Really Boring Stuff Only III: Resurrection

[Alex2507]

not sure why you'd want it

Because it lasted 14 years. That's longer than most marriages.

I asked an old hvac guy which thermostat to get and he pointed me toward a made in usa non programmable $70 model and there has been no looking back. I throw in a AA battery every so often. As a service guy, his house calls probably dropped off by giving the simple people simple thermostats to use.

 

[Drunkpenguin]

@Alex2507
You might be wrong on this. Simple thermostats for simple people end up running more often which works the units harder and probably produces more service calls as units wear out. At work we have 2 units with dumb stats and the AC runs 24/7. Even on the weekends when the building is vacant. I tried to program it one time, but the simple people who change the temp all day long in the building hit things like hold and screw it all up. Those things are worked on all the time.

At home my ecobee is awesome. I never touch the thing any more. It knows when someones home and knows when theyre not. I have a remote located in every room of the house which allows me to do things like use the master bedroom sensor as the main sensor at night when I'm sleeping. This way, the bedroom stays cool even when we're producing extra body heat.

Also, if you paid 70 bucks for a non programmable you got ripped off. Theyre less than 20 at home depot.

 

[Alex2507]

Theyre less than 20 at home depot.

Yeah,

http://www.icmcontrols.com/THERMOSTATS-SIMPLECOMFORT-NON-PROGRAMMABLE-Prodlist.html

Not everybody wants what you want.

I wanted something recommended by an old guy in the field.

If I want the cheapest thing available, I'll ask you.

 

[Drunkpenguin]

Better ask someone else. I paid 389 for my thermostat.

 

[Alex2507]

I paid 389 for my thermostat.

Is it programmable?

 

[Drunkpenguin]

No, it has a needle and you can see the mercury.

 

[pewternhrata]

@Alex2507
You might be wrong on this. Simple thermostats for simple people end up running more often which works the units harder and probably produces more service calls as units wear out. At work we have 2 units with dumb stats and the AC runs 24/7. Even on the weekends when the building is vacant. I tried to program it one time, but the simple people who change the temp all day long in the building hit things like hold and screw it all up. Those things are worked on all the time.

At home my ecobee is awesome. I never touch the thing any more. It knows when someones home and knows when theyre not. I have a remote located in every room of the house which allows me to do things like use the master bedroom sensor as the main sensor at night when I'm sleeping. This way, the bedroom stays cool even when we're producing extra body heat.

Also, if you paid 70 bucks for a non programmable you got ripped off. Theyre less than 20 at home depot.

With my ecobee3 with 2 sensors, I saved on average 25% on heating and cooling costs. Crazy. The ability to run just the fan helps a lot on the more extreme temp days (less than 10 or more than 90 degree) apparently the ecobee has an algorithm that measures (say wintertime) how long it takes for your house to cool down (heat off) and how long to warm up (heat on) same for summertime. It takes that into account for home, away, and sleep comfort settings. If you log in online, not just through the app, it has graphs and charts that show how long the ac or furnace runs. Very very very impressive.

 

[Bones3DFC]

The forum has had a lot of tension lately. So I’d just like to take a moment to post something no one could ever argue about. On this day .... or was it tomorrow... back in 1980 - the greatest drummer of all time died.
Doesn’t it feel good to all agree?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Because it lasted 14 years. That's longer than most marriages.

I asked an old hvac guy which thermostat to get and he pointed me toward a made in usa non programmable $70 model and there has been no looking back. I throw in a AA battery every so often. As a service guy, his house calls probably dropped off by giving the simple people simple thermostats to use.

I could see the point, but at the same time, simple often isn't the most efficient way or most convenient.
My ecobee is definitely more accurate at keeping all rooms temp nearly same, unlike old system. It allows temp swings (if desired) and run a fan only on schedule - every x minutes every hour...

If you want something which just works - surely $20 would be just enough but wanted a gadget to add to my "smarthome" system

 

[pewternhrata]

I could see the point, but at the same time, simple often isn't the most efficient way or most convenient.
My ecobee is definitely more accurate at keeping all rooms temp nearly same, unlike old system. It allows temp swings (if desired) and run a fan only on schedule - every x minutes every hour...

If you want something which just works - surely $20 would be just enough but wanted a gadget to add to my "smarthome" system

I wish when the fan was running, so did the air return, to better cycle the mixed temps throughout the house.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I wish when the fan was running, so did the air return, to better cycle the mixed temps throughout the house.

I think that's the idea

 

[pewternhrata]

I think that's the idea

I've checked a few times, the air return is never on with the fan setting (only if ac or heat is running). Let me know if yours is for sure, my ac unit inside and outside was replaced last yr (shortly after I installed the ecobee).

 

[Drunkpenguin]

Yours is not hooked up right if you cant turn the fan on by itself. I do it all the time.

 

[pewternhrata]

Yours is not hooked up right if you cant turn the fan on by itself. I do it all the time.

I can turn just the fan on (without ac or heat) but with just the fan running, I have no pull from the air returns.

 

[Drunkpenguin]

What do mean? Im confused.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I can turn just the fan on (without ac or heat) but with just the fan running, I have no pull from the air returns.

I could be waaaay of base here, but I thought that air return is wholly passive, there's never a fan on air return. they just work by removing extra air pressure in the room.

 

[Alex2507]

I could be waaaay of base here, but I thought that air return is wholly passive, there's never a fan on air return. they just work by removing extra air pressure in the room.

`Air return is where the suction side of the fan pulls air in. If the fan is on, the air it blows out is collected through the air return to blow out again. There is no turning the air return "on". Somebody isn't getting something here and I don't think it's me. You never know though.

 

[pewternhrata]

I could be waaaay of base here, but I thought that air return is wholly passive, there's never a fan on air return. they just work by removing extra air pressure in the room.

I'm with you, and that's why I'm stumped. If the fan is on, wouldn't it still pull air regardless if the ac or furnace is on? Or maybe the fan mode doesnt engage the heat exchanger so that airflow isn't necessary?

 

[fuzz092888]

I remember Adam used to do this when he was around, but so far I'm at 266 amazon orders for the year. I think this might be my first year to break 300

 

[panteragstk]

I remember Adam used to do this when he was around, but so far I'm at 266 amazon orders for the year. I think this might be my first year to break 300

Yep. Always posted his reviews too. I'm curious as to how many orders I'm up to.