Nest adds compressor alerts

Google on Tuesday quietly rolled out two Nest thermostat updates, according to a support post. 

What’s happening: As part of Nest’s six-year-old System Health Monitor feature, thermostats can now detect potential issues with compressors, in particular, and will notify homeowners through a new alert type called “Compressor heads-up.”

• “If you get this alert, your compressor may not be functioning due to a safety feature… or a failed component,” the company wrote. “Your system might also be operating in the wrong mode, either due to a wire configuration issue between the thermostat and HVAC, or, for a heat pump, a stuck reversing valve.”
• The update is supported on all Nest models except for the first and second generations, Google noted. 

What they’re saying: “No action is needed from homeowners or professional installers to ‘turn on’ this alert type. All users will get this alert by default on their thermostat display,” a Google spokesperson told Homepros in an email. 

Of note: The company also launched one-tap support, enabling consumers to “tap directly on phone numbers and emails within your HVAC system health alerts to get in touch with your certified installer, instantly,” the post added.