Hello,

Have received so many really good answers to problems and questions I've
posted in the past, thought I would post something positive, for once. So,
I'll share my experience on this subject with everyone.

Live in Mass. in a typical 30 year old colonial with gas, forced hot water
heating on two zones.

Have always had the Honeywell mechanical thermostats for each zone. The
ones with the bi-metallic coiled spring with the Mercury switch vial on the
top.

For 30 years, my wife was always complaining about the large temp swings
that would occur in most of the rooms.

I tried playing with the heat anticipator, but nothing really changed.

Well, this year I finally broke down and put in two Honeywell digital
thermostats.

All I can say is Wow.
(no, I don't work for Honeywell)

No matter when you look at them, the set point is exactly the same as the
resultant room temp.
No more wide fluctuations.
Simply terrific.

Probably due to a very tight hysterersis loop characteristic on the new
thermostats.
(resulting in much tighter control)

Don't like the idea that it requires a battery, but heck, I can probably
remember to change it once a year.

A good question is whether I will be paying more for heat now.
The old furnace mode was, of course, wide temp swings with the furnace going
on and off rarely, but staying on longer.

vs.,

Now, with very frequent on-offs, but shorter actual furnace runs each time.

Have no idea how this relates to actual heating costs, or efficiency ?
Comments ?

Anyway, for anyone still using the old Mercury ones, my suggestion is to
really consider getting one of these new digital ones.

Bob

I think it's just easier to maintain a smaller temperature differential with
a digital than a mechanical thermostat. I have no problem with Honeywell
thermostats, but I have found White Rogers thermostats work equally as well
and cost significantly less.



"Robert11" wrote in message
. ..
Hello,

Have received so many really good answers to problems and questions I've
posted in the past, thought I would post something positive, for once.
So, I'll share my experience on this subject with everyone.

Live in Mass. in a typical 30 year old colonial with gas, forced hot water
heating on two zones.

Have always had the Honeywell mechanical thermostats for each zone. The
ones with the bi-metallic coiled spring with the Mercury switch vial on
the top.

For 30 years, my wife was always complaining about the large temp swings
that would occur in most of the rooms.

I tried playing with the heat anticipator, but nothing really changed.

Well, this year I finally broke down and put in two Honeywell digital
thermostats.

All I can say is Wow.
(no, I don't work for Honeywell)

No matter when you look at them, the set point is exactly the same as the
resultant room temp.
No more wide fluctuations.
Simply terrific.

Probably due to a very tight hysterersis loop characteristic on the new
thermostats.
(resulting in much tighter control)

Don't like the idea that it requires a battery, but heck, I can probably
remember to change it once a year.

A good question is whether I will be paying more for heat now.
The old furnace mode was, of course, wide temp swings with the furnace
going on and off rarely, but staying on longer.

vs.,

Now, with very frequent on-offs, but shorter actual furnace runs each
time.

Have no idea how this relates to actual heating costs, or efficiency ?
Comments ?

Anyway, for anyone still using the old Mercury ones, my suggestion is to
really consider getting one of these new digital ones.

Bob

On Sun, 18 Nov 2007 19:38:55 -0500, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

I think it's just easier to maintain a smaller temperature differential with
a digital than a mechanical thermostat. I have no problem with Honeywell
thermostats, but I have found White Rogers thermostats work equally as well
and cost significantly less.

Our White Rogers thermostat works like a charm; this is what
installers put in, and I'm very pleased with ours, now entering its
5th winter.

"Robert11" wrote in message
...
Hello,

Have received so many really good answers to problems and questions I've
posted in the past, thought I would post something positive, for once.
So, I'll share my experience on this subject with everyone.

Live in Mass. in a typical 30 year old colonial with gas, forced hot water
heating on two zones.

Have always had the Honeywell mechanical thermostats for each zone. The
ones with the bi-metallic coiled spring with the Mercury switch vial on
the top.

For 30 years, my wife was always complaining about the large temp swings
that would occur in most of the rooms.

I tried playing with the heat anticipator, but nothing really changed.

Well, this year I finally broke down and put in two Honeywell digital
thermostats.

All I can say is Wow.
(no, I don't work for Honeywell)

No matter when you look at them, the set point is exactly the same as the
resultant room temp.
No more wide fluctuations.
Simply terrific.

Probably due to a very tight hysterersis loop characteristic on the new
thermostats.
(resulting in much tighter control)

Don't like the idea that it requires a battery, but heck, I can probably
remember to change it once a year.

A good question is whether I will be paying more for heat now.
The old furnace mode was, of course, wide temp swings with the furnace
going on and off rarely, but staying on longer.

vs.,

Now, with very frequent on-offs, but shorter actual furnace runs each
time.

Have no idea how this relates to actual heating costs, or efficiency ?
Comments ?

Anyway, for anyone still using the old Mercury ones, my suggestion is to
really consider getting one of these new digital ones.

Bob

On Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:57:18 -0500, "Robert11"
wrote:

Hello,

Have received so many really good answers to problems and questions I've
posted in the past, thought I would post something positive, for once. So,
I'll share my experience on this subject with everyone.

Live in Mass. in a typical 30 year old colonial with gas, forced hot water
heating on two zones.

Have always had the Honeywell mechanical thermostats for each zone. The
ones with the bi-metallic coiled spring with the Mercury switch vial on the
top.

For 30 years, my wife was always complaining about the large temp swings
that would occur in most of the rooms.

I tried playing with the heat anticipator, but nothing really changed.

Well, this year I finally broke down and put in two Honeywell digital
thermostats.

All I can say is Wow.
(no, I don't work for Honeywell)

No matter when you look at them, the set point is exactly the same as the
resultant room temp.
No more wide fluctuations.
Simply terrific.

