Ken-L

I have used one type or another of programmable thermostat for as long as I can remember.

Two years ago while doing some maintenance on my system, a tech shorted out a contact and burned up my thermostat. Of course they replaced it, but I had the option of choosing something different. That's when I discovered Big Blue!

Emerson/White-Rodgers makes Big Blue. It has every bell and whistle that I can use, and the features are wonderful! There are no buttons; it uses a touch screen. I chose the model that has a remote sensor which I had installed in our bedroom.

The remote and local sensors can work together and each can be set with a different "weight" so that during the day the emphasis is on the local sensor but at night it is on the remote. Or I can turn off either the remote or local sensor.

I keep the unit set for full auto, which means that it switches from heat to cool automatically. It also has an extra setting that runs the fan only for a few minutes every twenty minutes to circulate the air if there has been no request for heat or cool during that time. Where we live the temperatures can swing 50 or 60 degrees during the day, so the auto function is terrific.

I have upper and lower limits set so no one can exceed them without going into the Installer Menu (password protected). Then there is the best feature of all when the mercury really climbs. In the summer I set for a max of 75 during the day and 73 at night. But sometimes instead of the typical summer days of 90-100, we get to 115. That would keep the compressor running all day long! But not for Big Blue.

When enabled, Big Blue will raise the set point one degree every 20 minutes until the compressor turns off. I have it set for the most sensitive. So, now I can be away and not worry that the system will run continuosly in that heat.

Another handy feature is that when you temporarily raise or lower the set point you can tell it how long you want the temporary setting to last.

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"An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way." - Bukowski

jcjacob

Ken, these (types) of thermostats are awesome, aren't they?

I have nearly identical units from Bryant (the manufacturer of my heat pumps) and love them. Set them and forget then, letting them heat or cool as the temperature dictates.

Mine also have a vacation setting...so say I went away for a week in the winter, they could keep the house at 50 degrees, and then go back up to my normal 68 just before I walk back in the door.

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-John

Ken-L

They sure are John!

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"An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way." - Bukowski

Sidebyte

Ken,
I am familiar with the thermostat but I had to laugh remembering such apparatus before moving here to Colombia.

My house is located about 1,400 meters elev. one hour to the North of Medellin, Colombia. The coldest temp. ever recorder here was 45 deg F. and the daytime max. temp is about 80 deg F., we have 300 days a year at 70 deg. F. I live on a hillside on the edge of a 100 mile long canyon so I have a daily breeze blowing gently up or down the canyon. A large portion of our residence is a very large system of 4 outside patios overlooking the canyon below, not only a nice breeze but the view is spectacular.

My point....the only thermostats I have is on my instantaneous water heater and my gas oven, we have no heating or air conditioning systems in our houses.

Cheers!
Bill

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"Give up, I never gave up but my horse did, I think he's pulling a milk wagon in St. Louis"
Chief Dan George

jcjacob

Oh boy Bill, I remember those "no thermostat" days and I'm jealous.

I lived on Kauai for 4 years in the 1980, and had about the same temperatures you have there in Colombia.

The first time I had family come visit from the east coast, for two days they kept saying there was something strange about the house but they couldn't put their finger on it. On the 3rd morning, they realized what was 'odd' was that there were no cut-outs for heating registers or returns in the walls or floor!

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-John

Ken-L

My favorite climate is San Francisco!

Average Temperature by Month (ºF)
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.
48.7 52.2 53.3 55.6 58.1 61.5 62.7 63.7 64.5 61.0 54.8 49.4

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"An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way." - Bukowski

Sidebyte

Mark Twain.....the coldest winter I've ever experienced is the summer I spent in San Francisco?

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"Give up, I never gave up but my horse did, I think he's pulling a milk wagon in St. Louis"
Chief Dan George

Ken-L

I used to think Twain said it, but recently found he did not.....and no one seems to know why that was attributed to him, or who ever did say it.

This from Snopes.com

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"An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way." - Bukowski

Sidebyte

Really too bad he didn't say it because it fits.

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"Give up, I never gave up but my horse did, I think he's pulling a milk wagon in St. Louis"
Chief Dan George