Swapped smart thermostats for analog on a Lennox install, got roasted by the homeowner

Did a job last Tuesday in Boise where the guy insisted on a Nest, but his house wiring was a mess from a 1978 add-on. I told him the smart unit would just cycle on fault codes and recommended a basic $40 Honeywell. He pushed back hard, said I was stuck in the past, so I wired the Nest anyway. Third call back later that week, same error, and I swapped it out with the analog unit under his grudging approval. It's been 6 days, zero issues. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think smart features just complicate things when the ductwork and wiring are pre-1980. Anyone else refuse to install them in older houses, or am I the only one?

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1 Comment

blake_smith28d ago

The homeowner wanted a Nest, and you gave him a Nest. That should count for something. The real problem is you bailed after three visits. Six days without an issue is nice, but that's not a long time. Older houses need a smart stat even more, since those heat pumps can be picky about run times. The wiring mess sounds like a reason to fix it, not avoid the tech. Analog just masks the real issue, which is the 1978 wiring. You did the easy thing, not the right thing.