Thermostats come in handy in keeping those room temperatures regulated and comfortable. However, they can also be a hazard. Recently, there has been a recall of thermostats believed to have significant risk of starting fires to home users. Nevertheless, there are a lot of them
These control devices are used in a majority of homes. In a programmable thermostat, you can input several desired set points that function at different times of the day.
For example, you can program to have your air conditioning idle during the day when there are no occupants at home and to switch on just before you come home.The advantage is obviously savings for your power bills. It will be a similar case for commercial buildings; thermostats programmed in such a way to consider office occupancy.
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Advantages of a programmable thermostat
According to Energy Saver, the U.S. Department of Energy’s consumer resource, you can save up to 10 per cent of your annual energy bill by using a programmable thermostat.
During winter, you can allow temperatures in your house to drop below the norm by 10 degrees Fahrenheit when you are not at home or while sleeping. In Summer, you would allow the temperatures in your home to be above the norm and only set comfortable temperatures when you are at home or when you really need to. A manual thermostat may not be able to do this. It will require you to set temperatures while you are there physically. A programmable thermostat can be set in such a way cooling or heating starts just before you arrive or wake up. You can have up to six different set points that can be repeated every day.
You can choose either an electromechanical thermostat or a digital programmable thermostat. Our focus here is to show what we consider the best programmable thermostat under $50.
1. TX9600TS Programmable Large Touch Screen Thermostat
✔️ Easy to use touchscreen with large display. You can also lock using 4 digits to prevent unauthorized access.
✔️ You can program 4 set points and the installation is pretty easy
✔️ You can set high and low limit temperatures to stop heating or cooling activities
✔️ It’s possible to monitor energy usage, adjust swings and offsets. Swings helps you reduce cycling problems.
✔️ It is compatible with many HVAC system types (2 stage heating and 1 stage cooling systems) excluding those with 120V or 240V ac baseboard.
2. Honeywell 1 Week Programmable Thermostat
✔️ It can control temperatures to 1 degree Fahrenheit precision. You can choose temperature units preference between Celsius and Fahrenheit.
✔️ It has a digital display and can store one program with four set points for each day
✔️ It does not work with electric base boards HVACs
3. Orbit 83521 Clear Comfort Programmable Thermostat
✔️ It has a large beautiful and comfortable display
✔️ Consistent accurate temperature readings
✔️ It has 7 day programs with up to 4 set points per program. The copy feature makes programming very quick and easy.
✔️ Boasts of an early start feature that ensure set temperatures are achieved when required.
4. Honeywell RTH6450D1009 / E1 RTH6450D1009 5-1-1-Day Programmable Thermostat
✔️ It is compatible with HVAC and single stage pump systems
5. Honeywell RTH6360D1002 / E Programmable Thermostat
✔️ You can create a unique pattern for weekdays and a different program for weekends
✔️ It can alert you to change filters and batteries. See a guide on how to replace Honeywell thermostat batteries.
✔️ Your program is maintained even in cases of power loss
Both LUX and Honeywell have over a hundred years experience designing and manufacturing thermostats. Hence a majority of thermostats featured in our best programmable thermostat under $50 are either by LUX or Honeywell.
To achieve maximum efficient use of your thermostat and avoid false temperature readings, you should carefully consider the location where you install your thermostat. It should be away from direct sunlight and other places where external influences may adversely affect room temperatures.
You can check out our guide on smoke detectors to enhance your home safety.