Keeping your home at the correct temperature throughout the changing seasons is not only about comfort, but keeping your home in its best condition. When your home is at an improper temperature, it can actually affect your general health and your sleeping patterns; it also puts your home at risk for moisture, dampness, and mold. However, when you lose power in your home, it can grow difficult to maintain the perfect temperature. Without power, in the winter your home may become frigid, and in the summer it becomes too hot. Your thermostat becomes effectively useless, as there is no way for it to communicate with their furnace.
The Nest thermostat is growing more popular among many households for its convenience, intuitiveness, and energy efficiency. The technological capabilities of the Nest thermostat set it apart from the typical thermostat people have seen in their homes for years. But is the Nest thermostat still unable to work when your power goes out? Keep reading to find out!
Benefits of the Nest Thermostat
The Nest thermostat was created in 2011 as one of the first available smart thermostats. It followed in the footsteps of the Ecobee thermostat. Over the years, the Nest has continually grown and expanded in its capabilities, making it a great option for a thermostat over traditional choices.
The Nest thermostat is able to link with your smartphone or tablet, allowing you to control the Nest from anywhere. This means that you can control your thermostat even when you are away from your home. Gone are the days of forgetting to turn your thermostat up or down and coming back to an uncomfortable house.
On top of energy conservation while you are away, a Nest will actually program itself to ensure your HVAC system is working at its most efficient level. This not only helps your HVAC system perform at a better rate and last longer, but will also save you money.
You have the option of connecting your Nest to your smoke detectors and CO alarms, as long as you have a compatible smart device. With this, the Nest will actually help prevent dangerous conditions in your home, keeping you and your family safe around the clock.
Does the Nest Work Without Power?
Power outages are an annoying, but unavoidable occurrence – especially during hurricane season and other harsh weather conditions. But one of the biggest questions homeowners have regarding their Nest thermostat is whether or not it will function after the home’s power cuts out. So what’s the answer?
Yes, the Nest thermostat does work when the power goes out in your home! However, it does become more of a traditional thermostat, rather than a smart thermostat. The Nest comes with a battery backup, which it switches to once the power goes out. This battery backup is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
Once the Nest switches over to its battery backup, it will have enough battery power to last just a couple of hours. Then, it will completely shut down. The Nest, however, will make any necessary changes to its programming in an attempt to keep it running as long as possible. It will lose its smartphone connection, so anything that you want to change on it will need to be done directly at the thermostat itself.
When your power returns, the Nest will need some time to get back to its normal functioning state. This usually takes about an hour to complete, bringing it back to full charge.
While the Nest thermostat does not function at its highest capacity after the power goes out, it still tries its best to function properly. For shorter power outages, this can be helpful, but if you are out of power for days at a time, this may feel useless. Regardless, it is still a step up from the traditional thermostat functionality.
How the Nest Saves You Money
The Nest thermostat uses its technology to help you save on your energy bill. Did you know that the thermostat in your home actually controls half of your energy bill?
A Nest thermostat will learn what your preferred temperatures are, and then creates a schedule for itself to match that. The Nest will even learn when you are away, so that it can help you preserve energy when you are not using it.
It has been estimated that a Nest thermostat will save your home up to $145 per year. On average, people save up to 12% of their energy costs on heating, and up to 15% on cooling.
What Happens When the Battery Dies?
As mentioned, the Nest has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery that kicks in during power outages. This backup battery can last for a couple of hours, allowing the thermostat to function for a short period. But once the battery runs out, the thermostat will completely power down. When this happens, you’ll lose all functionality, including manual adjustments at the device itself. Unlike traditional thermostats, which may continue to allow temperature adjustments without external power, the Nest relies entirely on electricity to operate.
One thing you can do to extend the battery life during an outage is to minimize unnecessary interaction with the thermostat. If you refrain from making frequent manual adjustments, you may be able to extend the battery life by a little bit more, which could make a difference if the outage is short-lived.
How to Prepare for Power Outages with a Nest Thermostat
If you live in an area prone to frequent power outages due to storms, high winds, or aging electrical grids, there are a few steps you can take to prepare for these situations. Here’s how you can make sure your Nest thermostat works as efficiently as possible during a power outage:
1. Install a Power Backup System
For homes that experience frequent or extended power outages, it might be worth investing in a power backup system, such as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or a home generator. A UPS can provide temporary power to essential devices like your thermostat, giving you additional hours of operation beyond the Nest’s built-in battery. Homeowners with generators can ensure that essential systems like HVAC and thermostats continue to function during an extended outage.
