I’ve spent a fair bit of time being rude about how Google has handled Nest, with the company that kickstarted smart thermostats seeing a sad decline. Credit where credit’s due, Google has been extremely helpful dealing with a broken thermostat.
I use a Nest Thermostat 3rd Gen in a house we rent out because the hardware is robust, the device is mains-powered (so it can’t run out of battery), and it lets me turn the heating on and off depending on whether people are in the house.
Getting down to the house a week ago, I walked past the thermostat, only for it to light up and say that it can’t connect to the Heat Link. No problem, I thought; it had done this before, usually when a guest had turned the boiler off by mistake.
I checked, and the power to the boiler was on. So, I checked the Nest Heat Link (the device that actually controls the boiler), and it was dead, with no lights. I pressed the button in the middle, but nothing. I turned the boiler off and back on again, and nothing.
As the Nest Thermostat was installed back in 2019, I was resigned to the fact that I’d have to try and buy a new Heat Link online, but while searching, I came across this page on the BOXT website, offering free Heat Link replacements, provided you’d been through Google support.
Support was quick to get, and the fix free
Next, I went to the Google Home and Nest Help site, and filled in my product details, including the product’s serial number, and the problem I was having. I then had a choice of either using an online chat or having Google call me when a support person was free.
I picked the latter, and a minute later my phone rang. Within five minutes, I’d explained the issue, and it was agreed that there was a fault and that Google would authorise the repair.
A few seconds later, I had an email with a link to the BOXT website, with my support number pre-filled out. Then, I just had to pick a date for an engineer to come out (Friday 7 August), and that was it.
Sure enough, the engineer came out on the day, checked that the Heat Link was indeed dead. Now, I just need to wait a few days longer for the replacement Heat Link to be shipped out, and a the engineer will come back and fit it for me, free of charge.
For a product that’s now over seven years old, and well out of warranty, that’s quite a brilliant service. I’m glad it will keep my Nest Thermostat working for longer, even if I’m still a bit sad that the UK won’t see any future products.
