Has anyone installed the Nest thermostat or a similar thermostat? What was your experience?
http://www.nest.com/

Thank you

Is anyone using a Nest thermostat here in Mueller? I called their support and compatibility hotline and was told that our systems were proprietary and therefore are incompatible with both the v1 and v2 Nests - but wondering if someone's been able to rig it to work.

Carlo,

The problem with installing Nests in Mueller is that all of the Phase I and Phase II homes here use a Honeywell controller board that has a proprietary interface. If you have a two story home (with two thermostats), you will need to have a controller board in your home. However, if you only have a one thermostat home, you have the option of removing the controller board, since it isn't necessary for the operation of your HVAC system (with a single zone system). I have seen that some of the new Mueller homes have done away with the Honeywell controller board, and are opting for a universal controller board by default now.

In order to get a Nest (or any non-Honeywell thermostat) working at a home with two thermostats, you will need to replace the controller board with a Honeywell universal controller board. Most AC companies can replace this for you.

Hope this helps!
Grant

Grant, really appreciate the thorough explanation!

I'm luck (I suppose) to have a single thermostat home, am I reading correctly that in order to use a NEST I'll need to remove the controller board and then simply install the NEST? Is this something that an average person can do?

Carlo,

Since you have a single thermostat home (without zones), you have the option to remove your controller board and turn your thermostat from a 3-wire digital to a 5-wire analog. Although this sounds simple, I would recommend that you consult an HVAC specialist. You might be able to find some resources online to help you if you wish to tackle this task yourself.

Good luck!
Grant