RE: Nest compatibility with STRV (Smart Thermostatic Radiator Valves)

[JustinDA]

RE: Nest compatibility with STRV (Smart Thermostatic Radiator Valves) from @Shaarad  on ‎11-22-2023

Shaard correctly points out that if the Nest is set to (for example) a maximum temperature of 20, then even if a STRV in another room is set to 24, that room will never get to that temperature.

1) Is the following correct? That a workaround of setting the Nest to the highest maximum temperature of all the STRVs in your home (eg 24) could have the unintended consequence of causing your boiler to run constantly. Specifically if the Nest is in a room were the STRV set at a lower temperature (eg 20), because that room will never reach the Nest's target temperature (eg 24), therefore the boiler will keep running...

2) If you put the Nest in the room where the STRV is set to the highest, then the tech statement that "thermostat will be just an on/off switch and the valves will be the one to control the radiator (heating) and the hot water." would seem to be correct. ie you loose the 'learning' aspect.

3) Is this correct? Having separate Google Nest temperature sensors in multiple rooms does not seem to be an option, because again once one sensor hits it's target temperature (eg 20) it will shut down the boiler, which them prevents any other room from getting to it's desired higher temperature (eg 24).

This seems to be an obviously a gap in the Nest's functionality which is limiting it's full potential. Please can the developers look at this.

[zoeuvre]

Hi  JustinDA, 

Thanks for posting here in the Community forum. Here are the answers to your observation: 

1. The behavior you described is correct. If the Nest Thermostat is set to a maximum temperature lower than the setpoint of a Smart Thermostatic Radiator Valve (STRV) in another room, the room with the lower maximum temperature setting will never reach the desired temperature. This can potentially cause the boiler to run constantly in an attempt to reach the higher temperature set by the other STRV.
2. Placing the Nest Thermostat in the room where the STRV is set to the highest temperature can indeed result in the thermostat functioning more like an on/off switch rather than utilizing its learning capabilities. This is because the thermostat will rely on the STRVs to control the individual radiators and heating zones, while the Nest Thermostat simply triggers the boiler to turn on or off.
3. Your understanding is correct. With separate temperature sensors in multiple rooms, the issue you described may arise. Once one room reaches its target temperature, the boiler may shut down, preventing the other rooms from reaching their desired higher temperatures.

It's worth noting that the behavior you're describing is a limitation of the current configuration and may not be specific to the Nest Thermostat alone. Different heating systems and smart thermostats may have their own limitations and considerations when it comes to multi-room heating control.

On the other hand. we appreciate your request for this additional feature, and please be assured that our product team is working non-stop with different partners to bring the best features to our Google Nest devices. So, please let our product team know about it by sending feedback.

Let us know if that helps.

Best,

Zoe