This past week has been a major celebration of someone very important in my life. My hubby, Shane, just turned 30 years old. Our house decided to give us a little surprise before his big, official day. The motor to our garage door opener went kaput. Convenient. Lucky for Shane, he came home from work to a brand spankin' new Chamberlain MyQ 1.25 HP--with battery backup-- garage door opener!! Spoiled. As of today, it is still sitting in it's package, but it's the thought that counts, right? It's funny how we go from wanting personal gifts, to wanting--and getting super pumped up over gifts that are not for ourselves, but for our home. Aw, adulthood. We wrapped up Shane's actual day spending time with his family and eating KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken). Underrated, folks.
We topped off Shane's b-day week by heading up to Minneapolis to chill with my family. We went to the car show, and ate ourselves into a food coma at Chino Latino's. My parents gave Shane a Nest Thermostat for the big 3-0. Once again, an item for our home that we couldn't be more thrilled about. The package was already opened and practically installed before we even got home.
Let me tell you a little bit about the Nest-- first of all, it is a huge energy saver. You wouldn't think, but by installing this little device in our home, in one year it could pay for itself in savings. Based on our answers, the Nest could save us anywhere from $67-$244.00 per year. Another cool thing about the Nest, is not only is it aesthetically pleasing to look at, but it also can be controlled using our iPhone's, from 3000 miles away or five feet away. This morning I turned the heat up using my phone before getting out of bed. The Nest is compatible with 95% of current in-home units, and super easy to install. In total, we spent about one hour putting the unit together, and that included patching and literally watching the paint dry. The Nest is so intelligent, that after a couple of weeks, it will automatically set itself based on previous popular temperature settings. We heart technology. If you are curious and want to know more, check it out-- Nest
Before shot:
After shot:
Shots in between:
The first step, and most important step is to turn off all power in the house. If your old unit is still on, even after you turned the power off, it is probably because it takes batteries too. Lesson learned. After removing the cover, batteries, and mounting screws, utilize the handy-dandy tool the Nest supplied. It allows you to control the wires a bit more.
Carefully twist and tuck the wires together and pull them through the hole of the old unit.
Voila! Bare bones. Do any necessary patching and painting on your wall before installing your new unit. We were able to utilize the original holes, so I am fairly certain you will be able to as well.
After the paint is dry, (we even used a blow dryer to speed up the process) install the unit as directed. The Nest comes with a frame for the thermostat if you aren't into having a circle on your wall. Install the program on your phone, and follow any WiFi instructions. The downloading process will take about ten minutes.
Isn't it cute? I may have to name it. Belly Button Bob? We love these little Sunday projects, and can't wait to see how it works out. We will probably be showing you our newest addition when you come to our home. Just pretend you are interested if you know what is good for you.
We are looking forward to giving you an update our our "smart" garage door opener, so more to come on that. Stay classy.
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