Product Review And Giveaway: Honeywell Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat
Note: I received the RTH9580 Wi-Fi enabled thermostat from Honeywell in exchange for the review included in the post below. However, all experiences and opinions are 100% my own.
When we built our home ten years ago, our builder installed the most basic of thermostats. A sliding button switched the system between off, cool, and heat. Then there were the two buttons that allowed the user to turn up and down the set temperature.
That was it.
I knew there were thermostats out there with more features, but purchasing one was never a priority. So, we manually adjusted the thermostat whenever we left the house, and again when we returned.
Then along came the Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat from Honeywell.
The Installation
The thermostat not only comes with documentation that details the installation process, but it also points to videos on Honeywell’s website that walked me through the steps. I watched the video carefully, as the way my specific furnace was wired required me to move a couple wires on the furnace’s terminal block. I have to admit, I was a little wary about the process because doing anything with electrical wires isn’t a strong skill of mine. I became even more concerned when the terminal block on my furnace didn’t quite match what was shown in the video.
Thankfully, a support number is given as well. After emailing a picture of my terminal block to their support team, and a five minute conversation, I had all the information I needed to complete the installation. Less than 30 minutes later I had the new thermostat mounted on the wall, all necessary wiring redone, connected to my wi-fi and registered.
To be honest with you, once I turned the power back on to my furnace, and the thermostat lit up, I simply followed the directions on the unit. After I completed the setup, I went back and read through the documentation that came with the thermostat to make sure I didn’t forget anything.
Going Mobile
With everything up and running, I created an account on the website used to connect to and control the thermostat remotely. I then downloaded the free app onto both my smart phone as well as my iPad which gave me the ability to control my new thermostat from anywhere.
So. Freaking. Cool.
Options Galore
Here at CleverDude, we’re all about finding ways to save money AND to make life more enjoyable. How will this new thermostat help me do that?
- Automatic Temperature Control: I can set the temperature to automatically change several times a day to coincide with when we get up, when we get home from work, and when we go to sleep. No more forgetting to turn the heat down before leaving for work in the morning!
- Control From Anywhere: We leave on the weekends occasionally, and will set the thermostat to a temperature that will reduce our energy costs since nobody will be home anyway. The drawback is that in the summer, we come home to a hot house, and in winter to a cold one. With this new thermostat we can adjust the temperature on the car ride home and have the house be at our usual living temperature by the time we walk in the door.
- Alerts: Users can configure the app to send alerts to you for certain events such as if the temperature in your home goes above or below a certain temperature. These alerts can tell you if something is not right with your heating and cooling system when you’re far away. If that kind of emergency would happen, it may be time to call up the neighbors for some help.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be exploring all the options of my new thermostat, and learning just how to utilize them to maximize comfort, yet minimize my energy costs. It’ll be interesting to see as the months go by how much the RTH9580 Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat affects our energy costs!
I hope I got you excited about the possibilities of the thermostat, because the folks at Honeywell are providing another thermostat for me to give away to one lucky reader!
Just follow the directions below to enter by 11PM CST on Monday, April 28th and YOU could be that lucky reader. I’ll announce the winner on Friday, May 2nd.
I just ask one thing: Take a minute to do a little investigation to see if your home’s heating/cooling system is compatible with this crazy cool thermostat. Follow this link, and answer the questions under the “Home Compatibility†section. I’d hate for you to win, get the thermostat only to find out you can’t use it.
Good luck everyone!
Brock is a software engineer by day and personal finance blogger at night. He is a fitness junkie and enjoys grilling and smoking meat. Married with two children, Brock strives to improve his skills as a husband and father, and is always on the lookout to stretch his family’s budget as far as he can.
i usually keep it at 71
We keep our thermostat at 70.
Usually around 72
I usually keep it on 72!!
We set it to 65.
Normally 72 degrees or so.
I have a programmable thermostat, so the temperature varies. In the winter it is usually between 65 – 72. If it is lower, I manually turn it up.
Although, I have a programmable unit, I can not control it when I am not home. When I take long trips in the winter, I keep the temp at about 65. but this means I come home to a cold bed. With a WiFi thermostat, I could adjust the temp 24 hours before I arrive home….no more cold bed!!!!
We usually keep ours at 70 in the summer!
It is usually set at about 69. I would like it a little warmer in the winter, but hubby usually doesn’t like it warmer than that.
I like to keep my thermostat set at 68 degrees during the winter months
I try to keep mine close to 70 at all times
68 in the winter and 74 in the summer
I keep it around 75.
I usually have it at 70.
I keep it at 70.
Typically 70!