Josh Hendrickson
The whole point of a smart thermostat is convenience, especially remote convenience. You can buy a programmable thermostat that isn’t smart, but stepping up to an ecobee or Nest gives you remote controls. Unfortunately, some Nest Thermostats are running into an error breaking that feature—and now Google is offering replacements.
The problem appears to have started last November, according to a Google Nest help thread. While the Nest Thermostats in question can still control heating and cooling, and you can manually adjust it fine, remote control stops working.
You can’t adjust any settings while you’re out of the home from your phone or tablet. Instead, the Nest will display a ‘w5’ error and won’t connect to Wi-Fi.
In a statement to The Verge, a Google spokesperson said:
A very small number of Nest thermostat users are experiencing a known issue with the Wi-Fi chip that causes remote connectivity issues. This does not affect the thermostat’s ability to control the customer’s heating and cooling system in the home, but does impact the user’s ability to manage the thermostat remotely. If a user sees this error and it can’t be resolved through troubleshooting, they are prompted to contact customer support for assistance and will be issued a replacement device.
Google insists it can fix the issue with troubleshooting, but in some instances, that appears not to be the case. The cause of the problem isn’t clear, and Android Police found some users who saw the experience immediately after an update. But until Google tells us more, all we have is speculation.
If you see the w5 error, try Google’s troubleshooting steps, and if that doesn’t help, reach out to the company.
via The Verge
