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Programmable Thermostat Reviews
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$70...+Programmable Thermostat Reviews
If you ever needed a double-barreled reason to buy a programmable thermostat, consider this one: money-saving convenience. According to the U.S.
Department of Energy, dialing down a thermostat by 10 to 15 degrees for an eight-hour period can lower annual heating bills by up to 15 percent. Consumer alert: The eight-hour guideline is key -- lowering the temperature for short periods nets less in the way of reduced energy consumption and cost reductions. Get Rich Slowly even refers to studies that argue potential savings are overstated because people don't use programmable thermostats efficiently. Nonetheless, we found a number of programmable thermostat reviews attesting to the financial benefits that flow from automatic temperature adjustments. One company bean counter, for example, reports more than $400 disappeared from monthly energy bills after nine White-Rodgers 1F78-151 (starting at $32, Amazon
What's more likely to pop up in programmable thermostat reviews for the models on our list are comments about the pleasures of waking to a comfortably warm home in the dead of winter or, less often, of returning from work to a comfortably cool home at the height of summer. Many consumers write about stepping up from old-style manual thermostats to programmable models because doing so promises the end of constant fiddling and adjusting. Thermostat reviews also indicate that consumers appreciate the modest pricing, no-frills feature set, and user-friendly operation of the models we researched. Additionally, we found that many buyers are brand loyal; that is, an older model served them well for years so they searched for an updated device by the same manufacturer.
Still, for each of the models we researched we read a few complaints about limited durability -- e.g., buttons that lock, displays that go blank. A small number of reviews also gripe that the thermostat is off by a couple of degrees. Consumer tip: Find a temperature setting that feels comfortable and go with that as the baseline.
Thermostats General Performance.
The thermostats that made our list meet consumers' expectations. Programmable thermostat reviews generally indicate these models keep indoor temperatures stable and adhere to the programmed day and hour settings. The Hunter 44260 (starting at $34, Amazon
) works as it should, assert programmable thermostat reviews at Amazon
, keeping the heat within the target one degree range of the desired temperature. Purchasers of the Lux TX500E (starting at $29, Amazon
) consider it a good value, and several confess in online reviews to being serial buyers of the model (or its predecessors) for the price and brand quality. A couple of reviews for the Hunter 44260 and Lux TX500E note concerns about build quality, and one user of the latter says the family's tendency to override the settings wore out the buttons within a couple of years.
Similar pluses and minuses show up in programmable thermostat reviews of the Honeywell RTH221B (starting at $17, Amazon
A third Honeywell model, the RTH2310B (starting at $17, Amazon
Thermostats User-Friendliness.
Ease of use is a common theme with the best budget thermostats. Programmable thermostat reviews for the models on our list indicate that installation and programming are relatively simple and quick. Consumers seem relieved that the wires often come with helpful labels but caution that it may take some cinching to get everything safely secured behind the unit and tucked in the wall. Most purchasers say that DIY installation can be accomplished in a maximum 20 minutes, although some -- especially those who are upgrading from old-style manual thermostats -- prefer delegating to a professional.The Honeywell models we researched are super easy to put in place, according to most online comments. One programmable thermostat review of the Honeywell RTH2300B at Home Depot says the task was accomplished in less than eight minutes while another at Lowe's reports installing the Honeywell RTH221B in about 10 minutes. A programmable thermostat review at Pex Supply says the White-Rodgers 1F78-151 comes with excellent instructions and a wiring diagram that makes installation a breeze. Consumers also laud the Hunter 44260's simple installation and one digital thermostat review at Price Grabber says the instructions are better than average. The Lux TX500E takes a bit of heat for slightly fuzzy how-to's -- one purchaser called tech support for assistance -- but most reviews at Amazon
Consumers who aren't technically inclined may be a little spooked by the notion of a programmable thermostat, but it's clear from reviews that most have little if any trouble programming the unit. Here and there we heard a few groans but never so loud as to warrant returning to a manual-control model.
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Honeywell RTH2310B
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Products Mentioned in This Review
Honeywell RTH2300B ReviewRobertshaw RS3110 Review
Honeywell RTH2310B Review
White-Rodgers 1F78-151 Review
Honeywell RTH221B Review
Hunter 44260 Review
Lux TX500E Review
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