miller11386 Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 As I am just getting into my first house projects, I am trying to prioritize what to do and what give the most satisfaction. Currently, I am in the middle of a security system, garage organization, and perhaps insulating the garage door..... So I have 2 Questions... All of this control brought me to look at programmable and now "learning" thermostats. Does anyone have a Nest thermostat? or a Honeywell Wifi learning thermostat? If you could give me your reactions and if they are worth the hype, I would appreciate it. Also taking tips for garage heaters. I have a slightly oversized 3 car garage. My house is a natural gas primary heating source, and it wouldn't be too tricky to get gas out to my garage. Any recommendations on a heater? I have seen plenty out there, but I'm not sure what I would really need. Not looking to be out there in shorts and a tee shirt in the middle of winter, but taking the chill off the wrenches would be a plus. I believe Natural gas will be the way to go for me, but if you have something different, feel free to chime in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky31186 Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Nest=yes. Paid for itself in 2 months. Being able to control via phone has been utilized many times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbs3000 Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 I have the Nest as well and am a fan but for the money the Honeywell is hard to beat and has many of the same features. There is a thread on here on the Nest vs Honeywell debate with most people leaning towards Honeywell. Also there was a thread within the past year I believe on a lot of garage heater options for what that's worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller11386 Posted September 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 I have the Nest as well and am a fan but for the money the Honeywell is hard to beat and has many of the same features. There is a thread on here on the Nest vs Honeywell debate with most people leaning towards Honeywell. Also there was a thread within the past year I believe on a lot of garage heater options for what that's worth. Thanks I didn't think they would be on here... here is the locked down thread on the Nest vs Honeywell: http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120380&highlight=nest Not as much on the garage heater.. maybe its buried in the home improvement thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duff1647545513 Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) Don't get a Nest, get a WiFi Honeywell. As far as a garage heater, I put a used furnace in a corner of mine with a scoop on top and filter rack on the side. Cheap and easy. I could probably even hook you up with a furnace if you wanted to go that route. Edited September 21, 2015 by Duff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rally Pat Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 My company makes the Sensi WiFi thermostat, and I have bought 4 of them in our in-office store for friends and family and people love them. I haven't installed one myself because my house is a rental, but they seem to work really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Garage Heater = Just have a separate furnace installed. My garage has a normal house HVAC system installed and it's nice to just go and set it on 60/65 in the winter and be able to work comfortably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spankis Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 The "learning" component really just eliminates the process of configuring on/off and temperature adjustment schedules based on your lifestyle. If WiFi and touchscreen are priorities, that's one thing, but a properly configured 7-day schedule capable thermostat will produce the same results. All that said, between nest and Honeywell, go with the Honeywell. I work for a large building controls company (which competes with Honeywell), but installed a Honeywell touchscreen for my parents. We don't currently make our own residential T-Stats, but will in the next couple months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRTurbo04 Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Have a wifi honeywell its awesome. Programing options are stupid easy, the wifi controlls are great as well. Being able to controll from anywhere makes it great. Or if your too lazy to get off the couch makes it easier to be lazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallard Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 I had a Nest for a few weeks and it was junk. It never kept a consistent temperature and we returned that garbage. I placed several other thermostats around the Nest and confirmed that its sensor was all over the map Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dammit Charlie Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 We had a Nest in our old place, it worked pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceGhost Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 (edited) We have a nest and love it. As for heating a 3 car garage. I use one of the infrared heaters from Home Depot. $99. Not sure what you want to accomplish, when we built our house they didn't insulate the exterior wall. We went to Home Depot bought the insulation and did it ourselves the day before they drywalled. All I care about is in the winter the heat of the cars and that heater on the ceiling melt all snow and dry the car. So every morning I get in a snow and ice free car. We plug in the diesel. