Can You Use Nest With Electric Heat?

Fil pilote systems typically use a single thermostat or controller to manage several electric radiators. Fil pilote-enabled electric radiators are ubiquitous in France, and many have been sold there since the 1980s. Fil pilote thermostats can also be set to several settings, including on, frost, night, and day.

Fil pilote electric radiators are compatible with both the Nest Thermostat E and the 3rd-generation Nest Learning Thermostat, however installation will change depending on whether you have a fil pilote thermostat and what thermostat you’re installing.

We always advocate hiring a local experienced installer because complicated wiring is almost always required. Depending on your present system, you may need to install an additional fil pilote diode (available separately) in your Nest Pro.

What is the best way to utilize my Nest thermostat with electric heat?

Setting your heating type to electric from the thermostat is a good idea. Equipment, Pro Setup is where you’ll find this setting in the Nest menus. Set the boiler type to other and the power source to electric. Your Nest Learning Thermostat can now be used as if it were a regular hot water heating system.

Is it possible to use the Nest thermostat with electric wall heaters?

It is feasible to utilize a smart thermostat like the Nest with electric baseboard or wall heaters; however, it will take a little more effort.

Every week, we receive calls. People have asked if the Nest can be used with our baseboard or fan heaters. The answer to that question is yes, you can use a relay to make electric baseboard and wall heaters work with the Nest and other smart thermostats, but we don’t think you should go out and get one right now.

Yes, the Nest is a terrific product that is receiving a lot of attention, and for good reason. But there’s one huge reason why you should wait to get one until you’ve looked into other electric baseboard or wall heater options: it’s a lot more than most individuals we chat to want.

Most individuals who inquire about the Nest, according to Thomas from our Tech Support Department, are just seeking for a thermostat that can be managed via a smartphone app. If that’s the case, purchasing the Nest is akin to purchasing a Ferrari when all you need is a car to transport you to work. Is it capable of completing the task? It is, without a doubt, excessive.

Why? The Nest (and other “learning” thermostats) are supposed to automatically adapt themselves to meet your schedule and heating preferences. Here’s what Nest has to say about it on their website now:

In most circumstances, the Nest is utilized in conjunction with a home’s central heating system. Electric baseboard and wall heaters are controlled on a room-by-room basis, so your learning thermostat will be learning schedules for when you use different rooms in your house.

Most consumers, according to Thomas, are satisfied with a more basic WiFi thermostat, such as the Honeywell Focus Pro WiFi, which costs between $100 and $150. Honeywell, like Nest, has a phone app for Android and iOS that allows you to control the temperature remotely.

The Nest thermostat, according to Thomas, is a terrific thermostat for a lot of people, but not for the consumers he speaks with on the phone.

“When it comes to electric heat and WiFi thermostats, less is more,” he says.

Please don’t misunderstand us. The Nest thermostat is a terrific device. It is well-liked by a large number of people. If you wish to utilize one with your electric baseboards or wall heaters, go ahead. We don’t want to obstruct your progress.

We merely recommend that you do your research and know what other possibilities are available before making a decision.

Is Nest compatible with electric baseboard heat?

To properly operate your heating system, your Google Nest thermostat needs to know what kind of system you have. Here’s a breakdown of how each system works to assist you figure out which one you have.

Your thermostat will ask you what type of system you have and what type of fuel it uses during setup. During thermostat setup, it’s critical that you enter the correct system information.

Note: If your heating system isn’t listed below, Nest thermostats aren’t likely to work with it. Use the Nest thermostat compatibility checker to verify if your equipment is compatible with a Nest thermostat.

Because they don’t utilize vents or fans, they’re comparable to in-floor systems, but radiators aren’t put beneath the floor.

Nest thermostats do not work with electric baseboard heating systems. Only if they’re currently regulated by a 24 V thermostat are they suitable.

Is it possible to install a thermostat on an electric heater?

Because electric heat is one of the most expensive ways to heat your house, installing a programmable thermostat like this one, which automatically shuts down the heat when it isn’t needed, can save you a lot of money. Make sure you get a high-voltage thermostat that’s made for electric baseboard heating. Electric baseboard heater thermostats work at the same voltage as the heater, which is typically 240 volts. Low-voltage thermostats built for gas, oil, or heat pumps will not work on a high-voltage system and are exceedingly dangerous.

