> My guess is that a cheap programmable thermostat would have done that for you just as well You're probably right, had I figured out how to use it (that's wha

> My guess is that a cheap programmable thermostat would have done that for you just as well You're probably right, had I figured out how to use it (that's what I replaced with Nest). Like most things it's probably most efficient when I put the effort in, but that's the magic of Nest -- a huge work:savings ratio. You're right about laziness. Banking on laziness is a great business model -- find something people are lazy about, automate it to be maybe 60% of optimal and charge $$$$ for it. > Wet air has greater heat capacity than dry air and so the system will operate more efficiently. I grew up in a house with a swamp cooler now that I think about it. It worked pretty well. We just had an offer accepted on a home, so I'm bookmarking your comments. Maybe I can implement some of them soon!