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In recent times, many people all over the country have switched to smart heating to remotely adjust the heating in their homes and businesses.
Not only do these smart heating controls look more aesthetically pleasing but also offer much more in terms of efficiency, control, convenience, and several other great features. Best of all, they can help save up on heating energy costs.
Nest is one of the brands that manufacture some of the best smart heating devices on the market. Owned and operated by Google, Nest makes other smart home devices as well, such as smart cameras, smart doorbells, and smart smoke detectors.
Read on to find out more about Nest smart heating installation services, the typical costs, how energy efficient smart heating is, and how Calder Electrical services can help:
Smart heating controls or smart thermostats can be remotely controlled with a smart device. They allow you to schedule your required temperature settings and can be integrated into your home automation system.
Depending on the specific model, smart heating controls come with a range of cool features such as learning, scheduling, motion sensors and GPS tracking, zonal heating, hot water control, weather responsiveness, and compatibility with other devices.
Many of the best smart heating controls have diagnostic features and can detect when there is a problem with your heating system.
They can also remind you when it’s time for system maintenance, such as when it is time to change the air filter, along with providing you with details regarding your energy consumption.
This increased visibility can help you make more informed decisions as to how you need to tweak your heating habits depending on the time of day and the specific area of the property.
To understand how smart heating controls work, let’s look at how they are different from traditional and digital ones.
Traditional heating controls work by manually setting the temperature on a dial and through the thermostat, inside which there is a thermometer connected to a metal strip that completes an electrical circuit.
The circuit signals the boiler to turn on, heating the metal strip and your home. When the desired temperature is reached, the circuit breaks and turns the boiler off.
Digital heating controls are controlled by a thermometer that automatically turns off the boiler as soon as the desired temperature is reached.
Smart heating controls are more intelligent than their traditional and digital variants and connect to the boiler as well as the Wi-Fi network. This connectivity enables the system to be a part of a smart home solution.
You can easily adjust your heating settings with the simple download of an app and control them from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection.
Here are the simple steps that you need to follow to remotely control your smart heating from absolutely anywhere:
Nest smart heating controls are electronic, programmable, and Wi-Fi-enabled devices that are compatible with most central heating systems and can be controlled via the Nest app or with Google Assistant and Alexa voice commands.
The two most popular Nest smart thermostats you will find in the market are the Nest Learning Thermostat and the Nest Thermostat E.
Both are stylish, easy to use and install, and affordable compared to other smart thermostat brands and models.
Unlike regular home heating controls that require the homeowners to adjust the temperature continuously, Nest heating controls have an intelligent learning feature that learns your schedule and preferences.
This allows them to automatically create a schedule after a week of daily use to heat your home at the optimal temperature, with the most energy savings, and with no human intervention.
Nest thermostats also include a home/away assist feature that automatically controls the temperature of your house after you’ve left.
Safety is another critical component of these systems. They come with a feature called Nest Protect that can easily detect a carbon monoxide leak from the boiler and turn it off instantly.
With a simplistic yet stylish design, it comes with a high-resolution, wireless touchscreen that can be mounted on a wall or placed on a stand.
Nest smart heating controls come with a Nest mobile app that makes it super easy and convenient for you to control the system from wherever you are.
The Nest thermostat app is compatible with standard devices including mobile phones, tablets, and computers, and the controls can work with popular virtual assistants like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, Logitech, and WeMo.
Nest is a renowned manufacturer of one of the most popular heating controls in the market today. Known for being extremely energy efficient and helping homeowners save money on their energy bills, they offer many benefits that make life easier for those looking to maintain a consistently comfortable temperature inside their home and save money while doing so.
Following are some of the benefits of Nest smart heating controls:
A Nest smart thermostat learns how quickly your home heats and also considers the outside weather conditions when setting the optimal temperature.
It understands that if it is very cold outside, your home may take longer to reach the desired temperature. Therefore, it can figure out how early to turn on the system and when to turn it off to prevent going above the target temperature.
In addition to that, you do not have to program it yourself. All you have to do is set the temperature for the first few days after it’s installed. It will learn your preferences and program itself to create a weekly temperature schedule.
Another great feature of the Nest smart thermostat is that it will automatically switch to a custom eco temperature while you’re away and switch back to your scheduled temperature once you’re back.
