Honeywell RTH9580WF Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat REVIEW
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Pinterest
Programmable thermostats have been on the market for years and it’s estimated that nearly 3 out of 4 homes in the US have WIFI Internet. The marriage of the two technologies is here with Honeywell RTH9585 thermostat.
After using the thermostat for 4 or 5 days, it became obvious to me that having control of the temperature in my home within arms’ reach anywhere-anytime was a very underrated convenience in my mind. I’m reminded of my grandpa who, when remote controls for televisions came out, ranted, “If a person is too lazy to get up and change the channel they don’t deserve to own a TV!” Well, needless to say, Gramps became a world-class channel flipper pretty quickly.
The scenarios in which a little more heat or air conditioning can add comfort are endless. Settled into your favorite recliner and feel a chill? No problem! No need to go to the thermostat to warm up. Just bump the temperature up a couple of degrees on your laptop or whatever device is handy. Or when a family member is in the bath, it’s so easy to warm up the house a bit for them before they step out to comfortably dry off. Have you ever been trying to hear a program or have a conversation with someone over the roar of your furnace? With a couple of touches on your phone … silence. The thermostat easily switches from heating to air-conditioning on the interface so whether there’s sweat on your brow or goosebumps on your arms the remedy is literally in the palm of your hand.
The user interfaces on the app and the website mirror each other and are simple to understand and use.
An effective money saving habit to develop is to monitor and control your system when you’re away. Many people adjust or program their thermostats when leaving the home. To take total control over your gas and electric bill try adjusting the temperature, 24/7, from basically anywhere in the world! One of the nicest benefits I’ve noticed is the ability to check the temp and kick the system on when en route to my humble abode.
Switching to the WIFI thermostat is particularly easy if your old one is powered. If it runs on batteries it could be an indication of some wiring challenges. The major difference in the newer generations of thermostats is the continuous power draw to operate them. A common 24-volt supply (often designated as a C wire) is required. If a C wire is not available you might find an unused wire in your bundle that can be used to provide your WIFI thermostat with uninterrupted power. Honeywell suggests a “G wire substitution” but this option will eliminate the ability to use your system fan to circulate independently of the heat and air.
The more you know about your system going in, the better. The Technical Support from Honeywell is only moderately helpful. The reps are equipped with stock answers and will not be able to assist with questions beyond basic installation. If you find yourself in a situation that requires a call for support, be sure to entertain yourself — as wait times approaching 30 minutes are likely.
Taking note or a photo of the letter codes on your old thermostat is helpful and it’s wise to take the cover off of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit to verify exactly which colors correspond to which letter. A sticker pack of ‘letter labels’ is provided to make the rewire process almost foolproof.
The actual controls and features are pretty standard compared to typically programmable thermostats. You’ll find four programs per 24-hour cycle; wake, leave, return, and sleep. Interestingly, the thermostat learns heating and cooling durations for your specific environment. It will turn on your system in advance of your programmed time so the target temperature is achieved at the specified time.
Being a web-based interface slight delays occur when operating remotely. As temperature adjustments and other changes are made, the signal from your device must travel to the Honeywell servers and to the thermostat before your heat or air unit responds. The particular router and broadband connection this reviewer used saw 5-second intervals from command to HVAC system response.
Outdoor and indoor temperatures and humidity are displayed on the touch-screen, which is quite helpful for use of this product. Other features include reminders to change your filter and configuration options for email warnings when maximum/minimum temperatures are reached and for WIFI connection failures.
The thermostat itself is quite attractive. It’s relatively small and offers several background display colors to choose from. Finding a color to compliment your room decor is fun and puts the cherry on top of a great product! At $179-$199, the RTH9585 is a solid investment to update your home while enjoying some modern perks and few extra dollars after paying the bills.
BUY FROM AMAZON
For more information, visit yourhome.honeywell.com.
Find Honeywell on Facebook and Twitter.
Originally published at macsources.com on November 27, 2017.
