Lighten up and change your thermostat's battery once a year.

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary power outages,
etc, in case we are not around.

Do what everyone else does with these thermostats - put in new batteries when
Daylight Saving time rolls around. Why get all worked up about something that
is your own responsibility? You can get control systems that are fail-safe and
fool proof, but unless you have a seven figure income they may be priced beyond
your budget. Odds are your batteries had gone way beyond their stated effective
life, so if you tend to be forgetful, get the highest quality replacements on
the market.
Maybe a warning tag on your furnace filter compartment would be helpful for
next year. HTH

Joe

How would a power outage affect you , No Heat right, So get an automatic
backup generator, And if you are on vacation and your furnace breaks
down , then what. I guess you shouldnt go on vacation in winter unless
someone can check on your house. But they sell freeze alarms that will
call a # if it gets below 42, and dont forget the smoke alarm batteries

Ignoramus28269 wrote in news:bs9qob
:

Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And then
pipes would burst!

So.

My question is, are there replacement thermostats that are more
reliable than that POS. Perhaps a thermostat with a solar battery
built in (like my watch), or some such thing.

There are thermostats that are "power stealing". They get their power
from the furnace. Honeywell T8600, for example:

http://content.honeywell.com/yourhom...tats/T8600.htm

It also looks like they have a T8601 that can be wired directly to an AC
power source. There may also be other options out there.

Changing the batteries regularly is probably a less expensive and just as
reliable option.


I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary power
outages, etc, in case we are not around.

You're going to need an automatic standby generator and a reliable fuel
source (or one amazing UPS and a huge bank of batteries). The generators
start at around $3000 + installation and go up from there.

Doug

"Joe Bobst" wrote in message
...
Maybe a warning tag on your furnace filter compartment would be helpful
for
next year. HTH
Joe

Oh ****!!

You mean there is a filter, to be changed??

LOL


--
kjpro
_-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-_

( kjpro @ starband . net ) remove spaces to e-mail

Want it done yesterday? Or done right today, to save money tomorrow!!

_________________________ __

Ignoramus28269 wrote:

My question is, are there replacement thermostats that are more
reliable than that POS. Perhaps a thermostat with a solar battery
built in (like my watch), or some such thing.

The old round reliable one?

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary power
outages, etc, in case we are not around.

You could set a standard thermostat, at a lower temp, so that it would
only kick on in the event the main one failed.

It's always a good idea to have someone check up on your house while
away. We have someone water the plants and feed the fish once a
week. A quick check covers a host of emergency situations. Having
trusted neighbors makes a good place to live.


On 23 Dec 2003 16:33:15 GMT, Ignoramus28269
wrote:

Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And then
pipes would burst!

So.

My question is, are there replacement thermostats that are more
reliable than that POS. Perhaps a thermostat with a solar battery
built in (like my watch), or some such thing.

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary power
outages, etc, in case we are not around.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

i

On 23-Dec-2003, Phisherman wrote:

It's always a good idea to have someone check up on your house while
away. We have someone water the plants and feed the fish once a
week. A quick check covers a host of emergency situations.

Read the fine print in your insurance too. Some policies require
periodic visits while you're away; ours requires one every 24h.

Mike

"Ignoramus28269" wrote in message
...
In article , Doug wrote:
Ignoramus28269 wrote in
news:bs9qob
:

Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

now if the thing beep'd to tell you it was low/dead you would be posting
here telling us this damn thermostat won't shut up ........

and so could any component on your heating system fail and " ruin " your
place.

lid (Ignoramus28269) wrote in
:

My question is, are there replacement thermostats that are more
reliable than that POS.

Sure. Here's the one you want:

http://content.honeywell.com/yourhom...ostats/T87.htm

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN |

On 23 Dec 2003 16:33:15 GMT, Ignoramus28269
wrote:

Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And then
pipes would burst!

So.

My question is, are there replacement thermostats that are more
reliable than that POS. Perhaps a thermostat with a solar battery
built in (like my watch), or some such thing.

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary power
outages, etc, in case we are not around.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

i

I could be wrong, but I thought most thermostats stay at a certain
temp when the batteries go out...maybe 55....cold yes, but won't break
anything.

