I had requested a Honeywell (or American Standard branded equivalent) Two stage / 7 day programmable thermostat for my 2 stage furnace. Instead the professional HVAC company installed a "Braeburn" two stage /
7 day (model 5100). I've never heard of Braeburn and indeed the trademark office says it has only been used in commerce since 2002, strangely registered to an individual not a company.
Besides being a pain to program, are there any disadvantages to having this thermostat instead of the Honeywell? I'm a bit disappointed but really can't hold their feet to the fire since the contract didn't explicitly say "Honeywell." I really liked my Honeywell 3500, but that is only 1 stage 'stat. Thanks!
If you specificaly stated Honeywell, then demand Honeywell . I will guess Baybum is new China crap. My nice Lux does not compare to Honywell. alot of cheap junk out there.
To clarify, I requested Honeywell verbally although the written contract does just say programmable 7 day 2 stage (no brand mentioned), so I'm afraid I can't hold them to the fire for that. Now I am just wondering if the Braeburn is a decent 'stat or if it's cheap rip off. One little thing I like about the Honeywell (besides the easy to use buttons and programming) is the indication that the 'stat is calling for heat.
Executive summary ============= There is a common misperception that all electronic thermostats offer the same level of comfort. To dispel this misperception, Honeywell1 conducted what is believed to be the industry's most comprehensive comparison testing ever on the performance of residential electronic thermostats. Twelve thermostat models (with three thermostats from each model) were tested from Honeywell, Totaline, White-Rodgers, Lux, Invensys and Braeburn.
The testing, conducted in accordance with National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) standards, revealed major differences in electronic thermostat performance and the ability to provide consistent, reliable comfort. The testing looked at temperature swing and droop.
Honeywell thermostats allowed the least amount of temperature swing and temperature droop of any manufacturer tested. Honeywell permitted, at the most, a 0.5 degree F temperature swing. The competition allowed, at the most, a temperature swing of 1.9 degrees F (White-Rodgers), 3.2 degrees F (Totaline), 4.1 degrees F (Lux), 4.4 degrees F (Invensys), and 6.7 degrees F (Braeburn).
Honeywell permitted, at the most, a temperature droop of 0.2 degrees F. The competition allowed, at the most, a temperature droop of 0.4 degrees F (White-Rodgers), 0.5 degrees F (Lux), 1.2 degrees F (Invensys), 1.4 degrees F (Braeburn), and
Braeburn is a fairly new company. It remains to be seen how their products fair against the likes of Honeywell.
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Braeburn Systems LLC is the fastest growing wholesale thermostat manufacturer in the United States. Founded in 2001, Braeburn Systems manufactures digital electronic thermostats and controls for installation by professional contractors. Braeburn® controls are manufactured in our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in China which is ISO 9001 and QS 9000 rated for the highest assurance of quality. Our modern distribution center is located at the UPS Supply Chain Solutions Logistics Center in Louisville, Kentucky and serves all of our customers worldwide. Braeburn System's corporate office is located in Montgomery, Illinois.
Braeburn® products are available to professional contractors through our network of HVACR and Plumbing distributors throughout North America. For more information on Braeburn® products, the name of a local sales representative or a distributor in your area you can contact our sales department at 1-866-268-5599.
They haven't been around that long, so no track record. Strike One. You already find it a pain to program. Strike Two. You asked for a Honeywell unit, and you're familiar with Honeywell units. Strike Three
IMHO, you should ask politely that the unit be changed out for a Honeywell (there are lots of models, so I'd recommend being pretty specific so you don't get some low-end model). If they balk (a decent operation shouldn't, but you never know) offer to change the unit out yourself, or maybe sweeten the pot to help offset the labor (after all, the hardware cost ain't the issue, but the additional truck roll costs 'em money).
No, it did NOT. According to OP, the written contract merely said "a"
2-stage prgrammable stat. He made an oral request to modify a written contract. He seems to recognize the problem with that.
Unless they explicitly agreed to the upgrade, there is nothing to enforce, and if they did how do you prove it since the written record says otherwise.
Formally, this should have been done in writing: "How much extra for a Honeywell Model _____ ". At this point its "oh well". I don't see at all that he "deserves" a replacement stat for free, maybe he can work out a deal if he asks nice, but why bother. How often does he program it? Use this one, and if he doesn't get used to it change it next year.
I don't see it being a big deal.
-v.
Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file.
V , I get allot of work contracted, If I ask for something an get an acknowledgement, I get it or I do not pay. The lady asked, they did not say NO. She should get what she wants, it is her house.
We have an unmarked (no brand name) thermostat. were not given the code by the previous owner, who was slipping into dementia. How to program it! Keeps saying, system locked, etc. It's on auto right now, but it just showed the temp to have dropped 5 degrees in about 5 minutes. This even possible?
No it's not possible. You'll have to move out - quickly!
or...
Go buy a thermostat that comes with a manual. I don't know your financial situation, but you can get programable thermostats for under $30.
This is not a recommendation, just an example to show that they exist:
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In most cases, they are quite easy to install. The vast majority of thermostats use a standard set of letter coded terminals.
The manual will explain how to install it, but in general, it goes like this:
Shut off the power to the system.
Pop off the front of the old stat.
Take a picture(s) of how the current wires are hooked up. Make sure you get the letter codes and which color wire is attached to each. Write it down too. Can't hurt.
Remove the wires, making sure they don't fall into the wall, then remove the old mounting plate.
Mount the new mounting plate and attach the wires.
Pop the new stat on.
Power up the system.
Spend more time trying to figure out how to program the stat than it took to install it.
Or pop the cover off the existing one and see if there is make and model identification inside so they can find the manual on the internet. But if it showed the temp dropping in 5 minutes for no reason, it's probably kaput. i like the Honeywell Vision Pro series.
Consumer Reports has this rated as a Best Buy at $50. Emerson 1F83C-11PR It doesn't automatically adjust for daylight saving time. Home Depot and Walmart are supposed to have them. Some of the fancier ones are $200 or so.
I wonder if it really did drop 5 in 5. Could be Sharon doesn't know how to read it. Can never be sure when we get so little information.
My Nest displays the Set temperature, not the room temp, in big bold numbers, right in the middle of the display. You can see it from across the room. The room temp is shown in little numbers. In this image, it doesn't even show the room temp because it matches the Set temp. If the room temp changed, it would show in little numbers near the top. (My model doesn't even have the lines) The key point is the the big 70 displayed is the set temp, not the room temp. I wish it was the other way around.
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Can be confusing if you assume that the prominent display is the room temp. Could be that Sharon noticed eg 75° drop to 70° because the Set temp changed automatically. She didn't say whether she watched it drop degree by degree or if she looked once and then looked again 5 minutes later.
One would almost have to be outside when a cool front hits to have an actual 5 degree drop. That would sometimes come with a lot of bright flashes and noise.
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