This post was written by Shaun Dakin, MCAF’s Social Media Director:
I desperately wanted to love Nest, the “learning” thermostat, that has been receiving a great deal of positive tech press. I really really did.
I loved it. The look of it. There it is. Beautiful, isn’t it?
Honey, you were right. As you often are. I’m sorry. There, I said it.
I admit it. I’m a sucker for new technology and shiny new toys. Yeah, my family had a Mac in 1984 at my insistence.
So after reading about the Nest for the past few months, I decided to buy one and get it installed by a professional AC guy.
My wife warned me. Installing a new thermostat in Washington, DC in the summer when it is 100 plus degrees out may not be a good idea. What if it breaks down?
It did. She was right.
Honey, you were right.
BUYING TECHNOLOGY SHOULD NOT IMPACT YOUR MARRIAGE
Buy a thermostat in a summer when carbon and methane pollution has contributed to an atmospheric “blanket,” better known as global warming…trapping heat and residents in their homes, just doesn’t work. You have a possible divorce on your hands.
WHAT HAPPENED?
I won’t bore you minute details other than:
- I had my Nest professionally installed by a very nice man.
- Then I turned on my laptop and booted up my Nest.com account to find a massive question mark where I usually see the temperature.
- I called tech support.
WHAT TECH SUPPORT SAID
First, let me say that tech support was very nice, very professional, but really not very helpful. “You may have an issue with your Apple Wi-Fi router. As a result you’ll need to reconfigure your router to specific settings. Please call Apple support to do that.”
DID I FORGET TO TELL YOU THAT THE TOP DESIGNERS AND ENGINEERS ARE EX-APPLE EMPLOYEES?
The company founded by Apple employees told me to, “Please call Apple support.”
THE COMPANY FOUNDED BY APPLE EMPLOYEES CAN’T FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THEIR PRODUCT WORK
Seriously. Really. OMG.
LESSONS LEARNED
- Thermostats should not be impulse purchases. When they break down, a lot more than not being able to watch the latest “Mad Men” episode is at stake here.
- Shiny new objects are fun, just not when they heat and cool your home. Screw with that and you are toast.
- Listen to your wife. Really. That is just good advice for pretty much everything in life.
- Don’t buy beta products when your life depends on them working. When you have a product that can determine if you can live or die (heat and AC are pretty critical where I live), make sure the product has been wife-tested.
After disconnecting the Nest from the wall and charging it (it had lost power), I decided to return it and go back to the safe tried and true Honeywell Thermostat that simply worked.
I asked Nest to reimburse me for the install charges and the re-install charges. Nest did the right thing. They agreed to refund to me the cost of both the install and the uninstall fees ($240 total). Thank You Nest.
Peace in the house will prevail now, but can we please TELL THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO TALK ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING?