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Home/Away Assist, returning home always stuck in eco mode

Dawdie
Community Member

So I have 2 nest thermostats which are controlled with Home/Away. Whenever I go out the thermostat goes into eco as expected. Whenever I return home the app shows "Home" and so does the log so it defintatly knows I have returned, but the thermostat however is still stuck in "Eco" mode till I manually turn it off.

 

I have all the "learning" stuff off (Auto Schedule/True Radiant) so I have no idea what I need to do to fix this aside from just turning home/away off and putting the old thermostats back in.

 

Potential fix (using google home not the nest app) https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Nest-Thermostats/Home-Away-Assist-returning-home-always-stuck...

1 Recommended Answer

MelbaDT
Community Specialist
Community Specialist

Hey folks,

We understand your frustration about your Nest thermostat not working as it should, and we appreciate your reports here in the Community.

 

If you're experiencing this issue, please give all the steps listed here a shot: https://bit.ly/38qgivs. These steps have worked for others experiencing similar behavior and should help get you back on track.


If the issue persists after trying the steps on the link above, we want to be able to dig into this further. In order for us to differentiate between different countries' thermostats, go ahead and reply to the following threads with the following info:

  • The type of Nest thermostat you have
  • What mobile device you have and the OS version
  • The software version of your thermostat


EU users: https://bit.ly/3LZlrg2
US/CA users: https://bit.ly/3Jxm52R

We thank you for your patience and we look forward to taking a closer look.

Thanks,
Melba 

View Recommended Answer in original post

752 REPLIES 752

I understand.

What can we do ?  I wonder if anyone from Google is monitoring this thread.  The folks at tech support are always courteous but they are now suggesting that they send me a new thermostat.  I am guessing it won't solve this issue as it appears to happen over time.  My guess is its the software and they just haven't figured it out.

No they don't monitor it per se.

Biggbrother
Community Member

Well this is the most commented thread on this forum and it has over 6,000 views so it is likely it will get someone's attention since this is an official Google support forum.  Other Google support forums allow you to "star" a thread, which frequently makes headlines when thousands of people star a particular thread highlighting a popular issue.  This forum doesn't have Stars but  it does have a "Thumbs Up" (kudos) but it only has 19 of those at this time,  Maybe if people gave this thread a thumbs up it will garner even more attention.

You would like to think that Google monitor these forums, but from what I see they are just too big to care, you only got to talk to the clueless Tech Support agents, biggest mistake for the Nest product was selling out to Google

Biggbrother
Community Member

So I did some digging and the site is actually the Google Issue Tracker at https://issuetracker.google.com/ , which Google actively monitors for bug reports.  There are a some bugs related to Google Home / Nest Learning Thermostat already listed on there but I don't think they address this particular issue.

 

May be worth a shot from someone  to post this issue there to see if it gains some traction.

 

 

Seems a pointless website

JoyR
Community Member

I tried via the issue Tracker, but it seems that the general public can't use it?  I posted on it, but it wouldn't let me submit my message.  Perhaps someone can look into this.

Iany1954
Community Member

I’ve just had an email from Google relating to changes in their terms of service. Quite funny in the context of this thread. It says - quote

On 25 February 2022, we’ll be making some changes to our Terms of Service. These changes won’t affect the way you use Nest devices and services, but they’ll make it easier for you to understand what to expect from Google as you use Nest devices
and services’

Unfortunately it says these changes won’t affect the way we use Nest, so it will continue to be a dumb device. I don’t want it to be easier to understand the services I just want them to WORK!

I know this email relates to legal changes but why can’t they spent some of the time used to change ‘terms of service’ to return the Nest thermostat to a useful device?

Steve59
Community Member

We expect Google to supply and Support a working product - How hard is that to understand

Well to be realistic this thread probably represents an extremely small percentage base of users, and it can't be ruled out that specific circumstances in the phones/accounts/OS of those having issue are the root cause of these issue, although not certain.  I myself have 4 units in my home, and they work as designed for now, but I like to stay updated on potential issues in case they don't work as I expect.

The fact is that it seems the overwhelming majority of folks are using their NLT and other Nest thermostats just fine.  That doesn't help anyone here having issues and I know it can be frustrating getting support with a massive company like Google  who never seems to go all-in on any product they delve into.  But there must exist a solution to this issue. It seems to be a ghost deep in the machine.

I would suggest most average users probably haven’t even noticed this issue or are not bothered by it and/or they are using the factory default setting of using the movement sensor in the thermostat itself to trigger ECO to Home, rather than phone only.  

You can rule out phones very quickly by using the desktop website on PC and just toggle it between Home & Away without even leaving the house as for me it still does not work using website

Midjet76
Bronze
Bronze

So today is day 3 using SST and 100% Heat to Eco and vice versa on all 3 days. Days 1&2, two journeys away from home and day 3, three journeys away from home. Effectively switching when away approx half a mile away.

Good news and still 100% for me too

No good if you have not migrated to Google account, 

sboden2315
Community Member

Good for you !  Has anyone solved the basic heating issue ?  The next step that Google is suggesting is to send me a new base as I swapped the thermostats in my 2 zones and that didn't help.  Upstairs keeps heating even with the "broken" thermostat and downstairs wont heat above 67 degrees even with the "good thermostat"  all software settings are the same and I took off presence sensing in the "Home" app so I am now using both thermostats as dumb ones.  I can set the heat to 75 and the house never warms up past 67.  Upstairs the house is nice and warm within 10 minutes.  Both furnaces are brand new and the same size and both zones are about the same.  The house is new construction.  

Steve59
Community Member

I have been playing with Home/Away Assist on my Cameras and they behave how they are set, if activated they are on when Away and turn off when at Home, they work ! and follow the app status perfectly, its just the thermostat that does not

Ugly_Bloke
Community Member

Tonight's example: 

18:24 - Phone/App switches to Home

20:30 - Thermostat finally come s out of ECO.   

Over 2 hours of sitting in a freezing house.   Seems to take longer to switch out of ECO when I come home from work in the evening.  Perhaps there's a bottleneck in Google's servers with everyone arriving home from work at the same time?  Either way, this continues to be extremely frustrating, particularly during the cold month of January and when energy prices are at an all time high!

i know nothing about Googles servers but how can that be right if when using Samsung Smart THings the change to and from Heat/ECO is pretty much instantaneous.  If you tell me that SST doesn't go thru servers then why does the Nest have to?

I'm just saying btw not picking holes.... I've been where you are and I must say SST is certainly making things a whole lot easier for me.

This is my understanding of the present Nest/SmartThings workaround for Nest home/eco failure.


The Nest problem is caused by its inability to react correctly when phone locations cause it to correctly switch its home/away. Nest should follow its home/away with heat/eco BUT IT DOES NOT.

SmartThings uses phone locations to directly switch Nest heat/eco thus avoiding the Nest failure to correctly react to its own home/away.

This integration works fine on android phones but an iOS problem causes SmartThings location difficulties. Apparently an iOS update due soon corrects this and then SmartThings will function correctly as a workaround for the broken (by Google) Nest.

How do I install smart things ? Do I uninstall the Nest app  as well as google home ??

Thanks

I've tried to be as concise in my discussions already posted, but, as far as I'm concerned you need Nest app as it's registered with the device itself, Google home is not used and has been uninstalled in my setup. Samsung's Smart Things is used to create Routines which trigger the Heat and Eco modes.

UPDATE

See Lany1954 more recent comments re hoe Nest is setup, basically it doesn't/shouldnt matter as SST doesn't use Nest's settings.

Whilst I understand Smartthings seems to be an effective workaround, it is just a workaround and not fixing the actual problem with Nest itself.  We shouldn't have to install a third party app to get a very expensive thermostat to work properly!

I have a Warmup thermostat in my conservatory and despite being 1/3 of the price, the home/away function works flawlessly day in, day out.  

Think we all agree with you on this, but, at least the workaround works for some of us now.  With there being no sight of any resolution, despite all of our best efforts, at least it means we don't have to or up with a dumb thermostat. Definitely not acceptable though.

