Greetings:
I have a Hunter Digital Thermostat [Set and Save 110], and the relay makes a "click" noise every time the unit calls for heat. Their help department tells me that this is a normal function of this unit.
Is this a standard operation of all digital thermostats? If not, I will be making a change. I have an office setup within 15 feet of the unit, and the sound can distracting. Suggestions on a good replacement would be appreciated - heat only, for hot water baseboards.
Thanks,
Dave
Just stuff it full of cotton and cover the whole thermostat with duct tape.
Or else stuff your ears with cotton and wrap your whole head with duct tape.
Or both !!!!
my digital clicks
There are a few that use solid-state components to activate the HVAC equipment, and these may be described as having battery backup, but running on the voltage provided by the HVAC equipment. But most of the units are more universal in their design, so they work on the majority of control systems used on HVAC equipment.
Unfortunately, the best and most universal way to activate the HVAC equipment is with dry contacts, the kind that small relays have. Being an electro-mechanical device, when the contacts activate, there is some noise associated with that action. Some are noisier than others. The relays are small, the contacts are small, so to make a good connection they must really "snap" into position.
After a while, either you get used to it, or you move the thermostat around the corner to a room or space where you can't hear it anymore, and hope that the resulting temperature is still within your comfort zone.
The original Honeywell round thermostats use a mercury switch inside that's totally silent as it makes the connection, but this kind of unit is not digital and can't be programmed. I would not be surprised however to find that the Honeywell units are very quiet, if not silent, so it may be worth buying one and trying it out. If there's no improvement, or it's too noisy, you should be able to return it to the store where you purchased it.
Problem #1..Hunter and Lux, Cheapest of the Cheap. Garbage. Total complete, utter crap.
Yes, its normal for those to sound like a door being slammed shut.
Pretty much. Honeywell makes a few high end units that you cant just run out and buy that are fairly silent, but all use relays now of some sort...at least one on the board, and what you call distracting, most will not notice.
You might look at a Honeywell T8195 B 1009. It has setback provisions, a clock for allowing to setback the unit, and a fixed anticipator. It is also a mercury switch unit and is totally silent. It is very hard to locate outside of CA, but we use them all the time here in NC. Perhaps, one of the best mercury units other than the old T87F Honeywell, also known as The Round One.
Can you provide some more info? I have a Lux, and haven't had any problems with it (thus far). It's never made a noticeable click, to my knowledge.
Regards,
George Wenzel
a relay is a mechanical device. the fact that the thermostat is digital is irrelevant.
Yeah, I had a Hunter for 17 years, and it was crap. Yeah, it was terrible how much that unit saved me, I even installed it at a house I rented. The only reason I replaced it was its problem of making transition from heating to cooling. So after my mother was so pleased with how easy it was to use the Lux I had installed over three years ago, I replaced my Hunter with a Lux. I still use the Honeywell as a digital thermometer on the back porch. I also recently replaced a failed Honeywell with a Lux at the local United Way center.
Yep, they're crap. Not a lot of markup for the installers, either. I can see why they wouldn't like them.
Don't worry much, that was just the rantings of a "pro" who has been conditioned to disparage anything a DIYer might use. It helps them protect their markups.
Perhaps. I just had a humidifier installed on my furnace, and the installer mentioned that they had a thermostat/humidistat made by Lennox that could control everything in one place. Thankfully they weren't at all pushy in recommending it - they only mentioned that it was available. I nearly crapped my pants when they said it cost $450CDN.
I think I'll stick with the $45CDN Lux that I bought at Home Depot. It seems to be working just fine for me. :-)
Regards,
George Wenzel
This is Turtle.
The Clicking noise on digital thermostats are normal in this way. the upper end of the quality scale of thermostats really rarely make any Clicking noise. now the lower end of the digital thermostat quality scale will click on most all the models. Now all brands make low end equipment and high end equipment except Hunter, Lux, and Jade, which does not make high end equipment.
Now to Hunter, jade, and Lux being of any quality or not. They are just one of the boys down at the low end of the quality scale and it seems to me to have more trouble out of low end equipment at the lower end of the equipment scale. Now Honeywell, White Rogers, and Robert Shaw do make equipment in this low end equipment scale and i do see trouble out of them too, but not as much as Hunter, jade, and Lux with problems. This is my take on the thermostat game.
Now to the ideal of hvac people putting down Hunter, Jade, and Lux for they can be bought at any hardware stores all over and the hvac people wanting to sell you Honeywell, White Rogers, and Robert Shaw because you can't buy them and there is a better mark up on them. that is a bunch of bull for any major hardware stores [ Lowes, home depot, Southerlands, HobbyLobby, Ace, and Office Max ] all sell the honeywell, Robert Shaw, or White Rogers. What I'm tring to tell you is if your going to buy your own thermostat to put on yourself. Get the Honeywell, Robert Shaw, or White Rogers in the place of the Hunter, Jade, and Lux for just getting less trouble and i did not say no trouble. In my hvac business I see bad thermostats or malifuctioning thermostats as the years go by and 80% of these will be hunter, jade, or Lux and 20% will be Honeywell, Robert shaw, or White Rogers. now one note here and that is i see the least trouble out of Honeywell than any other brand. Now your going to have to pay about $5.00 to $10.00 more for a Honeywell but i think it is worth it.
TURTLE
CBHvac is a licensed HVAC guy. He hates anything that allows a homeowner to do something on their own, since if you can go out and buy your own thermostat and install it yourself he won't be able to charge you $300 for the stat + $120 to install it. In addition he won't be able to get a foot in your door to sell you new equipment you probably don't need.