2. Optimize Energy Usage Before the Outage
If you anticipate a power outage, such as in advance of a scheduled outage or a storm, you can set the temperature in your home to a comfortable level just before losing power. Adjust your thermostat to a setting that will help regulate the temperature for as long as possible, even when the system powers down. For instance, in winter, set it slightly higher than usual to maintain warmth, and in summer, set it lower to keep the space cooler for a longer time.
3. Check for Battery Issues Regularly
It’s important to keep the backup battery in good working condition. Occasionally, the battery could degrade over time, which means it may not provide the necessary hours of backup during a power outage. Nest thermostats generally alert users if the battery is running low or isn’t holding a charge as well as it should. Make sure you address any alerts promptly by checking the system or reaching out to a professional if needed.
Using the Nest During Short Power Interruptions
Short power interruptions are not uncommon, especially in areas where power grids are unstable or overloaded during peak times. These interruptions, often lasting only a few minutes, can cause issues with many electronic devices. Fortunately, the Nest’s backup battery ensures that short interruptions won’t affect the thermostat’s functionality, so your HVAC system can keep running smoothly.
In the event of a short power outage, the thermostat will automatically reconnect to Wi-Fi and re-establish communication with your smartphone or tablet once the power is restored. This process might take up to an hour, as the Nest will need to recharge its internal battery and reboot.
Impact on Home Automation Systems
Many homeowners have integrated their Nest thermostats into larger home automation ecosystems that include smart lighting, security systems, and voice-activated assistants like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. A power outage can disrupt all of these systems at once, causing inconvenience beyond just the loss of temperature control.
When the power goes out, your Nest thermostat loses its connection to the home’s Wi-Fi network, which means it can no longer communicate with other smart devices. This could mean that smart home routines or settings tied to your thermostat—such as automatically adjusting the temperature when you lock the doors or turn off the lights—won’t work until power is restored.
However, once the power returns, your Nest thermostat will automatically reconnect to the network and resume its previous settings, assuming no manual interventions are needed.
Comparing the Nest to Other Smart Thermostats
The Nest isn’t the only smart thermostat on the market, but its battery backup feature is relatively standard across most smart thermostats. Other brands like Ecobee and Honeywell also offer similar backup systems during power outages, relying on rechargeable batteries to keep basic functions running. However, like the Nest, these systems also tend to shut down after a few hours without power.
Some smart thermostats may offer slightly longer battery life or quicker recovery times once power is restored, but the differences are generally minimal. One distinguishing factor of the Nest, though, is its integration with the Google ecosystem, which can streamline recovery times and allow for quicker reconnection to smart home networks after an outage.
Limitations of the Nest Thermostat During Long-Term Outages
While the Nest thermostat offers useful features like energy efficiency optimization, remote control, and smart home integration, it does have its limitations in the event of a long-term power outage. For extended outages, especially those lasting longer than a few hours, the Nest will completely shut down once the backup battery dies.
During these longer outages, your home’s temperature could fluctuate significantly without an operational thermostat to regulate heating or cooling. It’s important to have alternative methods to maintain comfort, such as using portable heaters or fans, depending on the season. If you live in a climate where extended outages could result in freezing temperatures or extreme heat, you may want to explore more robust backup options for your home’s heating and cooling systems.
Contact Coastal Home Services Today
If you’re looking for a thermostat that can save you money and keep your home comfortable, the Nest thermostat is a great choice. With its backup battery, you are even able to keep your home at a comfortable temperature when you lose power. If you are looking to have a Nest installed in your Crystal Coast, North Carolina home and are not sure how to do so, contact Coastal Home Services today! You may want to try to set up your Nest yourself, but it is better to have a professional take care of it – you do not want to accidentally create a conflict with your HVAC system. One of our technicians will be happy to help you get your Nest set up, and can show you how to get started with it.
Contact us using the form below, and someone will be in touch with you shortly. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you save on your energy bill with your new Nest thermostat!