Ignoramus28269 wrote in message
...
Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And then
pipes would burst!

I have a heat thermostat wired in parallel with the digital thermostat,
and a AC thermostat in series with it. This way if the temperature goes
above 24C the furnace will shut down (provided it's a control fault), or
below 10C the furnace will fire up.

Also, when we go away for more than a few days I shut off the pump, and
drain the pressure system. I then throw a couple thick blankets over the
pump and pressure tank. Down in the basement, it'd take a couple of weeks
to freeze anyways. (Basement is usually the last place to freeze up)

-- Charlie

"Punch" wrote in news:%Y1Gb.7254$d%1.1600823
@news20.bellglobal.com:


"Ignoramus28269" wrote in message
...
In article , Doug wrote:
Ignoramus28269 wrote in
news:bs9qob
:

Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

now if the thing beep'd to tell you it was low/dead you would be posting
here telling us this damn thermostat won't shut up ........

And that still doesn't help when it starts beeping the day after you've
left, when the rechargable battery fails because it has never been
replaced, or the thermostat just plain fails.

All of the programmable/setback thermostats I've seen were powered from the
furnace control 24V power, with a 9V battery to save the clock and settings
through a power outage. I'd never buy (or keep) one that was battery only,
for just the situation the OP described.

If you read your house insurance policy, you will most likely find a clause
that says you MUST have the house checked at least once every 48 or 72 hours
to ensure that there are no leaks and that the heat is still running. If you
don't have the house checked by someone, and you cannot prove you did, the
insurance company will walk away from you, refusing to pay any claims if
there is any damage caused by the things that they say must be checked.

"Ignoramus28269" wrote in message
...
Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And then
pipes would burst!

So.

My question is, are there replacement thermostats that are more
reliable than that POS. Perhaps a thermostat with a solar battery
built in (like my watch), or some such thing.

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary power
outages, etc, in case we are not around.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

i

Work for a battery manufacturer do you. I just replaced my
thermostat battery when a problem with my furnace appeared.
The battery had no affect on the problem and was still
functioning. But it was 28 months old. Replaced the
battery in my battery operated smoke dector last week
thinking the tweet came from it. Nope it was a CO monitor I
forgot about, but left the new battery in the smoke detctor
anyway. The old battery was dated 01/24/01. The previous
battery last well over 2 years also. Several years ago I
started putting a piece of masking tape on all batteries
with the replacement date, so I would have some idea how
long they lasted. Well, know I know. Changing ever year is
a waste of time, and changing every 6 months is a waste of
resources.

If the guy is worried, he should change the batteries in
critical equipment before he leaves. I don't, but then I
check the date on the battery and the operation of the item.

Joe Bobst wrote:

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary power outages,
etc, in case we are not around.

Do what everyone else does with these thermostats - put in new batteries when
Daylight Saving time rolls around. Why get all worked up about something that
is your own responsibility? You can get control systems that are fail-safe and
fool proof, but unless you have a seven figure income they may be priced beyond
your budget. Odds are your batteries had gone way beyond their stated effective
life, so if you tend to be forgetful, get the highest quality replacements on
the market.
Maybe a warning tag on your furnace filter compartment would be helpful for
next year. HTH

Joe

Michael Daly wrote:

On 23-Dec-2003, Phisherman wrote:

It's always a good idea to have someone check up on your house while
away. We have someone water the plants and feed the fish once a
week. A quick check covers a host of emergency situations.

Read the fine print in your insurance too. Some policies require
periodic visits while you're away; ours requires one every 24h.

Mike

I'd dump that insurance and buy something reasonable. More
reasonable insurance isn't sold for your area? Then, there
are probably all sorts of idiotic regulations and I would
move to a state that has a least some intelligent
legislators.

Bull ****. What kind of insurance, $24 a year for a
$100,000 house? Than isn't insurance, it is a legal
agreement to regulate your life style, and it isn't
reasonable. People are away from their houses longer than
that on a regular basis.

