"AKA gray asphalt" wrote in message
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"SQLit" wrote in message
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"AKA gray asphalt" wrote in message
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I'm pretty unschooled about this kind of thing. Maybe I was
convinced by a salesman ... that it would save me money in
the dessert: cold winters and hot summers and that the stat
wouldn't be going on and off as much ... I really can't imagine
how it could help and what advantage a complicate one might
have. It was the ability to program it cool the house before I
get home while leaving it a little warmer while nobody was
there.

"RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message
...
Hard to answer a rhetorical question but, it might be worth it if you
are not happy with the one you have now. There are other
companies that may be a little less expensive like White - Rogers and
Robertshaw


Power company I am connected (Salt River Project) to basically says
that if
you can raise the temp more than 5 degrees F you can save UP TO 10%. I
did
paraphrase a tad. If your gone for a few days a lot it would help.

I have had set back t-stats for years. They seem to help. Check into
X-10
they have a dial up modem that when connected to the t-stat (other parts
necessary) you can turn on the a/c from your phone. Or 3 other loads of
your
choosing. My dogs really figured that one out. They would be wound up
like
cheap watches when I got home. They figured out when the temp when down
I
was coming home. And they call them dumb.....

Insulation is usually the best bet for saving money. I just had R-30
blown
into my home. Run times and off times are different by 20 %. If you
have an
electric water heater a time clock is a real saver.

How long are you staying where you are will help answer the question.

No plans on moving. Would Home Depot have water
heater timers. That sounds interesting too.

Yes but Lowes has one that is substantially cheaper. CHECK the wiring
before you buy one. Some time clocks are 220 v timer motors and some like
the ones at Lowes are 120 v timer motors. You would need a 4 wire circuit
for the 120 v timer motor, only available in newer homes.

My last house I had the water heater on for 2 hours a day. When I washed or
had company I would just manually override the timer.

Choosing a set back stat has a lot to do with what you expect from it.
http://www.inlandescape.com/hunter-p...ermostats.html

I had one like the 260 old house


Currently I have

http://www.atlantasupply.com/thermos...te-rodgers.htm

One like the touch screen on the upper right.

Make sure that you know exactly what your a/c, heat system is before buying.
There are stats make that do not fit every situation.