How do you know if you need a new thermostat?

JJ_4

I just replaced my old Honeywell T87 (the round type, probably 30-40 years old) with a digital round one from Honeywell...it fit in the paint "hole" left by the old one and works great. Much more accurate and easy for the kids to use. $50 at HD.

http://www.honeywell-thermostat.com/honeywell/t8775-thermostat.htm

Maybe there is a similar model for your rectangular application.

dcha

How do you know if you need a new thermostat?

My thermostat is a little suspect. Aside from it being really old, I think there are times when the boiler doesn't kick in when it should (maybe a calibration problem)?

I'm looking for something simple to use and easy to install. Programmable is nice to have but not a must. Any recommendations?

Brad White

Honeywell

has a nice line which use "smart recovery" (I think that is their trade term). The thermostat senses how long it takes to get the house to temperature during warm-up and remembers if it fell short or arrived too soon. Basically you set the time for WHEN you want the house to be at temperature and it figures out an optimum start-time.

While I have a mixed opinion on setback use, at least here in MA you cannot use non-programmable thermostats although you can still sell them :P

Plumb Bob

People tend to suspect the thermostat whenever there is any problem. This is because the thermostat is the part they actually see and interact with; the rest is hidden in the basement.

If your boiler 'doesn't kick in when it should' (what does 'should' mean?), maybe it's a problem in the boiler. Or maybe this is normal behavior to prevent the boiler from cycling too much.

Of course it is much cheaper to replace the stat than to pay for a service call, so you can certainly try it first, but you should be aware that this may not help.

Weezbo

when you say ,\" a little old...\"

what decade of what century might you be revering , ?

or is that incorrect to use that word in this instance?

not all "thermostats are created =",i guess is what i am eluding to in this instance....

ALH_4

Old thermostat

If it's as nice as this one you might replace it with a new electronic thermostat. Dispose of any mercury properly.

dcha

Thanks for your response. I think the stat needs to be replaced because it's 20+ years old. The temp gauge also seems inaccurate.

dcha

It's one of these:

http://www.gogeisel.com/geiselonline/support/Honeywell/T8090A_T8191A.pdf

dcha

that looks good! Thanks!