I agree but SST offers a lot more than control of NLT. Perhaps in homes with multiple 'smart devices' having one app where you can set all of the routines for these makes things simpler.

Just a thought........

If you have a Google account (which I guess you need to use SST), can the Nest app be used for everything else, schedules, hot water cameras etc and just use it to help with the failing home/away assist ?

I'm sure Nest can be used if you're happy with everything else functioning as expected. TBH, I configured heating and hot water in the Stat itself but happy to adjust via Nest app. I don't and won't ever buy any more Nest products. My comments are purely based on sole Nest 3rd Gen Stat. So SST is both a simple and workable fix for me. Think i will use it now regardless of Nest app being fixed,às unlikely as that seems 

Yes, that too. My house isn't that what orientated, but i do have a lot of timers so having then all in one place and some automation suits me. 

sboden2315
Community Member

I sent an email to Sundar Pichai, the Alphabet CEO.  While he doesn't read them directly, I can assure you that there is a staff member that reads every email sent to him.  I added a link to this thread and asked him to address the issue.  Believe it or not these things get attention.  At Microsoft every email sent to Satya Nadella that isn't a crackpot gets a response.  At least it might wake someone up.  Instead of our thermostats waking up LOL!!

sboden2315
Community Member

I know my problem isn't the same as most of yours but allowing me to vent and explain it to you in this thread helps me to control my drinking !  This morning it was the usual.  I wake up, I look at my phone.  The thermostat has been set to 71 all night and my house was 65 degrees.  I "jump start " the thermostat by switching it to eco then immediately back to heat and lo an behold today my thermostat heats the house to 71 in about 10 minutes, and its 21 degrees outside so it has nothing to do with the adequacy of the furnace on a very cold day, and while I am waiting for them to send me new hardware, but I can't believe that if it was a faulty backplate it would work some of the time but not all.  My theory continues to be that there is some "ghost controller" that is limiting the temperature and somehow on a Wednesday its internal schedule isn't overriding my manual set.  Who the heck knows.....I have a warm home at this moment, I will count my blessings.

And to be clear in Routines in the Home app, your thermostats appear under Home/Away actions similar to what you see in the images?

 

Screen 2.pngScreen 1.png

I am not using home/away.  I have disabled all of that.  All I am doing is on the thermostat manually setting the desired temp.  

Are you using a C wire, and how is your WiFi signal strength to the thermostat? 

On my units both these variables caused problems with Nest regulating the temperature effectively at the beginning and I never fully understood why, especially the WiFi part because in my mind even without WiFI it should behave like a dumb thermostat and actually regulate the temp according to how it is set.

Yes I have a c wire and we did check my wifi strength but I did have issues with it before so I will monitor it.  In the morning I need to jump start the thermostat in order to get the heat on even though the dial is orange and it says it is heating. 

JimboUK
Community Member

Using android, and utilising Google Home `presence setting`.  The presence setting correctly assess that I am home or away (after a few mins delay), this then correctly links the the nest app, but then the nest app does not change the thermometer settings to eco / on.  All the setting are correct.   Don`t waste your money.  

JimboUK
Community Member

Exact same problem, Home / Away does not trigger on / eco.  Should be a simple fix but..........

 

Iany1954
Community Member

So I have just tried Google Home again. In the ‘Away’ routine the thermostat is set to ‘Eco’ (there is no other obvious choice). If ‘Away’ is then activated manually the Nest thermostat only goes to ‘Away’. The Google Home routine does not do as it says, it only switches the Nest thermostat to ‘Away’, ‘Eco’ is NOT activated. All Nest thermostat presence sensing is disabled. If the Google Home app did as it says then it would set Nest to ‘Eco’ (as SmartThings seems to be able to do)! Google is hopeless!!!

Hmmm… seems I spoke too soon. It took about 30 minutes for ‘Eco’ to activate after ‘Away’ in my Nest thermostat. I then reset to ‘Home’ and it took about 5 minutes to return to ‘Heat’. Remains to be seen what happens when it should work automatically with two phones and presence detection!

When done automatically, mine takes about 30 minutes to switch to Eco after leaving.  Home usually activates faster upon arriving home.