I have a Hunter stat myself for over 2 years now, haven't even had to replace the batteries yet. My folks have had a Lux for at least 3 years now. Never a problem. I have however seen a Honeywell fail (that's why I have a Hunter stat now).
If CBHVAC had his way, you wouldn't even be able to buy air filters at the local hardware store: You'd be hiring and paying him $300 every three months to do the job.
Want proof? Look how most of the technical trades have "Apprenticeship" systems in place: It doesn't take 5-7 years to learn a trade like Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC, etc ... unless you're mentally retarded. The apprenticeship system is really just a regulator of sorts to keep supply and demand in check within the workforce under the guise that it somehow improves safety. Sadly, people who would otherwise be brilliant working certain trades are turned off by having to work under sub-standard wages for such a lengthy time.
Here in Ontario one has to go through 5 years of an Electrical Apprenticeship to get their license. By contrast to get their gas and oil licenses, they need only take a 4 week course (full time) and pass a test (50% is considered a pass, as I understand it). The instructors of these courses know what's going to be on the exam, and train the students only on that content since failures can get them fired. Why is gas and oil like this in Ontario, and Electrical is not? Because the labour rates in HVAC here were going through the roof. Electrical rates are on the rise too -- BUT they have a strong union here.
Sorry if these seems like a rant, but the constant self-serving whining by some of these so-called pros about how homeowners should just sit on their hands and do nothing really gets to me some times.
jim
if you study for 4 years you'll become an electrical engineer the material related to electrical work is covered in 2 or 3 courses (circuits,power and electromagnetics)
it's ridiculous that you have to be an apprentice for 5 years to learn the electrical code.
Replace over 10 a month... Honeywell...0.
What kind of information do you want? Why they fail?
Easy...many are due to simple installer error. The homeowner goes to Lowes and buys one and crosses C to W and smoke... They are also made as cheaply as can be. Open one up and you will find not a
1/3rd of what is in a honeywell....Robertshaw, or any other real stat. They are the most basic of off and on switches, and while many have good luck, and I cant see every unit ever put in, we replace on average 90% more Lux and Hunter stats than any other for reasons like: Blower wont cut off, normally the switch that controls it breaks inside. Unit will not maintain set temp: Thermister is reading wrong. Unit temp varies wildly: Same as above Unit will not come on: Either installer error, or just plain failure.
And even if it dies in a couple years, you can replace it 9 times before you get to the price of that wonderstat recommended by your installer.
Not all. I had one that did that (cant remember the name, something with an L) then I bought a Honeywell which is silent.
Yes that's it..Lux. I had a Lux which I actually loved and it worked great, BUT that click was annoying as my thermostat is in the hall right outside of my bedroom and I am a light sleeper. I actually did prefer the setup and ease of use of the Lux much better than the Honeywell I currently have.
Snip
Watch out Turtle...you will get called a pro defending his turf, even though you and I both have talked about it being ok for a person to do all the work he wants, since we are not threatened by the DIY...besides, without them, we would lose so much work in the way of fixing screwups..
Sigh...another idiot opens his mouth and inserts his foot..
Let me explain something....I am licenced, because its the law here. Do I agree with it? Nope. Do you think I enjoy forking over what it takes to keep that damn licence and insurance each and every year? The answer, is no.
Do I feel that I am more qualified to give an answer in regards to matters like this than you or some electrical engineer? Damn right.
Sigh...shows how little you know....
We sell filters, lets take 20X20X1...a very common size..for fifty freaking cents....you want a CASE? Thats 25 BTW... Pleated paper in the same size? about a buck. Labor to install....zero. You got it bubba...someone wants a filter changed out each month...(yea...its ever 30 days done correctly in this enviroment) we just work it into the work schedule and swing over and put it in... I cant tell you how many older folks we install them for at the first of each month....for free...I think I can afford a few bucks back to the people that have spent money with us, and trust us..
"Apprenticeship"
Funny thing is, it does not take that long to get a degree in HVAC...sorry... Anyone can do it...its finding someone to do it right, and take a bit of pride in it.
Sorry you havent found that kind of person yet.
Umm...no. In NYC for example, the only licence you must have is the EPA. There is no licence needed to work in the field. There are tons of hacks up there that will kindly take your money. Stormin Mormon is one.
I am anti union too...but if you had known anything about me, you would know that.
Good. It should. Really. You know what rips me? When some idiot thinks he knows what I do based on a couple of posts. Let me ask you something....did you work today? Seriously. Did you? I did. Ran 4 calls, and made zero. Why? Because it was all heat pump calls, except one, an oil unit that needed about 60 seconds of adjustment. The other 3 took a combined total of about 2 minutes to fix, and 20 each to set back up. It wasnt in my interest to charge them for that..... Thats how I work. I also installed 3 furnaces last month for folks that could not afford them, and when it came time to pay, I told them to have a great Christmas and went on...sorry...but when I tell someone to get a professional to look at it, it is for a reason.
Do I charge? Sure I do. I have to. Do I charge as much as the next guy? Not even. I have pics on my site right now, that proves why I say, HIRE A PRO...down on the bottom of the pics page, there is an installation that we were asked to look at....I am going to rip it all out, and replace it with new everything, CORRECTLY, for about half of what he was charged for an illegal and unsafe installation. Will I make money? Sure I will....but before you condem me for charging, when was the last time you worked for a couple of months, spent your own money on others, and did if for free? When you can say you gave your neighbor a furnace comepletely installed with permits and inpections and code updates for no reason other than they needed it and cant afford it, then you can blast me...till then, kiss my ass.
C G posted for all of us....
Go away, it's his opinion. It's as valid as yours; in fact more so because he's gonna see many more than you will. Oh yeh tell me what mark up he makes on this? Like nothing? Just giving his time & effort to answer.
I repeat -- go away.
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