Nest Thermostat

We had a programmable thermostat in the Midwest. When we moved to Capitol Hill our 1890’s building had a building wide HVAC system. The air conditioning and heat went on based on a seasonal schedule and didn’t usually meet our needs. The in home thermostat was very basic and hardly controlled the temperature either. Our new condo in northern Virginia came with a Carrier thermostat. It was very confusing to use and we could never adjust it to our liking. We finally decided to upgrade to a Nest thermostat and are so happy we did. We ordered it back in August but it didn’t get installed until last week. No one has time for anything these days. So when the fall routine HVAC maintenance was scheduled, that was finally included. We needed to get a round wall plate to cover the square leftover paint job of the old unit. All in all it looks nice, but I really like the functionality. The best part is controlling it via the app - both at home and away from home. This is a so called “learning” device so after a month or so it begins to program our usual habits. It took a while to get it connected to Wi-Fi because I wasn’t turning the the dial correctly - I was tapping it like an iPad. But the you tube videos and google information was really helpful. I hope it continues to work as nicely as it has. These days it doesn’t take much to get us excited. This little gadget did the trick and we hopefully will be even more energy efficient. 

 

Nest Thermostat

When we moved in to our northern Virginia condo over two years ago, it came with a Carrier thermostat. It was a programmable gadget, but unusually complex to set. Additionally, the house temperature is never what it should be and we are constantly getting up and down to adjust it. So we decided it was time to get it changed to something that can be managed through an app and is easy to use manually. The choice was between Honeywell and Nest. So I did a little research and we also asked our son if he liked his Nest thermostat. They do look sleek and would fit any decor. The Honeywell item looks more traditional. Anyway, we ended up getting a Nest that is now a third generation item. It’s a “learning” thermostat in that it is supposed to begin to automatically figure out your comfort levels. Our only problem is getting the tech here to install it. The same company that does our two times a year HVAC and water heater maintenance also installs thermostats. Everyone seems to be extremely busy and getting anything scheduled takes forever. In the meantime I also ordered a matching wall plate that surrounds the Nest to cover any wall damage from the current thermostat. Hopefully we won’t need to use it. Let’s hope we get this done soon. I have my doubts. 

Embr Wave Personal Thermostat for the Thermally Challenged

Since I can remember I have always been either too hot or too cold - usually too cold. You could say I am thermally challenged. When I grew up in Florida I always carried a sweater with me because I was freezing whenever I stepped indoors from the sweltering heat. In the winter months I am constantly freezing both indoors and outside. My last job at the Library of Congress was in an office so cold I had a space heater running for most of the day. And to this day, whenever we go out for dinner, I’m always cold. Let’s not even mention hormones. So it was with a great deal of interest when I came across Embr Wave on Instagram. I read about this wristwatch shaped device created at MIT that serves as a personal thermostat for people like me. Although it wasn’t exactly cheap, I decided to give it a try. It’s been a month now and I can say it has helped take the edge off in both circumstances. It’s been successful in freezing restaurants, in the evening when my husband is freezing and I am hot, during walks in the inferno of DC summers, and at night while sleeping when I just feel hot. You can sync it with a phone app that shows use over time and get updates to the firmware. The support response was satisfactory when I needed it. The recharge lasts a good bit. I plug it in about every five days or so. It’s probably all in my head, which is the basic premise. But if it works that’s all I care about. I pretty much leave it on all the time. It looks like a watch, etc. I’ve tried it on my husband a few times and he is half heartedly convinced - but he needs to try it more consistently. So if you’re always freezing or hot this little device may be something to consider. 

Honeywell Digital Thermostat

We had a programmable thermostat in our Midwest home. We also had two separate air conditioning units for two parts of the house. But when you live in an 1890's condo building with an old time heating and cooling system, the thermostats looked ancient. This is the kind of building that the heat and air conditioning get turned on and off at specified times of the year - whether you like it or not. Since the air conditioning was turned on about three weeks ago, we haven't used it once. Thank goodness we have a space heater. Luckily, the building now checks every unit's HVAC system in fall and spring to make sure the filters are changed, check the equipment, vacuum out the dust, and keep things in check. And some of the access points to the HVAC system are in peculiar places and difficult to access. It was sorely needed as a lot of people don't know anything about home maintenance. So when the option came to upgrade to a digital thermostat, we jumped on it. Of course it would be at the homeowner's expense, but it was something that would be consistently installed as the spring cleaning was occurring. So let's hope the thing works! Unfortunately I still won't get any heat if I want it. But if nothing else, it looks better? And maybe it will actually regulate the temperature so we don't have to keep adjusting it.