This way you don’t have to remember to change the temperature as you leave and enter the house as the system will do it for you.
In addition to teaching itself the best and most energy-efficient ways, a Nest thermostat also shows you how to save energy while you’re home.
Every time you adjust the temperature to an energy-efficient level, you will see a Nest Leaf appear on the thermostat screen and Nest app. Over time, it becomes more difficult to earn a leaf, encouraging you to save more energy.
The Nest app has an energy history feature that allows you to track your progress and see how much energy you’ve consumed each day.
It also shows how changes in your heating use caused any big changes and generates a monthly report to compare how much energy you used and saved compared to the previous month.
Other benefits of using Nest smart heating controls include:
The Nest Learning thermostat analyses your daily patterns and automatically adjusts your home’s heating according to them.
Compared to programmable thermostats, where the setup can be a complicated process, Nest smart heating controls “learn” and automatically make the required adjustments.
You can easily connect your Nest thermostat to other smart devices and control it using just your voice. A simple command such as “Ok Google, turn on heating” or “Ok Google, set the temperature to 70 degrees” should do the trick.
Remote access allows you to make real-time adjustments to the temperature settings, even when you’re away from home!
Using your smart devices, you can control and manage your heating system with absolute ease. In case you’re coming home early from work and want to turn the heating on, you can do it using your phone with a simple tap.
A huge chunk of money spent on utilities goes towards heating your home and the Nest smart thermostat can help you save a considerable amount due to its energy efficiency.
This is made possible because the smart heating controls are operating at maximum efficiency and saving money on energy bills. They also save the cost of additional extensive maintenance work that is usually required in regular heating controls.
You don’t have to guess the right temperature to hit the sweet spot between efficiency and comfort. The system does it for you! Not only does it automatically set the temperature but also gives you daily reports of your energy use and ideas on how to save more money.
The installation process for Nest smart heating controls is fairly simple. It does, however, require professional installation services to make sure the system is set up in the right location and connected to the power supply of the heating system.
If installed improperly, the smart thermostat could create a conflict with your HVAC system and void the warranty on the device.
Professional installation services ensure that the smart heating control is working properly and is connected with the other smart devices in your home.
They can also help you set up your Google Home app and explain all the benefits of the system so that you can get the most out of your Nest smart heating controls.
It is always recommended for smart heating controls to be installed by an experienced professional who knows what they’re doing.
It will take the hassle out of the process by helping you choose the right system for your property and also ensure that all installations are done keeping the industry standards in mind.
Most homes with a modern heating system can easily upgrade to smart heating, provided there is a Wi-Fi connection. However, given that there are several different types of heating setups, it is best to confirm your system’s compatibility before investing in smart heating controls.
During Nest smart heating installation, the contractor will start by switching off the mains power before beginning the installation process.
Next, the ideal location for installing the smart heating controls will be chosen. The best location must be somewhere away from large metal objects that may act as obstructions and block radio signals from the thermostat to the boiler.
Make sure to pick a room where you spend most of your time in, such as the office, living room, or kitchen.
Once the location is finalised, the contractor will connect the neutral and live wires to the heat link and make a circuit to match the heating system. The heating system can be turned back on when the other end of the wire is connected to the boiler’s power supply.
A blue light atop the heat link means that it is trying to connect to the Nest. When the light turns green, it indicates that a connection has been established.
Finally, the Nest is plugged in and either kept on a surface or mounted on a wall and connected to your Wi-Fi network.
The typical cost for Nest smart heating installation ranges from £270 to £320, with the average cost lying somewhere near £280. This includes both the installation as well as hardware costs.
For only installation, you would be expected to pay between £60 and £200. Most contractors work at an hourly rate of a minimum of £50 per hour including VAT. The installation takes around 1 hour to complete.
There are several factors that affect the total cost of a Nest installation. They include:
If you are looking for someone to install a smart heating controller such as a Nest, Hive, or Honeywell Evohome, look no further!
With so many great products out there, it can often be difficult to choose the best one for your needs, especially since not all are compatible with every type of heating system.
At Calder Electrical, we can take out the hassle and guide you to select the best smart heating control for your property that not only gives you added control and convenience but also helps maximise energy savings!
If you would like more information on installing a smart heating controller in your home or business, please get in touch. Contact us here or call us on 0800 612 3001 right away!
Photo by Laura Ockel on Unsplash