Eric Tonks wrote:

If you read your house insurance policy, you will most likely find a clause
that says you MUST have the house checked at least once every 48 or 72 hours
to ensure that there are no leaks and that the heat is still running. If you
don't have the house checked by someone, and you cannot prove you did, the
insurance company will walk away from you, refusing to pay any claims if
there is any damage caused by the things that they say must be checked.

"Ignoramus28269" wrote in message
...
Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And then
pipes would burst!

So.

My question is, are there replacement thermostats that are more
reliable than that POS. Perhaps a thermostat with a solar battery
built in (like my watch), or some such thing.

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary power
outages, etc, in case we are not around.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

i

I've had the same batteries in my 3 thermostats for 6 years with no
problem. Pretty amazing when I think about it. I know they still
work because usually once every year, the float gets stuck in the
condensation pump on one of them and that causes the safety to cut
power to the furnace and the thermostat goes on battery till I fix it
(clean out the algae). I have 3 separate HVAC systems. Wouldn't
screw around if I only had 1.



"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...
Work for a battery manufacturer do you. I just replaced my
thermostat battery when a problem with my furnace appeared.
The battery had no affect on the problem and was still
functioning. But it was 28 months old. Replaced the
battery in my battery operated smoke dector last week
thinking the tweet came from it. Nope it was a CO monitor I
forgot about, but left the new battery in the smoke detctor
anyway. The old battery was dated 01/24/01. The previous
battery last well over 2 years also. Several years ago I
started putting a piece of masking tape on all batteries
with the replacement date, so I would have some idea how
long they lasted. Well, know I know. Changing ever year is
a waste of time, and changing every 6 months is a waste of
resources.

If the guy is worried, he should change the batteries in
critical equipment before he leaves. I don't, but then I
check the date on the battery and the operation of the item.

Joe Bobst wrote:

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary
power outages,
etc, in case we are not around.

Do what everyone else does with these thermostats - put in new
batteries when
Daylight Saving time rolls around. Why get all worked up about
something that
is your own responsibility? You can get control systems that are
fail-safe and
fool proof, but unless you have a seven figure income they may be
priced beyond
your budget. Odds are your batteries had gone way beyond their
stated effective
life, so if you tend to be forgetful, get the highest quality
replacements on
the market.
Maybe a warning tag on your furnace filter compartment would be
helpful for
next year. HTH

Joe

In most states, homeowner's insurance is regulated and they would not
get away with crap like that but perhaps in some state they can....


"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...
Bull ****. What kind of insurance, $24 a year for a
$100,000 house? Than isn't insurance, it is a legal
agreement to regulate your life style, and it isn't
reasonable. People are away from their houses longer than
that on a regular basis.

Eric Tonks wrote:

If you read your house insurance policy, you will most likely find
a clause
that says you MUST have the house checked at least once every 48
or 72 hours
to ensure that there are no leaks and that the heat is still
running. If you
don't have the house checked by someone, and you cannot prove you
did, the
insurance company will walk away from you, refusing to pay any
claims if
there is any damage caused by the things that they say must be
checked.

"Ignoramus28269" wrote in
message
...
Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and
quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it
started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And
then
pipes would burst!

So.

My question is, are there replacement thermostats that are more
reliable than that POS. Perhaps a thermostat with a solar
battery
built in (like my watch), or some such thing.

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary
power
outages, etc, in case we are not around.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

i

Read your policy -- you may find surprises.


"Art Begun" wrote in message
ink.net...
In most states, homeowner's insurance is regulated and they would not
get away with crap like that but perhaps in some state they can....


"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...
Bull ****. What kind of insurance, $24 a year for a
$100,000 house? Than isn't insurance, it is a legal
agreement to regulate your life style, and it isn't
reasonable. People are away from their houses longer than
that on a regular basis.

Eric Tonks wrote:

If you read your house insurance policy, you will most likely find
a clause
that says you MUST have the house checked at least once every 48
or 72 hours
to ensure that there are no leaks and that the heat is still
running. If you
don't have the house checked by someone, and you cannot prove you
did, the
insurance company will walk away from you, refusing to pay any
claims if
there is any damage caused by the things that they say must be
checked.

"Ignoramus28269" wrote in
message
...
Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and
quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it
started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And
then
pipes would burst!

