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  • From: Mark Turner <jmarkturner AT gmail.com>
  • To: "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/" <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] Thermostat control gadgets?
  • Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:51:34 -0400

Yes, automated thermostats are great! I've put one in in every home I've owned.

I put on in at my new home a few weeks ago. I bought the Hunter Auto$aver from Lowe's and wound up taking it back. I didn't like that it required batteries while the Honeywell models I've always used can use the 24v power from the thermostat wiring. I believe the Hunter unit required you to replace the battery every year. A minor thing to most people, sure, but as a geek I thought it was dumb not to use power where its available.

One feature my old Honeywell model had that my new Honeywell model DOESN'T have is a vacation feature. This lets you program in that you'll be gone for x days and at the end of those x days, go back to the normal schedule. Thus, we could use the vacation feature to save money while we were away and still come home to a comfortable house.

I could not find a Honeywell model that still offers this feature. It may be on the Hunter thermostat but I wouldn't know.

I also prefer the models with 7-days programmable, as my schedule isn't simply a weekday-vs-weekend thing, which is what the 5-2 or 5-1-1 thermostats are designed for. A 7-day model allows each day of the week to have its own schedule, where the 5-x day models lump days together.

Most thermostats will work with most HVAC units, but not all of them. Check carefully whether your HVAC is supported before buying.

Oh, and Honeywell has all its product documentation online in PDF format. It has a great support website. I noticed Hunter shipped a product manual with some pages missing. Only when I check their website did I discover an important wiring diagram missing from the booklet I bought.

Installing a thermostat is a snap. Cut the HVAC power, pop the cove ron your existing thermostat, carefully label the wires, hook them up to your new thermostat, and restore power. Total time: less than 20 minutes. All you need is a screwdriver.

Hunter thermostat (the one I returned):
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=90432-79-44550&lpage=none

Honeywell thermostat (the one I bought):
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=39500-74493-RTH6300B1056&lpage=none

Hope this helps!

Mark Turner
www.markturner.net

Michael Czeiszperger wrote:
Has anyone on the list installed something simple to control their house's temperature? I've found home automation gadgets, but I don't need to control the temperature via a computer, just something to set one temperature for the day and another for night... Any suggestions?




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