house sweltering.
Nest released its "AirWave" technology a while back for homes with AC, but Honeywell already had this for years and uses it for AC and heat. A lot of what people think is new/unique to Nest was already available from Honeywell. Furthermore, the cute design of the Nest is actually difficult to use for anything other than setting the temperature; it's much like the horrible Samsung Gear user interface. The Honeywell Prestige interface is easy to use like an iPad.
The minute you say that Honeywell Prestige is easier, I become skeptical.
The point of Nest is that you don't really need to interact with it. Simplicity is a benefit, not a negative. You set the temps, it learns the schedule. You control it remotely, or do anything deeper via the iOS app or web browser, both screens that lend themselves to deeper interaction.
When I first got Nest, I asked HVAC installers at the HVAC forums about any mistakes to avoid making. They told me my first mistake was getting a Nest. They then pointed to Prestige.
Every modern LCD Honeywell I've ever used has been absurd. I don't need to view photos or movies on the thermostat. It showing the time is not a crucial feature. Requiring manual schedule programming is a pain. I definitely don't want to have to buy a separate "Internet Bridge" in order for it to have basic connectivity.
The Honeywell Lyric is the first thing they've done that looks promising, and I have high hopes for any future HomeKit-compatible products Honeywell may make - but Prestige and the separate Internet Bridge or separate RedLINK remote? Pass. Too much money, too complex, trying to do too much. Prestige was made for people who obsess about HVAC, installers, or engineers. Most of us aren't that user.
I bought a Honeywell Lyric, and it's already saved me it's purchase cost. Forest for the trees, and all that.
Do you like it?
What do you like about it? What's the best thing about it? What's the thing you would change if you could?
I do like it. The software setup was brain-dead easy, and their support was first-rate when I called about a wiring question. In fact, they thought they told me the wrong thing, so they actually called back to make sure.
I love the geofencing support - it automatically goes into away mode when I leave a 2 mile radius, and turns back into normal mode when I'm less than 2 miles away.
The app could use some work, but that's the easiest bit to fix. It seems they got the hardware right, which is the most important part.
Actually it is nice to hear that someone finds it useful. I only have room air conditioners for two bedrooms so they aren't controlled by a smart system though they do come with remotes. My house is heated with a hydroponic system and the boiler is computer controlled so that the output is constantly adjusted based on outside temperature and the water return temperature. The result is that the system is at its most efficient when the temperature setting remains constant.