I had a second gen Nest thermostat but I was very disappointed with it so I got rid of it. Getting the Ecobee 3 (HomeKit version) in a couple of weeks.
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There is a ST app that controls the Nest products? I have a 2nd Gen Nest Thermostat, the smoke detector and a drop cam. I would like all of them to show up on my ST app, but since ST released a new, updated app, I canāt hook into my Nest products.
Iāve been using the Net 2nd Gen for a few years now and havenāt had any real issues with it. I know others reported issues with the baseplate and firmware, but mine has always worked perfectly.
I started off installing it in my apartment and didnāt need the common wire connected. When I moved into a home, I brought it with me and replaced the existing thermostat. My older apartment has AC, while the home is only a furnace.
In the beginning, I had some issues with the furnace not correctly tripping on, but Nest support helped me narrow this down to needing the Common wire connected. I had to connect the wire on the furnace end too, but that was pretty simple because most installs use standard 5-color HVAC cables; just a matter to connecting the matching colors on both ends.
After that, it run fine for a year. Iāve probably had at least 5 firmware updates pushed and never had an issue with them; the Nest just reboots and works fine.
Entering a long WiFi password is the only real pain, but when my internet goes down occasionally, the Nest still works well in ālocal modeā.
I have my Nest linked up with a Nest Protect in our bedroom. This has the advantage of adding temperature and presence sensor for an area away from my hallway (where the thermostat is installed); this makes the furnace more reliable when trying to heat different areas of the house.
Overall, the Nest has probably been the most reliable āsmartā gadget in my homeā¦including SmartThings (who Iām still a huge supporter of).
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āOfficiallyā not yet, but search these forums. Some folks have written a custom device type and app that will give you basic control of a Nest, but it officially violates the Nest EULA.
I think official support is being developed though.
Hereās a good article on how Thread works: http://www.cepro.com/article/led_by_nest_thread_for_home_automation_is_most_promising_iot_standard_yet/
My understanding is that ZigBee is still the physical layer for radio interface, but Thread is a full replacement for the data-link layer; sort of like TCP/IP running over both WiFi and Ethernet.
Good to hear that you had a nice experience. I am really thinking of giving one Nest 3 a try once we turn on the heat in Jersey and see how it goes. The only reason I am not going the Ecober3 path is buying another couple of remote sensors. I already have 5 scattered across for AC and donāt want any more for the second unit. Another reason being all my cameras are dropcams and nest, and they are not supported by ST. So I have to rely on Nest app. And the thermostat is the key to get everything in place in the Nest world.
Can you elaborate on how your Nest Protect communicates temperature to the Nest Thermostat? Is it through SmartThings or through the Nest app directly?
Iāve also had the 2nd Gen Nest Thermostat for quite a while and have no complaints. If your electric company has rebates, you get it for less. If it is in the rush hour program, you get energy savings. You also get monthly reports, can go back for a whole week of history and see when did it turn on and for how long, etc. Plus it connects to many devices, if you have any of those devices.
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