Hello, Dave.

Got a Nest 'smart' thermostat installed! You can also see the drywall that I skim coated and primed. It used to be textured, yuck. I had to patch the wall where the old thermostat used to be, but the patch blends in seamlessly with the rest of the work I did on the drywall in the hallway.

This YouTube video gives a pretty good overview of how the Nest works and why it is so awesome:




I'm quite pleased with the product. It was super easy to install, has a great interface that's comparable to turning the dial on an iPod, and has a sleek looking digital display that really packs the 'wow' punch.

The Nest quickly learned my schedule and has been very reliable. Through its connection to my wireless network, the Nest identifies the relative outdoor heat and humidity. With this information, it powers on the HVAC system so that the indoor temperature is adjusted to my desired temperature by the time I arrive home from work. What makes this feature really amazing is that it will begin cooling the house down at a different time each day, based upon on the outdoor temperature. The programmable thermostat that I had before did not take the weather into account, so some days I would come home to a hot house, since it hadn't had enough time to cool down. Considering that the house is currently a construction zone and is hardly air sealed, the Nest has drastically improved my comfort. For those of you that don't know, Houston is hot, and I mean HOT. The type of hot where you're drenched in sweat after just a few minutes outside. Imagine taking a shower and 5 minutes later you've already drenched through your undershirt. Having a temperature controlled home is a must and the Nest has really outshined the old Honeywell digital thermostat.

Here's what really impresses me about the Nest, that the YouTube review doesn't cover:

• Whenever you adjust the temperature, it displays the estimated time that it will take to reach that temperature <--- way cool!
• The display color corresponds with whether you are running the heater or the AC. It turns a brighter blue when set to a cooler temperature for the AC. Likewise, it turns brighter red when set to a higher temperature for the heater

At $250 the price is a little steep, but thanks to the Historic Houston's Salvage Warehouse, I picked this puppy up for $185. Still expensive, but well worth the investment.