Can the Nest Sensor be used for time-based programs?

[clh]

I'm trying to understand if the Nest Sensor will help us with our cooling.

I want to manage the temperature of the downstairs level. But because of our wiring, the Nest Thermostat is upstairs where it's always a lot hotter. I have a Nest Thermostat E. My plan is to get a Nest Sensor and put it downstairs and then have the thermostat use the temperature from the Sensor.

So far, that sounds like what it's made to do. But I saw an item on the Support pages that made me question if it can do what we need from it. Because we want to cool of the downstairs overnight when the A/C doesn't have to work as hard, and then from about 8 AM - 8 PM, we want to schedule the temperature downstairs to be several degrees higher to save energy. It seems like this is a core feature of Nest, but the support page makes it sound like this is beyond the Sensor's capabilities.

[mejiacruz · Accepted solution]

Hi @clh,

You're absolutely right about the potential of using a Nest Sensor to improve your downstairs temperature control. The idea is sound: place the sensor downstairs, and the thermostat should prioritize its readings when determining heating or cooling needs.

Unfortunately, based on the information you've provided, it seems there's a limitation in the Nest Sensor's scheduling capabilities.

While the Nest Sensor can provide accurate temperature readings from your downstairs area, the thermostat's ability to utilize this information is restricted by the predefined time blocks for sensor usage:

• Morning: 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM
• Midday: 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
• Evening: 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM
• Night: 9:00 PM to 7:00 AM

This means you can't customize the exact start and end times for when the downstairs sensor is used. This rigidity might prevent you from achieving your desired cooling schedule precisely.

 

Potential Workarounds

Although not ideal, here are some potential workarounds:

1. Adjust Your Schedule: If possible, align your desired cooling schedule as closely as possible to the predefined time blocks. For example, if you want to cool the downstairs from 9:00 PM to 8:00 AM, you can use the "Night" setting.
2. Manual Adjustments: You can manually switch between the thermostat's built-in sensor and the downstairs sensor during the day to achieve a more customized cooling profile. However, this requires manual intervention.

For additional information you can visit our help center where we have the article : Change Nest Temperature Sensor settings where you can find information that can help you to set those time blocks.

It's important to note that this limitation might vary depending on your Nest thermostat model and any software updates. It's always worth checking for updates

However, you can try those and let me know if you need further assistance.

Best regards,

Josh.

[clh]

Thank you for your explanation, Josh.

Let's see if I can think of a few more cases to ask about.

• Are these time blocks a built-in limitation of the sensors or the Nest E? I had a first gen Nest in another house that let me set schedules without limit, so I'm guessing that this is designed into the sensor. What am I missing? What's the advantage of putting these constraints on the sensor that I don't see?

• I saw that there a gen 2 sensor about to be released. Are these time blocks an element of the first gen that have been removed in gen 2 to encourage upgrades? Or is the limitation still in this version?

• If this limitation is part of the sensor, then do I have the ability to build a program that selectively chooses when to ignore a block? For instance, can I build a program for: Morning - 75°; from 11-1 don't use the sensor and use the Nest reading instead; from 1-4, set another temperature based on the Nest reading; then for evening, use the sensor reading; and then for the night setting set it to 73°, but from 5-7, set a schedule that overrides the sensor and sets it to 70 until the Morning block kicks in at 7:00?

* I guess what I'm trying to understand is whether using the sensor gives the Nest a lobotomy and only lets it understand the four time blocks instead of the open scheduling that it can do without the sensor — and there's no way to go back and forth between the sensor temperature and the Nest temperature.

[clh]

Okay, it looks like what I was imagining is what you described -- but it has to be done manually. Got it. I'll probably try out the sensor — but I still don't get it why they handicapped the Nest with the sensor time blocks.

[mejiacruz]

Hi @clh,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and concerns in our community. Your input helps us all learn and discover new ways to take advantage of our Nest devices and features.

The Nest Sensor collects additional temperature data to help your thermostat make smarter heating and cooling decisions. Importantly, the Nest Sensor itself cannot create schedules. This function is handled by your Nest Thermostat. To be clear, we are not intentionally blocking the ability to create schedules based on sensor data.

Different Nest thermostat models offer varying levels of functionality when used with a Nest Sensor. It's essential to consider the specific features of your thermostat. We understand that you've been able to set schedules based on sensor data in another home, and we apologize for any confusion this may have caused. While this feature isn't currently available on all of our models, we recognize its value. We encourage you to share your feedback through our feedback form. This will help our team understand how important this feature is to our users.

Currently, we only have information about the first-generation Nest Sensor. The second-generation sensor hasn't been released yet, and we don't have specific details about its capabilities at this time.

I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have any other questions. We'll do our best to help.

Best regards, 

Josh