So.

My question is, are there replacement thermostats that are more
reliable than that POS. Perhaps a thermostat with a solar
battery
built in (like my watch), or some such thing.

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary
power
outages, etc, in case we are not around.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

i

On 23-Dec-2003, "George E. Cawthon" wrote:

I'd dump that insurance and buy something reasonable. More
reasonable insurance isn't sold for your area?

At a higher price? - yes.

It's not so bad to find someone who can look in - we are on good
terms with our neighbours. For longer periods, we get someone
to stay over - nieces or nephews do it to be on their own for a
while. No party disasters so far.

Then, there
are probably all sorts of idiotic regulations and I would
move to a state that has a least some intelligent
legislators.

I don't live in a state and I don't think any legislators have
dictated the terms of the home insurance I have. YMMV

Mike

Wow! I thought my 34 month battery (9 V) was pretty good.

Art Begun wrote:

I've had the same batteries in my 3 thermostats for 6 years with no
problem. Pretty amazing when I think about it. I know they still
work because usually once every year, the float gets stuck in the
condensation pump on one of them and that causes the safety to cut
power to the furnace and the thermostat goes on battery till I fix it
(clean out the algae). I have 3 separate HVAC systems. Wouldn't
screw around if I only had 1.

The same goes for those that insist a trip leaves a house
unoccupied and therefore subject to other insurance
criteria.

Art Begun wrote:

In most states, homeowner's insurance is regulated and they would not
get away with crap like that but perhaps in some state they can....

"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...
Bull ****. What kind of insurance, $24 a year for a
$100,000 house? Than isn't insurance, it is a legal
agreement to regulate your life style, and it isn't
reasonable. People are away from their houses longer than
that on a regular basis.

Not likely, since read it periodically and just finished
reading it. I might be surprised by the way they interpret
some phrases. Insurance is primarily for fire and other
destruction of the house, theft, and liability. So lots of
things are not covered. And, Yes, if you have broken pipes
and water ruins the house from freezing, it isn't covered.
If you get freezing damage and the house was heated, they
will pay. But my policy makes no demands on how often you
check on the house, or how long you are gone.

I was surprised by a friend who showed me that the tries on
her new Explorer were not covered for road damage (she got a
puncture from the a rock and the rock stuck in the tire).
Surprised me too that there is no road hazard coverage for
the original tires on my truck (3 years old). Cheap, but
can't avoid it with new cars. However, I would never buy a
tire that didn't have a road hazard warrantee.

Eric Tonks wrote:

Read your policy -- you may find surprises.

"Art Begun" wrote in message
ink.net...
In most states, homeowner's insurance is regulated and they would not
get away with crap like that but perhaps in some state they can....


"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...
Bull ****. What kind of insurance, $24 a year for a
$100,000 house? Than isn't insurance, it is a legal
agreement to regulate your life style, and it isn't
reasonable. People are away from their houses longer than
that on a regular basis.

Yeah ... and I've been trying to get my wife to buy the line that my not
wanting to do the dishes and dust furniture is "an act of God," seeing
that no other hetero guy in history has ever been predisposed to do such
things. But she ain't biting.

But Lord forbid that there be some big spider on the ceiling that needs
squishing or someone has to drag their ass up a ladder to scoop out all
the squishy, mucky leaves and whirlygigs out of the gutters wice a year.

Sigh.

AJS.

In article ,
"George E. Cawthon" wrote:

Not likely, since read it periodically and just finished
reading it. I might be surprised by the way they interpret
some phrases. Insurance is primarily for fire and other
destruction of the house, theft, and liability. So lots of
things are not covered. And, Yes, if you have broken pipes
and water ruins the house from freezing, it isn't covered.
If you get freezing damage and the house was heated, they
will pay. But my policy makes no demands on how often you
check on the house, or how long you are gone.

I was surprised by a friend who showed me that the tries on
her new Explorer were not covered for road damage (she got a
puncture from the a rock and the rock stuck in the tire).
Surprised me too that there is no road hazard coverage for
the original tires on my truck (3 years old). Cheap, but
can't avoid it with new cars. However, I would never buy a
tire that didn't have a road hazard warrantee.

