Temp and time - does it start heating/cooling then or will it be at that temp at that time?

[jcnester]

My example: Summertime -  I want the temperature in my house to be at 70 degrees at 8pm. (it is closer to 76 degrees or 78 degrees during the day).

How do I set the schedule?  Do I say "70 degrees at 8pm?" and nest does whatever it needs to do to make sure it is at 70 degrees at 8pm OR do I have to set it for 70 degrees at 5pm so it reaches 70 degrees at 8pm?

Then, in the morning, I want to have the A/C stop running and keeping it that cool around 6am so the house will just naturally get warmer. I only want to allow it to be at 75 degrees during the day. Can I set the next schedule to be 75 degrees at 10am and the A/C works once it hits 75 to keep it there until my next schedule of 70 degrees at 8pm?  Again, will it start cooling to 70 degrees earlier than 8pm to get it there, or does it stay at 75 degrees until 8pm and then kicks on to start cooling?

Any help is appreciated.  I have managed to turn off the auto-learning mess I think. I have control of it, I think. But can't determine if it is a target time to get it that temp, or if it is a start time to work towards that temp. Thanks.

[SMalicoat · Accepted solution]

When you make a schedule for your heating and cooling, the default settings are that the AC/Heat will not start until the time that you select. But there is an option in the settings menu that allows the system to start earlier than the scheduled time in order to reach the desired temp at the chosen time. I don't know if they have changed the name of the option with new systems, but my system has it labeled as "early-on"!

So by default, given the temps and times you said above. If you set the temp to 70° at 8pm, it will not start cooling until 8pm regardless of the current temp in the house. Then as you mentioned, if you want the AC to kick off at 6am and only want it to reach 75°, you would just add a scheduled mark there as well. So, set ur AC @6am to 75° and throughout the day it will  gradually warm up then kick on and cool to 75 as needed.

I have never used the "early-on" function with my unit, but the description makes it sound like what you want it to do. IE, kick on before 8pm to start cooling, so that by 8pm it is down to your desired 70°.

I have a pretty good feel for how quickly my house cools/heats, so I have just always set a scheduled time for it to kick on about an hour to an hour and a half before I get home. So, I would set my AC to kick on at 2 so it cools to 71° by the time i get home around 330. But that doesn't take into consideration days that are abnormally hot, so sometimes when I get home it isn't quite to my desired temp. I think that's where the "early-on" feature would probably work better. I just never personally tried it.

Hope that helps!