Originally posted on Medium...
This is a story of empty victory, of disillusioned success. I have my Nest controlling an old heater now, and it works well, yet I don’t feel proud of the journey I took to bring it to life.
To spread my shame, thus lightening its’ load on my chest, I’m detailing my path to serve as a cheaters guide to other automation enthusiasts who want to eliminate risk from their lives more than they already have. And maybe I’ll learn something about myself along the way.
Looks simple right? It is :(
You see, like many others that live in San Francisco, I reside in a really old building. It looks impressive and is on a big hill, but it has window weights, non-insulated walls, and a gas heater from a bygone era. I didn’t know a thing about heaters, but wanted a “smart” thermostat to turn the heat on or off from the comfort of my bed and control usage while out of town.
So when my significant other wasn’t looking, I snuck a Nest onto our wedding registry, and a few friends bought it for us (thank you Tommie and Anthony!)
Upon receipt, and against my strong habits to the contrary, I went to the Nest website to see how to install the darn thing before pulling my power tools out.
And found a little surprise. My heater was not supported.