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/21/1038788f200b2b12367e3ce6b058b6a3.jpg Our 3 car: http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/21/fd754db6ea615ea724a44d0476bf75a9.jpg Edited September 22, 2015 by Benjamin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGU Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 also have a nest and like it, just gotta watch it because it will try and make it warmer/cooler to save energy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.cos Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 How do the learning thermostat work on a multilevel house such as a trilevel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbs3000 Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 They are still taking their readings from wherever the thermostat is located so it's all the same. The learning portion comes into play by adjusting itself a degree or 2 lower or higher then you set in say the middle of the day or middle of the night. With the goal of saving you just a little bit more then the programed intervals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallard Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 https://www.google.com/search?q=nest+reads+wrong+temperature&rlz=1Y3YOJM_enUS564US578&oq=nest+reads+wrong+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0.4544j0j4&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8 I would read a few reviews off this Google search before buying a Nest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller11386 Posted September 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 Thanks for the comments guys. I guess I will go with the Honeywell WiFi version. For garage heat, I am just looking to keep it tolerable in there. Not crazy warm. As far as installing a separate furnace, I don't think that will be very likely as garage space is already at a premium and I wont want to install a furnace outside for obvious reasons. I guess I could install one in the attic and have it blow down, but that seems like a PITA as well. I would like to keep it Natural gas just because its so cheap to utilize as a heating fuel. Electric is not as cheap for me. Currently I have insulated walls all around as well as an insulated garage door, so I should be good to go to start. I don't think it will take a whole lot of energy to heat, but like I said Natural gas would be easy to get in the garage (I have a gas dryer that is on the other side of the interior garage wall) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spankis Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 One of these would work well, given your insulation. Mount him up in a corner and aim toward middle of the garage. http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-000-BTU-Natural-Gas-Radiant/dp/B00006L7UZ Run a gas line (adequately sized) to it. You will also want to ensure your existing meter will support simultaneously feeding your furnace, your dryer, and the infrared, assuming your furnace is gas. Infrared is awesome because it heats the things in the garage, rather than conditioning the air directly. Many of the army guard facilities we do work in have drill spaces that are basically very large high bay garages, and 8 or 10 of these keep it very comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoe Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 I have a 28'x40' shop that I heat with this http://www.menards.com/main/heating-cooling/gas-kerosene-heaters/indoor-gas-kerosene-heaters-and-accessories/vented-heaters/75-000-btu-direct-vent-garage-heater/p-2189171-c-6865.htm?tid=3392420826920724660 I manage it with the Honeywell WIFI programmable thermostat. It was all relatively easy to set up and it is pretty quite compared to most I have seen. Small unit heating is going to zap a lot of electric to run it. I have had this set up for 2 winters now and have been very pleased with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moe7 Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 I have a Honeywell Wi-Fi thermostat and like it. I actually use the mobile app for adjustments more than the physical unit or web interface. My only regret is not getting a higher-level model that would allow me to schedule the fan to circulate air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
04r1 Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 We have a nest and love it. As for heating a 3 car garage. I use one of the infrared heaters from Home Depot. $99. Not sure what you want to accomplish, when we built our house they didn't insulate the exterior wall. We went to Home Depot bought the insulation and did it ourselves the day before they drywalled. All I care about is in the winter the heat of the cars and that heater on the ceiling melt all snow and dry the car. So every morning I get in a snow and ice free car. We plug in the diesel. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/21/1038788f200b2b12367e3ce6b058b6a3.jpg Our 3 car: http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/21/fd754db6ea615ea724a44d0476bf75a9.jpg I recognized your plate from the pic. I was behind you yesterday in rush hour on 71N . Looked like the black GT wanted to play but traffic was too heavy. Car looks nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillbot Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 Don't get a Nest, get a WiFi Honeywell. As far as a garage heater, I put a used furnace in a corner of mine with a scoop on top and filter rack on the side. Cheap and easy. I could probably even hook you up with a furnace if you wanted to go that route. I had a Nest for a few weeks and it was junk. It never kept a consistent temperature and we returned that garbage. I placed several other thermostats around the Nest and confirmed that its sensor was all over the map Had a nest, tossed that junk and got a Honeywell. Never looked back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suprafiedd Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 My company makes the Sensi WiFi thermostat, and I have bought 4 of them in our in-office store for friends and family and people love them. I haven't installed one myself because my house is a rental, but they seem to work really well. Really... I think we work for the same company... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImUrOBGYN Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 I've found I don't care for "learning" thermos or setting a schedule for them. My whims and schedules change far too often so I prefer the hands-on approach. Not that I can't see the occasional use, just not even close to worth it, imo. That being said, we do have one. lol Long story. I don't really utilize it to its fullest, however; proving myself correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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