Josh Hendrickson
Plenty of smart thermostat options exist, but what separates the Nest Thermostat from the rest of the pack is its capacity to learn. Given time, Nest will learn your habits and anticipate them, making your home more comfortable when you’re there and saving money when you’re not. Now, Google is taking the concept further—starting today, Nest thermostats will try to warn you about potential HVAC issues.
An HVAC failure probably in the top ten list of every adult’s worst nightmares. Somehow it always happens in the dead of winter or the dog days of summer, when you need your HVAC the most. Worse yet, the cost to repair your HVAC system may have you sweating all by itself.
If you’ve ever wondered if you missed warning signs, or if catching the issue before total failure could have helped, Google has your back. The company is rolling out a test to all Nest thermostats designed to spot potential HVAC issues.
To join the test, you’ll need to turn on Nest Home reports. If you enrolled in Nest Home reports previously, you don’t have to do anything. You can turn on Nest Home reports by opening the Nest app (for Android and iOS), going to settings, tap on notifications, then Nest Home report. Just slide the dial to on, and you’re enrolled.
Your Nest thermostat will be on the lookout for unusual behavior that might signal a problem with your HVAC, such as the system taking longer than usual to cool your home. At that point, Nest will notify you via email and let you know if it’s a heating or cooling issue.
The next steps are up to you. Google suggests you may want to check your home first; the problem could be an open door, for instance. But if everything looks fine, you’ll want to contact an HVAC technician.
If you hired someone to install your Nest, the app can check to see if it still has those contact details. Otherwise, Google is partnering with Handy to put you in touch with an HVAC technician directly in the Nest app. You don’t have to use the service, but it should help you along if you don’t already have a technician or company you prefer.
It’s usually cheaper to fix a problem in the early stages than when an HVAC system fully dies. And even if your HVAC system is beyond repair and will need to be replaced, knowing sooner can help you budget. Google’s test just might help you save money in the long rung, and that’s been the promise of the Nest since the beginning.
Source: Google
