Greg G wrote:

On 7 Aug 2004 19:05:51 -0700, (ATL) wrote:


Is there any difference between a digital-programmable thermostat and
the old-fashioned dial thermostat? I am wondering about the
sensitivity of the digital vs. dial. Does anyone have a preference?
If so, why? The reason I ask is that last year I had the dial type,
but replaced it over the winter with a digital. It may be my
imagination, but it just seems that the a/c is kicking on over shorter
intervals than last year.


It depends on the features you get and your schedule. Our digital
thermostat saves us plenty.

We work five days a week and sleep seven nights a week. During both
those times we don't need much heat. The thermostat we got has 4
settings for weekdays (Wake, Leave, Return, Sleep) and 2 settings for
weekends (Wake and Sleep).


yeah, except on saturdays I get to sleep in where on Sundays I'm
out early for soccer.

And on Wednesdays, I'm doing a cooking class with the girl and want
the heat to come on at 9.

Oh, but this week, I go it late on Tuesday because I've got to work
late and want the heat to stay on until 11.
And sometimes this is regular.

But the stupid "5x2" set thermostats are too stupid for that.

So I'm looking at a recotron that has a "home/not home" mode.
Basically some external force (and I'm thinking "computer")
throws the switch between home and away.

And my computer can use the web gui to let me say "stay warm
til 11A for the next 3 tuesdays.


There are also thermostats that allow you even more flexibility, with
four settings for each day of the week. This might be handy if you
have a less conventional schedule, but I imagine it's pretty tedious
to program the first time.

yeah, and that's bad industrial design. The same people who made
VCRs so easy that 80% of them blinked 12:00 (you know, the same guys who
also made the $2 innards for $10 digital watches but never thought of
JOINING this with a VCR).


And that's why I'd rather have a serial port and something that's
easy to program via a web browser (which means PDA or work machine).


set one up for a friend who's away 3-4 days a week. From his phone,
as he drives (well, when he stops for gas) he browses to the house and
says "turn on the damn heat cause it's 53 inside and I'm coming up"