November 12, 2018

What Smart Thermostats Work With Alexa?

November 12, 2018/ James Both

What smart thermostats work with Alexa? Having a smart thermostat is great, and controlling from your phone is a huge step up from manual thermostats but having Alexa voice control of your smart thermostat is a true luxury. The nest thermostat works with alexa voice commands and adds additional functionality to your smart home system. The ecobee generation 4 smart thermostat works with Alexa and actually has Amazon Alexa built in. Inside the Ecobee 4 smart thermostat there is a small speaker and microphone to allow for full Amazon Alexa functionality inside of the Ecobee 4 thermostat. There are several other smart thermostats that work with alexa but the most popular the smart thermostats that work with alexa are nest and ecobee.

November 06, 2018

Can you use rechargeable batteries in the Nest x Yale lock?

November 06, 2018/ James Both

Can you use rechargeable batteries in the Nest x Yale Lock? Yes, you can use rechargeable batteries with the Nest X Yale lock but how long will the batteries last on your Nest x Yale lock? When should you replace the batteries on your Nest x Yale Lock? We cover how long the batteries have lasted for us in our testing of the nest smart lock and what type of rechargeable batteries you can use to replace the existing batteries in the Nest x Yale lock. We cover an option for using rechargeable batteries in the nest lock and what you can do if your lock batteries die and you are locked out of your house. We also cover how to change your batteries in your Nest x Yale Lock.

October 22, 2018

Nest Protect Smart Smoke Detector Review

October 22, 2018/ James Both

We review the nest protect smart smoke detector and how it works with other nest smart home products. You may not know that the nest protect smart smoke detector can do a lot more than just detect smoke, it can also work with your nest thermostat and nest smart cameras to make your home safer. We talk about why the nest protect smoke detector is a good investment in safety for any home and the best features that we use with the nest protect smart smoke detector. We also provide you with several useful tips and tricks when installing your smart home smoke detector to make your life easier when you install them and save you time. If you are considering what smart home smoke detector to buy this gives you a great overview of what the nest protect can do and why we have one installed in our home.

October 14, 2018

What transformer should I use with The Ring Doorbell 2?

October 14, 2018/ James Both

Learn what doorbell transformers you can use that are compatible with the Ring Doorbell 2. We teach you what you need to know to identify the voltage of your existing doorbell transformer and what tools to use to upgrade your transformer to be compatible with the Ring Video Doorbell 2. The Ring Video Doorbell 2 can work on it’s internal batteries for up to 6 months or if you want to hardwire the Ring Doorbell you won’t need to change the batteries and it will make the Ring Video Doorbell 2 more reliable. To provide enough power for the Ring Doorbell 2 the transformer needs to supply between 16-24V AC to function properly. Depending on your existing doorbell setup you will need to upgrade to a 16V-30VA transformer or a 24V-40VA transformer for the Ring Doorbell 2. We cover everything you need to know to find the right transformer for your Ring Doorbell 2. www.onehoursmarthome.com

October 08, 2018

Do nest cameras work with Alexa?

October 08, 2018/ James Both

Does Alexa work with nest wifi cameras? Yes, Both the Echo Show & Echo Spot work with all nest wifi cameras. We show you how you can connect your nest wifi cameras to any Amazon Alexa device that has a screen. We also teach you what the Amazon Alexa can do with the nest cameras and review other smart wifi cameras that work with Alexa.

October 08, 2018

How Long Do The Batteries Last In The Nest x Yale Smart Lock?

October 08, 2018/ James Both

How long will the batteries last on your Nest x Yale lock? When should you replace the batteries on your Nest x Yale Lock? We cover how long the batteries have lasted for us in our testing of the nest smart lock and what type of batteries you can use to replace the existing batteries in the Nest x Yale lock. We cover an option for using rechargeable batteries in the nest lock and what you can do if your lock batteries die and you are locked out of your house. We also cover how to change your batteries in your Nest x Yale Lock.

October 07, 2018

Nest vs Nest E

October 07, 2018/ James Both

We review the features of the Nest vs Nest E thermostat to help you decide which smart thermostat is best for you. The Nest Thermostat Generation 3 has more features and a higher end design than the Nest E thermostat. The Nest E still gets the job done but does not have the same high end look as the Nest Gen 3 thermostat in the looks category in Nest vs Nest E, the Nest is the clear winner. The Nest E is a lower cost vs the Nest Generation 3 thermostat and will still save you energy but do the cost savings justify the plastic design vs the smooth polished high end metal design of the Nest Generation 3 Thermostat.

October 01, 2018

What Is Interconnect? Why Should My Smoke Detectors Be Interconnected

October 01, 2018/ James Both

What are interconnected smoke detectors? We cover everything you need to know about keeping your family safe with interconnected smoke detectors and how to test if your current smoke detectors are interconnected. New smart smoke detectors on the market like the nest protect smoke detector and first alert one link smart smoke detectors have interconnection built in which is a great feature to provide additional safety for your home. We teach you why interconnected smoke detectors are important and how new smart smoke detectors might be the right option for you to upgrade your home to a smart interconnected smoke detector system.

September 30, 2018

Does the nest thermostat work with google home?