Gable vent fans, electric baseboard heaters, and other appliances are controlled by line-voltage thermostats, which work at 120 or 240 volts. It’s not as difficult to replace them as it is to replace a furnace thermostat. However, there is a significantand perhaps dangerousdifference between the two. A standard low-voltage thermostat runs on 24 volts. A 240-volt electric baseboard heater is possible. When working on any type of thermostat, make sure the power is turned off, but with a line-voltage thermostat, be extra cautious.

Is it possible to use a Nest thermostat with any system?

  • Most 24 V systems, including older systems, are compatible with Google Nest thermostats. Natural gas, oil, and electricity are just a few of the fuel types they may work with.
  • Before you install your Nest thermostat, the Google Home or Nest app will walk you through the procedures to see if your system is compatible with it. In addition, the app will provide you with a bespoke wiring diagram for your thermostat.
  • You may also use our online Compatibility Checker to see if a Nest thermostat is compatible with your system before you buy one.
  • A common wire (C wire) or the Nest Power Connector may be required by some systems. For more information, go to g.co/nest/cwire.
  • You only need to know the type of heating system to check for compatibility. It makes no difference what brand or model you have. If you’re not sure what kind of system you have, go to your manufacturer’s website or give them a call.

For a wall heater, what kind of thermostat do I need?

A regular 120-volt or 240-volt circuitthe same circuit that supplies a permanent electric heateris used to power line-voltage thermostats. Electric resistance heating systems, such as electric baseboard heaters and in-wall heaters, are the most common applications. These thermostats are not as sensitive as most low-voltage models, and a temperature change of up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit may be required to get them to respond. As a result, any heating system controlled by these thermostats should expect greater temperature swings.

Examining the wires is one technique to tell if you have a line-voltage thermostat. The wire leads will be strong, 12-gauge or 14-gauge wires, similar to those used to connect a light switch or a wall outlet. Low-voltage thermostat wires, on the other hand, are very thin, similar to doorbell or telephone jack wiring. You can also look inside the thermostat’s cover for a voltage listing, or on the heat pump, furnace (inside the access door), boiler, or the electrical baseboard unit itself.

Turn off the Electricity

Make sure the thermostat box is turned off before you get your hands on the wires. You must ensure that there is no electricity passing through the cables to avoid receiving a shock. Switching off the circuit breaker is the best technique to ensure that everything is switched off.

Use the Wiring Schematic as a Guide

Remove the thermostat wiring instructions once the electricity has been switched off. In terms of wiring, each thermostat has its own set of instructions (mainly because not all wire colours are standard). Consider the wiring diagram in the instructions to be your guidance for connecting the heater and circuit feed wires. You must be 100 percent certain that you know which wires will transmit electricity from the power source to the heater and which wires will feed electricity from the power source to the heater.

Is the Nest thermostat being phased out?

Works with Nest was a program that allowed third-party devices, such as virtual assistants and home automation platforms, to connect with Nest products. Many smart device manufacturers, like Whirlpool and GE Appliances, have direct connection with the Nest platform.

Works with Nest was announced to be stopped on May 7, 2019, with an end date of August 31, 2019. Users are being advised to transition to Google accounts and Google Assistant integration instead, which would disable Works with Nest functionality. This change was made for security and privacy concerns, according to Google; because third-party devices can only connect to the Nest ecosystem through Google Assistant, they will have limited access to personal data and devices. Google indicated that it would grant access to extra data to “a small number of thoroughly verified partners.”

Vendors such as Lutron and SimpliSafe announced that their products’ integration with the Nest platform (which allows them to be tied to the thermostat’s home and away modes) would be affected by the change, while Google explicitly named IFTTT as a service that could not be integrated due to the amount of access it would require to operate. According to The Verge, Philips Hue, Logitech Harmony, Lutron lighting, August Home, and Belkin Wemo switches are among the devices vulnerable. Furthermore, according to The Verge, this modification created a closed platform, which would split the smart home market by potentially barring integration with goods that compete directly with Google’s.

Google confirmed its deprecation intentions for Works with Nest on May 16, 2019, saying that existing integrations would not be blocked after August 31, but users will no longer be able to create new ones, and the service will only receive maintenance updates from then on. Google also indicated that it was working on integrating Nest’s Home/Away triggers into the “Routines” system and maintaining cooperation between Nest and Amazon Alexa as part of Assistant.

Is Nest compatible with baseboards?

In a nutshell, no. Electric baseboard heaters are not compatible with Nest and Ecobee smart thermostats. For baseboard heaters, most electricians, HVAC professionals, and thermostat manufacturers advise against using ecobee or Nest. This is due to the fact that Nest and ecobee thermostats do not work with electric heating systems.