Ecobee vs Nest

3rd Generation Nest.  Ecobee vs Nest

Since I moved back to the US in 2015 or so one of the first things I did was to purchase a Nest Learning Thermostat.   At that time they were called Nest Labs.  Now they are Google Nest.  In this blog we’ll examine Ecobee vs Nest thermostats.

Recently I had a new package unit installed at our home.  Previously we had a gas furnace and A/C package unit, however, this time we went with a heat pump. My HVAC installer told me he didn’t like using Nest with 2 or more stage heating or cooling units.  While my 3rd generation Nest still seemed to work it only took me a day to realize the indoor temperature was reading too high.  Also, it seemed to think it was about 30 degrees cooler outside.   A trip to the Googler revealed I wasn’t the only one.

I still have a Nest upstairs and it continues to work fine.

One of its best features is that their API incorporates into my Home Automation console.  Ditto for Ecobee, which is on the left.  Nest on the right.

Home Assistant Dashboard

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When I lived in Japan I had a co-worker look up from his phone one day to an alert that his unoccupied house in Arizona was too hot. He called a family member and confirmed that there was an HVAC problem.  It was at that moment I understood the importance of a smart Thermostat.

As soon as I moved back to the US in around 2015 I had a home built and I immediately installed a 2nd Generation Nest.  Recently I bought a new home and installed a 3rd Generation Nest Learning Thermostat  ($249 but now reduced to $199) downstairs and a Nest Thermostat (4th Generation) ($129) upstairs.  A few weeks into the new home we opted to install a new upstairs A/C unit which came with a 3rd Generation Nest Learning Thermostat which I had them go ahead and install.

3rd Gen Nest Learning Thermostat

You might think a 4th generation product would be “better” than a 3rd generation product however I don’t really find this to be the case.  The 4th gen only works with the Google Home app whereas the 3rd gen works with the Nest app, the Google Home app, and a web browser.  Also the 3rd gen integrates with Alexa.  To voice command the 4th gen you need a Google Nest Hub.  Speaking of Alexa integration, when I added the 2nd Nest Learning Thermostat Alexa could not find it.  I had to disable the Google Nest skill in Alexa and re-enable it before the Alexa voice commands would work on both thermostats.   There is something very cool about just saying “Alexa, Set Hallway temperature to 74” in the middle of the night without having to get up.

4th Gen Nest Thermostat

So to me the 3rd gen Nest Learning thermostat has way more flexibility.  Also the HVAC installers told me that they did NOT like the 4th gen at all.  Let me preach on it…….

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This is pretty cool I think.  Bought a new house and we noticed the upstairs unit wasn’t cooling real well.   Fortunately I put a Nest Thermostat on it.

Sure enough, I got the below email from Nest telling me that something was wrong with my AC unit.  The email showed a graph of the temperature and best of all provided a link at the bottom to schedule an appointment with their “Handy Network” for roughly $50.

Click link below to see the email:

Urgent cooling system issue at Your Home Nest Thermostat

For $50, within 2 days I had a tech knocking on my door.   So their email indicates a problem, graphs the temperature increase problem, and asks the basic questions like “Did you leave a door open or something”, etc.

I’m a techie and even this impresses me.  The system doesn’t just tell you its not working good, it provides a solution for inspection and repair.   I won’t take this blog beyond this point but I strongly recommend Nest, which is maturing and getting better all the time.  Only thing that would make it perfect was if Google didn’t own it.