Eric Tonks wrote:

Read your policy -- you may find surprises.

"Art Begun" wrote in message
ink.net...
In most states, homeowner's insurance is regulated and they would not
get away with crap like that but perhaps in some state they can....


"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...
Bull ****. What kind of insurance, $24 a year for a
$100,000 house? Than isn't insurance, it is a legal
agreement to regulate your life style, and it isn't
reasonable. People are away from their houses longer than
that on a regular basis.

Ignoramus28269 wrote:

Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And then
pipes would burst!

So.

My question is, are there replacement thermostats that are more
reliable than that POS. Perhaps a thermostat with a solar battery
built in (like my watch), or some such thing.

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary power
outages, etc, in case we are not around.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

i
A. How long was the original battery in?
B. You could change the battery at the start of each heating season.

On 23 Dec 2003 20:08:44 GMT, someone wrote:

In article , Doug wrote:

The thermostat that can fail without warning...
i

ANYTHING "could" fail without warning.

But your thermostat DID NOT.

In fact, it didn't "fail" at all. Neither did it give no warning.

Instead, it warned you that it had a low battery. How long were you
planning on going on vacation for? If it was only 2 weeks or so, it
probably would have still been saying "low battery" when you got back.

Do you get this hysterical about everything?

BTW, I note that your original post said something like you "had to"
go on vacation. Interesting passive aggressiv phrasing. Like to make
sure everybody knows you did nothing voluntarily, so therefore nothing
could possibly your "fault"?

-v.

"David W." wrote:

"Punch" wrote in news:%Y1Gb.7254$d%1.1600823
@news20.bellglobal.com:


"Ignoramus28269" wrote in message
...
In article , Doug wrote:
Ignoramus28269 wrote in
news:bs9qob
:

Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

now if the thing beep'd to tell you it was low/dead you would be posting
here telling us this damn thermostat won't shut up ........

And that still doesn't help when it starts beeping the day after you've
left, when the rechargable battery fails because it has never been
replaced, or the thermostat just plain fails.

All of the programmable/setback thermostats I've seen were powered from the
furnace control 24V power, with a 9V battery to save the clock and settings
through a power outage. I'd never buy (or keep) one that was battery only,
for just the situation the OP described.

I'm sure that someone from the alt.hvac could respond to this, but I have been
in over 300 houses as a buyer of distressed property and also as a property
manager, and I have yet to see a thermostat with a 9v battery. The only "power
stealing" electronic ones I have seen are the Honeywell Chronotherm III (and
now IV) which cost upwards of $150.

That said, a decent set of batteries usually lasts me 2-3 years in the
thermostats in my rentals.

JK

Ignoramus28269 wrote:
Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And then
pipes would burst!

Turn off the water, gas, and electricity before you leave, doofus.

JerryMouse wrote:

Ignoramus28269 wrote:
Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And then
pipes would burst!

Turn off the water, gas, and electricity before you leave, doofus.

If you're going to shut off the heat, the pipes should be drained.

Here is a tire surprise. If you buy a Chrysler extended warranty.....
say for 7 years. You can include a tire option. The tire option only
covers original tires.



"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...
Not likely, since read it periodically and just finished
reading it. I might be surprised by the way they interpret
some phrases. Insurance is primarily for fire and other
destruction of the house, theft, and liability. So lots of
things are not covered. And, Yes, if you have broken pipes
and water ruins the house from freezing, it isn't covered.
If you get freezing damage and the house was heated, they
will pay. But my policy makes no demands on how often you
check on the house, or how long you are gone.

I was surprised by a friend who showed me that the tries on
her new Explorer were not covered for road damage (she got a
puncture from the a rock and the rock stuck in the tire).
Surprised me too that there is no road hazard coverage for
the original tires on my truck (3 years old). Cheap, but
can't avoid it with new cars. However, I would never buy a
tire that didn't have a road hazard warrantee.

Eric Tonks wrote:

Read your policy -- you may find surprises.

"Art Begun" wrote in message
ink.net...
In most states, homeowner's insurance is regulated and they
would not
get away with crap like that but perhaps in some state they
can....


