Best programmable thermostat?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Status
Not open for further replies.
E

elkinm

Platinum Member
Jun 9, 2001
2,146
0
71
The top reason is that I had a quest recently who for some crazy reason got a little hot when I was not home and turned the heat off, opened the front door and some windows and left.
To say the least, I came home to a real ice box of a house, Half Life it?s COLD in there. It took over 2 hours before the house became habitable.

Obviously I cannot prevent the opening of doors and windows, but at least the heat keep some of the house livable.

So I am looking for one that is partially lockable so it can't just be turned off, and if possibly a configurable safety feature that works even if it is turned off.

I would like it also be able to switch between heat and cool automatically, but really, I only care that is can always heat just in case it gets to cold, and certainly have a limit so you can't set the A/C too low.

Similarly I have had guests who got cold and raised the temp to 80+, then got hot so they set the A/C to 60 or so and then the cycle continues, winter or summer. Man some people are crazy.
I want to have some adjustment with the system locked within a range, but nothing crazy.

One nice thermostat I found is the LUXPRO PSP722E which has plenty of features including auto switch, and partial key lock, with settings limitations, and even an emergency heat mode (which is unfortunately set at 40 F).
I have been looking at Honeywell and others, but I am not sure if they can do what I want and are partially lockable.

Anybody have one like this or have any other recommendations?

This is my home so I don't want to do anything to drastic to protect it, just something that can be programmed, locked and still allow some changes like raising the heat a little if needed, but still stay in the programmed range.

Thanks,
elkinm
 
E

elkinm

Platinum Member
Jun 9, 2001
2,146
0
71
This is a home so getting a cover is just not a real option. There was a thread about securing an apartment thermostat with these options as well as dummy and real thermostats as well multiple thermal monitor points.

I have been looking at the Honeywell 8000 models, but I think the lock may be a little weak, you just press an unlocked button while the locked indicator is on or something like that. No set combination.

When it is locked, can you configure the min and max temperatures, for instance I don't want the heat temperature to go below the running heat temp of 70 or 62 by default, I certainly want to limit how low the A/C can be set, or how high the heat be set.

Can you describe how your thermostat handles these situations, and do you know how the emergency heat setting works, as I don't see the options in the manual.

Thanks again.
 
N

nickbits

Diamond Member
Mar 10, 2008
4,122
1
81
I have been looking at the Honeywell 8000 models, but I think the lock may be a little weak, you just press an unlocked button while the locked indicator is on or something like that. No set combination.
Click to expand...

I think you have to go into the setup menu to disable the lock which requires a speical key combination. It isn't a PIN type lock however but you'd have to have the manual to unlock it. I can double check that is how it works on mine if you are really interested as I haven't used the lock.

When it is locked, can you configure the min and max temperatures, for instance I don't want the heat temperature to go below the running heat temp of 70 or 62 by default, I certainly want to limit how low the A/C can be set, or how high the heat be set.
Click to expand...

Not sure what you are getting at. You set the max heat temp and lowest AC temp and then it can't be set out of that range.

Can you describe how your thermostat handles these situations, and do you know how the emergency heat setting works, as I don't see the options in the manual.
Click to expand...

Emergency heat is for heat pump systems. I believe you have to manually select emergency heat (e.g. Heat/Cool/Off/Auto/Em Heat) but I might be wrong as I am not too familar with them.

EDIT: If you install the outdoor temp sensor it will select emergency heat automatically.
 
Modelworks

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
Emergency heat is for when your outside unit either isn't working or it is too cold outside for the heat pump to work effectively. Most heat pumps will use AUX heat automatically whenever it gets too cold so you shouldn't have to use emergency setting. I've always had to set it manually any time I had a house that used it. Basically sets heat to the electric heat strip only.
Normally not needed unless something is broken.
 
E

elkinm

Platinum Member
Jun 9, 2001
2,146
0
71
With the temperature lock you can set the max heat temperature and min cool temperature for sure. If you set the max heat to 75, you can set it up to 75 or below that but it should not heat beyond that level. Same for the A/C, if I set the min to 76, it would not cool below 76 degrees. The gap between max heat and min cool usually should be higher though.
I would like a min heat setting as well if possible. Lets say the program is set to be at 70 for heat, I want the possible range to be 70 to 75 (the max heat temp) or 62 to 75 for the heat. I am not sure if any thermostat has this setting, at least whenever a programmed setting kicks in it would reset the temp.

For the emergency heat it is a special circuit that I know the LUXPRO has that would activate the heat even if the thermostat is OFF to prevent it from getting too cold. It should work even if the battery died, but I am not sure how that would work. The LUXPRO is fixed at 40 degrees, if this was configurable it would be perfect. I would set it a couple degrees below the lowest set temp, something like 60 if the lowest setting was 62.

This would be something I would consider getting a second hidden thermostat just to be sure the heat would run if the temp gets below some single value.
 
E

elkinm

Platinum Member
Jun 9, 2001
2,146
0
71
I got a reply from Honeywell, and TH9421 are serious thermostats, especially the HD ones, and they most definitely have a special price, but still can't do anything. The THX9321 is above the 8000 series and is basically the same but has a 4 digit lockout code.

The LuxPro is still my top choice, the problem is that it has a simple switch for heat cool auto and off, so with all the locks it can simply be turned off. I could cover that switch once programmed, but it is still annoying. And for the price I can get a second one and if needed install in parallel.

I will go around stores and see what I can find.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom