Programmable thermostats?

[Carol]

Does anyone really see a huge savings from using a programmable t-stat?

I have one that has proven to be far more trouble than it is worth. It has 5+2 programming and the manual override only lasts until the next program change. There is no way to manually override the system in its entirety, nor is there a way to override the program for an entire day to compensate for when I work from home.

I learned a tough (and expen$$$ive) lesson this weekend about what happens when you keep your boiler settings too low. I was thinking about updating my t-stat to one that has more logic and features, but to be honest all of them look to be a PITA to use, esp. if one have a lifestyle where needs/schedule can change on the fly.

I like the idea of being green and cutting down on expenses, but I suspect I may be better off in the long run by simply installing a manual unit and doing my best to remember to turn down the heat at night, and before I leave for work.

Thoughts? What has your experience been like?

 

[granfire]

I actually managed to figure out the program feature once (yes, I did the 5 +2, got everything set but for the life of me I can't remember)

I think it's a pretty good deal to cut stuff down at night. I do only override when I actually get chilled, though it does happen a lot since I keep the temps low - husband is a polar bear.

I do sometimes supplement with a small space heater, especially since I always have cold feet

 

[jks9199]

I've got the same sort of thing. I think I saved money when I was single; it's kind of moot now since the wife & kid are home all the time. But it wasn't great for rotating shifts...

 

[Kacey]

I have a 5+2 also, and the biggest help it is to me is that I don't forget to turn it down as I did with the last one. It also has a hold button, so I can set it to a temperature that overrides the settings - for example, if I'm going out of town and want to leave it set at a lower level. The best ones require an electrician to install, as they need a third wire - but they can also be set via computer and phone. This Old House magazine has some good articles online about choosing a thermostat.

 

[zDom]

I've got one. I love it.

Yea, the manual + HOLD works just fine.

 

[Steve]

Mine's great. Most houses in the Seattle area don't have AC, and with the baby coming a few years back we decided to take advantage of the tax credits and upgrade to a heat pump/hybrid system, particularly after we had a very uncomfortable stretch of 100+ weather where the average temp inside our house at night was pushing 90F. We got a nice heat pump, a very efficient gas furnace and a programmable thermostat. It's very intuitive, easy to program and has a 'lock' feature so you can keep the temp where you want it. Beats the crap out of the low-end thermostat that came with the house.

So, all of that to say that it depends on what you get. I've had a couple over the years that have been pretty crappy, but we got a very nice honeywell thermostat that is great.