September 30, 2018/ James Both

Does Google Home work with the nest thermostat? Yes, Google Home works with the nest thermostat to provide full voice control of your nest thermostat. With your google home connected to your nest thermostat you set the temperature or change between heating and cooling modes. We teach you how to set up Google Home to control your nest thermostat with your voice. We also teach you the best voice commands for google home to control your nest thermostat. Google Home control works with all Google Home products including the google home mini smart speaker.

September 29, 2018

Does the nest thermostat generation 2 work with Alexa?

September 29, 2018/ James Both

Does Alexa work with the nest generation 2 thermostat? Yes, the nest gen 2 thermostat does work with Amazon Alexa & Google Home. We teach you how to set up the nest thermostat to work with Amazon Alexa so you can have full voice control of your smart thermostat. We also teach you the best Amazon Alexa commands to control your nest generation 2 thermostat.

September 29, 2018

Does Alexa Work With The Nest Thermostat?

September 29, 2018/ James Both

Does Alexa work with the nest generation 3 thermostat? Yes, the nest thermostat does work with Amazon Alexa & Google Home. We teach you how to set up the nest thermostat to work with Amazon Alexa so you can have full voice control of your smart thermostat. We also teach you the best Amazon Alexa commands to control your nest generation 3 thermostat.

August 31, 2018

Does the nest X yale lock work with Amazon Alexa?

August 31, 2018/ James Both

Does the nest smart lock work with alexa? No, the nest x yale smart lock does not currently work with Alexa, but the google home mini does allow for full voice command control of the nest x yale smart lock. We cover all of the nest devices you can connect to alexa and what nest devices don’t work with amazon alexa. Currently the nest thermostat, nest cameras and nest smart doorbell all work with amazon alexa. The nest protect smoke detectors, and nest security system don’t work with alexa.

If you want to have voice control of your nest x yale smart lock you will need to use either a google home device or you can download the google assistant app on your phone for full voice control of the nest x yale smart lock. With voice commands you can lock your nest smart lock or check to see if the nest lock is unlocked or locked.

July 30, 2018

If I don't have an existing doorbell chime can I still use a nest hello video doorbell? How can I get it to ring?

July 30, 2018/ James Both

How to use a google home mini as a doorbell chime with your nest hello. We teach you how to connect your nest hello smart video doorbell to the google home mini to use it as a chime if you have no existing doorbell wiring in you home for a chime, or if you have an existing intercom system that does not have a chime or if you have a large house and want to use a google home mini as a doorbell chime so you can hear if someone is at your front door. www.onehoursmarthome.com

July 27, 2018

What transformer should I use with the nest hello doorbell if I live in Australia? - Australian Version

July 27, 2018/ James Both

What transformer is compatible with the nest hello smart doorbell in Australia? We teach you how to install a new Australian transformer compatible with the nest doorbell if you don’t have any existing wiring and what transformers will work with the nest hello doorbell. We also provide a guide of everything you need to install a nest hello doorbell transformer for Australia if you are replacing an old battery powered doorbell or need to connect your doorbell to new power source. In Australia the nest hello video doorbell still requires 16-24V of electricity but you must use transformer that converts from 240V the Australian line grid voltage down to 16-24V. We cover everything you need to know for what transformer you should use with the nest hello smart doorbell if you live in Australia.

July 09, 2018

How To Start Your Smart Home: #001-Podcast→

July 09, 2018/ James Both

Our podcast episode has launched. The first episode post is a great place to start if you want to know how to start your smart home and what devices you should start with. You can get the full blog post & smart home podcast here

Take me to the Podcast & How To Start Your Smart Home Blog Post

June 25, 2018

If I live in the UK can I use a plug in transformer with the nest hello doorbell? - United Kingdom Version

June 25, 2018/ James Both

What transformer is compatible with the nest hello doorbell in the UK? We teach you how to install a new transformer for your nest doorbell if you don’t have any existing wiring and what transformers will work with the nest hello doorbell. We also provide a guide of everything you need to install a nest hello doorbell transformer if you are replacing an old battery powered doorbell or need to connect your doorbell to new power source.

June 19, 2018

What is the best WiFi router to use with nest?

June 19, 2018/ James Both

What is the best WiFi router to use with nest devices? Everyone wants fast reliable WiFi and with more home connected devices on home networks than ever before it’s important to have a system that works, is easy to set up and will be reliable. We provide our recommendation on the best WiFi system to use for your home and with internet connected devices such as the nest hello video doorbell, nest outdoor cameras and the nest IQ camera.

June 07, 2018

Can I Plug In My Nest Outdoor Camera Outside?

June 07, 2018/ James Both

Can I plug my nest outdoor camera in to an outlet outside? How should I plug my nest camera? We describe the best way to protect your nest outdoor camera from the elements and prevent premature failure of the product.

We show you two outdoor outlet covers we recommend you use when installing a nest outdoor camera. Make sure you install an outdoor rated enclosure for your nest camera to prevent expensive electrical damage to your nest or wired outlet.

June 07, 2018

Can I use a plug in transformer with the nest hello doorbell?

June 07, 2018/ James Both

We teach you how to install a new transformer for your nest doorbell if you don’t have any existing wiring and what transformers will work with the nest hello doorbell. We also provide a guide of everything you need to install a nest hello doorbell transformer if you are replacing an old battery powered doorbell or need to connect your doorbell to new power source.