"George E. Cawthon" wrote in
message
...
Bull ****. What kind of insurance, $24 a year for a
$100,000 house? Than isn't insurance, it is a legal
agreement to regulate your life style, and it isn't
reasonable. People are away from their houses longer than
that on a regular basis.

"Ignoramus28269" wrote in message
...
Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And then
pipes would burst!

So.

My question is, are there replacement thermostats that are more
reliable than that POS. Perhaps a thermostat with a solar battery
built in (like my watch), or some such thing.

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary power
outages, etc, in case we are not around.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

i


Install an old electromechanical (bimetallic strip) thermostat in hidden
location, such as inside an interior closet, and wire it in PARALLEL with
existing thermostat. Set it to 55 degrees.

Ignoramus3686 wrote:

In article m, C G wrote:
JerryMouse wrote:

Ignoramus28269 wrote:
Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And then
pipes would burst!

Turn off the water, gas, and electricity before you leave, doofus.

If you're going to shut off the heat, the pipes should be drained.

Is there an assurance that water will drain from all nooks of pipes,
etc?

No.

For example.

I have a refrigerator with water cooler. Will water drain from there?
No.

The proposed solution will not work.

Draining the pipes before shutting off the heat in northern climates is
pretty standard. If there are some things in need of individual
attention, deal with them.

"Ignoramus28269" wrote in message
...
Recently, one day before we had to go on vacation, our house
thermostat quietly stopped telling the furnace to turn on and quietly
displayed a LOW BATTERY warning. We noticed it because it started
getting cold. A change of battery took care of it.

I am mad as hell. What if such a thing happened while we were on
vacation? The house would freeze! (we are in northern IL) And then
pipes would burst!

So.

My question is, are there replacement thermostats that are more
reliable than that POS. Perhaps a thermostat with a solar battery
built in (like my watch), or some such thing.

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary power
outages, etc, in case we are not around.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

i

Two things I do as I turn my clocks ahead and back, change the batteries in
my smoke detector, and in my Thermostat. The cost is minimal, the safety
factor isn't.

Dave

Then you take the older batteries and use them in something that isn't
critical and more likely to use the remaining charge, like a radio, or a R/C
toy, etc.

"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...
Work for a battery manufacturer do you. I just replaced my
thermostat battery when a problem with my furnace appeared.
The battery had no affect on the problem and was still
functioning. But it was 28 months old. Replaced the
battery in my battery operated smoke dector last week
thinking the tweet came from it. Nope it was a CO monitor I
forgot about, but left the new battery in the smoke detctor
anyway. The old battery was dated 01/24/01. The previous
battery last well over 2 years also. Several years ago I
started putting a piece of masking tape on all batteries
with the replacement date, so I would have some idea how
long they lasted. Well, know I know. Changing ever year is
a waste of time, and changing every 6 months is a waste of
resources.

If the guy is worried, he should change the batteries in
critical equipment before he leaves. I don't, but then I
check the date on the battery and the operation of the item.

Joe Bobst wrote:

I want my house to be more proofed for things like temporary power
outages,
etc, in case we are not around.

Do what everyone else does with these thermostats - put in new batteries
when
Daylight Saving time rolls around. Why get all worked up about something
that
is your own responsibility? You can get control systems that are
fail-safe and
fool proof, but unless you have a seven figure income they may be priced
beyond
your budget. Odds are your batteries had gone way beyond their stated
effective
life, so if you tend to be forgetful, get the highest quality
replacements on
the market.
Maybe a warning tag on your furnace filter compartment would be helpful
for
next year. HTH

Joe

That's fine for you, but my summer house is in an area where there are next
to no year round residents, probably one year round for every ten to fifteen
seasonal places. That makes for on busy, ****ed off neighbor in my eyes.

"Michael Daly" wrote in message
ble.rogers.com...
On 23-Dec-2003, "George E. Cawthon"
wrote:

I'd dump that insurance and buy something reasonable. More
reasonable insurance isn't sold for your area?

At a higher price? - yes.

It's not so bad to find someone who can look in - we are on good
terms with our neighbours. For longer periods, we get someone
to stay over - nieces or nephews do it to be on their own for a
while. No party disasters so far.

