Nest 3rd Gen Thermostat Installation & Review

If you have an ancient thermostat, pull the trigger and upgrade. It's like trading in a chunky 80's brick phone for the latest iPhone. Not only will you save on your heating and cooling bills, but installation is ridiculously easy.

If you use ComEd, keep track of your receipt, serial number (it's on the bottom of the box), and installation date. You can apply for a $100 rebate here on ComEd's site. Just a heads up: it does take them a looong time to review rebate applications.

The old guy (& old funky wall color).

INSTALLATION

Installation is a piece of cake and only took half an hour. It comes with everything you need and even has a built-in level! I mean how nifty is that. I'm terrible at lining stuff up so this was the greatest little surprise.

The instructions are easy to follow. Basically, as long as you put the wires into the correct connectors, which is hard to mess up since they give you labels, you're good to go.

Then click the display into place and voila! After connecting it to wifi, there are about 5 minutes of updates. Then you finish the set up and test each system to make sure they're connected properly.

Lastly, download and sync it with the Nest app. This can be done anytime but the sooner the better so you can use all the cool features.

For a step-by-step tutorial, here's Nest's handy installation video:

REVIEW

We had done a little research, but Home Depot had a one-day $50 off sale (plus free next day shipping) so we went for it. We got the 3rd Generation in white. (Costco and Amazon usually have good deals on them as well; especially on Black Friday.) We're very happy with our purchase. Nest has all the bells and whistles.

Installation: As I mentioned above, they provide everything you need making it quick and foolproof.

Thermostat: The device itself is well-made and sleek, and the dial is actually fun to use. The interface makes sense, and all of the settings and features are easy to access. We really like that when you change the temperature, it'll tell you how long the adjustment will take.

They also have a built-in motion detector so the display will light up when you're near it, which is neat except for high-traffic areas. Our Nest is located in the family room right by the foyer and kitchen. Thankfully, you can turn that feature off so now it only lights up when you touch it.

App: Simple and so convenient. Being able to monitor and change the temp from practically anywhere is magical.

Savings: We haven't had it long enough to gauge the impact on our heating and cooling bills, but we'll follow up once those numbers are available. But I have to assume using the Eco mode while we're away is helping.

ALL IN ALL

This is certainly one of those "you know you're an adult when" moments. But upgrading to a smart thermostat is exciting! It's a cool, high-tech toy...but for your home. Installing and using the Nest couldn't be easier. They really thought of everything. For all you "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" folks, this is worth it.