Probably due to a very tight hysterersis loop characteristic on the new
thermostats.
(resulting in much tighter control)

Don't like the idea that it requires a battery, but heck, I can probably
remember to change it once a year.

A good question is whether I will be paying more for heat now.
The old furnace mode was, of course, wide temp swings with the furnace going
on and off rarely, but staying on longer.

vs.,

Now, with very frequent on-offs, but shorter actual furnace runs each time.

Have no idea how this relates to actual heating costs, or efficiency ?
Comments ?

Anyway, for anyone still using the old Mercury ones, my suggestion is to
really consider getting one of these new digital ones.

Bob


I replaced my mercury-switches 8 years ago with two Honeywell
Programmable thermostats (separate systems for each level). They
work great and I use both A/C and heating with these. For winter I
lower temperatures to low 40's at night and it's set to rise to
65-degrees when I get up at 6 AM. This temperature difference seems
natural and saves a lot of energy. Set it once and forget it.

Robert11 wrote:
....
No matter when you look at them, the set point is exactly the same as the
resultant room temp.
No more wide fluctuations.
Simply terrific.
....

You should not always trust the temperature display on thermostats:

I have found one thermostat (Carrier) that actually changed the displayed
room temperature when you changed the set point without turning on
the furnace! This only happened in certain situations when you
increased the set point by only one degree. The furnace would not
turn on and the display would change about a minute later. But it was
consistent and repeatable in its behavior.

That said, almost any digital thermostat is far superior to
any mechanical one.

....

A good question is whether I will be paying more for heat now.
The old furnace mode was, of course, wide temp swings with the furnace going
on and off rarely, but staying on longer.

vs.,

Now, with very frequent on-offs, but shorter actual furnace runs each time.


It is hard to compare. It is "an apples vs. oranges" comparison:
To do your cost comparison, do you compare the heating costs when
you set the new thermostat to
the minimum of the previous temperature swings?
the maximum? or somewhere in between?

Have no idea how this relates to actual heating costs, or efficiency ?
Comments ?

Anyway, for anyone still using the old Mercury ones, my suggestion is to
really consider getting one of these new digital ones.

And don't forget to properly dispose of the old one. Mercury is
hazardous waste and should not be put in landfill.


Bob

M Q wrote:

You should not always trust the temperature display on thermostats:

The Honeywell pro models have a display adjustment where the installer can add a
positive or negative offset to the displayed room temp!

--
"Tell me what I should do, Annie."
"Stay. Here. Forever." - Life On Mars

On Nov 19, 8:21 am, Rick Blaine wrote:
M Q wrote:
You should not always trust the temperature display on thermostats:

The Honeywell pro models have a display adjustment where the installer can add a
positive or negative offset to the displayed room temp!

--
"Tell me what I should do, Annie."
"Stay. Here. Forever." - Life On Mars

Short cycling will put more wear on components and reduce efficency a
on your unit. It takes time to warm up a unit to full eficiency. How
many times it runs an hour and you comfort will determine what is
best. If it runs only five minutes or so then it never reaches full
efficency. While you had to large a swing before you may have none now
which can be adjusted with your new thermostat. Try increasing the
temp differential and see what you can live with. I increase mine till
im uncomfortable then cut it back a bit

Rick Blaine wrote:

M Q wrote:


You should not always trust the temperature display on thermostats:


The Honeywell pro models have a display adjustment where the installer can add a
positive or negative offset to the displayed room temp!

That's fine. But in this case the offset varied from minute to minute!
I would call it measurement fraud.

Robert11 wrote:
Hello,

Have received so many really good answers to problems and questions
I've posted in the past, thought I would post something positive, for
once. So, I'll share my experience on this subject with everyone.

Live in Mass. in a typical 30 year old colonial with gas, forced hot
water heating on two zones.

Have always had the Honeywell mechanical thermostats for each zone.
The ones with the bi-metallic coiled spring with the Mercury switch
vial on the top.

For 30 years, my wife was always complaining about the large temp
swings that would occur in most of the rooms.

I tried playing with the heat anticipator, but nothing really
changed.

Well, this year I finally broke down and put in two Honeywell digital
thermostats.

All I can say is Wow. (no, I don't work for Honeywell)

No matter when you look at them, the set point is exactly the same as
the resultant room temp. No more wide fluctuations. Simply terrific.

Probably due to a very tight hysterersis loop characteristic on the
new thermostats. (resulting in much tighter control)

Don't like the idea that it requires a battery, but heck, I can
probably remember to change it once a year.

A good question is whether I will be paying more for heat now. The
old furnace mode was, of course, wide temp swings with the furnace
going on and off rarely, but staying on longer.

vs.,

Now, with very frequent on-offs, but shorter actual furnace runs each
time.

Have no idea how this relates to actual heating costs, or efficiency
? Comments ?

Anyway, for anyone still using the old Mercury ones, my suggestion is
to really consider getting one of these new digital ones.

Bob



Just last week, we had a new A/C unit installed in our house, which
necessitated a new thermostat. The old Honeywell mercury deal was
replaced with a Trane electronic deal, which I'm told is just a
private-labeled Honeywell unit.

It seems to be able to control the furnace so that there's less than a
degree of temperature swing, without causing the furnace to run too
often. I agree, it's great.

I don't have any idea if it's saving me any money or not, although I did
program the unit with a modified version of the "energy star" default
settings it comes with (my idea of a comfortable ambient room
temperature is a few degrees cooler than those programmed in by default;
I also bumped up the default A/C temps a little to try to save some
ducats in the summer.) I guess I'll find out over the next couple
months, when I can compare this winter's gas bills to last year's.

nate

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