Then, there
are probably all sorts of idiotic regulations and I would
move to a state that has a least some intelligent
legislators.

I don't live in a state and I don't think any legislators have
dictated the terms of the home insurance I have. YMMV

Mike

In article pfoHb.217354$_M.954070@attbi_s54,
David Babcock wrote:

Two things I do as I turn my clocks ahead and back, change the batteries in
my smoke detector, and in my Thermostat. The cost is minimal, the safety
factor isn't.

Twice a year seems like overkill. I change all the smoke detector and
clock backup batteries between xmas & new years. Just yesterday to be
exact. My thermostat doesn't have a battery.
12 9v block batteries. 2 six packs from Sams.

--
Rich Greenberg Work: Rich.Greenberg atsign worldspan.com + 1 770 563 6656
N6LRT Marietta, GA, USA Play: richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507
Eastern time zone. I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67
Canines:Val(Chinook,CGC,TT), Red & Shasta(Husky,(RIP)) Owner:Chinook-L
Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/ Asst Owner:Sibernet-L

On 27-Dec-2003, "David Babcock" wrote:

That's fine for you, but my summer house is in an area where there are next
to no year round residents, probably one year round for every ten to fifteen
seasonal places. That makes for on busy, ****ed off neighbor in my eyes.

Ahhh, the cottage - hadn't thought of that, since I don't own one. Friends
of mine usually pay someone to look in regularly. In one case, a permanent
resident on a small road looks after all the houses on the road. Part of
walking the dog. It's about a kilometer stretch with a dozen or so lakeside
cottages. Such retirees often don't mind the extra few $ a month for an
easy task. These are year-round cottages on a road plowed in winter.
Where there's a will (and a few $) there's a way. And those $ may be cheaper
and more useful than a different insurance policy.

Mike

Rich Greenberg wrote:

In article pfoHb.217354$_M.954070@attbi_s54,
David Babcock wrote:

Two things I do as I turn my clocks ahead and back, change the batteries in
my smoke detector, and in my Thermostat. The cost is minimal, the safety
factor isn't.

Twice a year seems like overkill. I change all the smoke detector and
clock backup batteries between xmas & new years. Just yesterday to be
exact. My thermostat doesn't have a battery.
12 9v block batteries. 2 six packs from Sams.

--
Rich Greenberg Work: Rich.Greenberg atsign worldspan.com + 1 770 563 6656
N6LRT Marietta, GA, USA Play: richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507
Eastern time zone. I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67
Canines:Val(Chinook,CGC,TT), Red & Shasta(Husky,(RIP)) Owner:Chinook-L
Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/ Asst Owner:Sibernet-L

Manufactures usually start off with a recommendation to
freguently test critical battery operated devices and to
change batteries in other equipment when it starts to
operate poorly (duh). Then they jackup the recommendation
to include more frequent testing or to changing the
batteries at some arbitrary fixed interval. That usually
progresses to a recommendation to change batteries at an
even more frequent level to help sales and avoid any chance
of customer problems.

Your change frequency depends on the type batteries you
use. Regular, heavy duty, or the energizer type. Appliance
manufactures have to assume the lowest common denominator,
which is the regular battery, to avoid customer complaint
and law suits. For critical use, I think you should use
only the energizer type batteries, and you waste resources
if you change them as if they were regular batteries. The
logical thing to do is test how long the batteries will last
in that appliance by marking the date and then seeing when
they fail, because appliances vary in their power
requirements. After that, change them in response to your
tests.

How often do you change your razor blade, windshield wipers,
headlights, brake linings, water heater, electric stove
elements, or whatever? Would you recommend that people
change them on a specific time interval or when they wear to
an unacceptable performance? Oh, I didn't include tires
because manufactures are not suggesting that you change
tires on the basis of length not on the basis of use. Yep,
I expect my tires that are mostly in a garage run at less
than 70 percent of speed rating at temperatures that are
fairly low will deteriorate just a fast as tires left in the
sun subject to high humidity and high temperatures, and
often run near maximum speed ratings. Give me a break!