This for an old lady in her 70's and I want this to be as simple as possible to setup and use.
I am replacing the existing thermostat, so a wired version would be preferred, will require batteries as I'm fairly sure there isn't a permanent live and neutral at the existing stat.
Any recommended makes and models?
If you want simple, forget about programmable stats. I had one and fonud that in practice it did nothing useful that a bimetal stat and programmer dont do.
NT
If you want simple, forget about programmable stats. I had one and fonud that in practice it did nothing useful that a bimetal stat and programmer dont do.
I have to disagree with that. We have a programmable room stat and its far better than the old dial one. We set different temperatures for different times of the day no standard stat + programmer can do that. Ours, a Towerstat is fairly simple considering how many functions it has and is battery powered, however the display is quite small so its probably not very old lady friendly.
Mike
It can. You just turn the dial on the roomstat.
I found that different temps at different times was no use. Either I wanted the heating comfortable, or didnt want it on at all. Bimetal stats are far easier to use, far more reliable, and far cheaper.
NT
The programmer is close to the floor in an inaccessible location. The result is the house is hot 24/7. So a programmable thermostat is ideal for her.
I want at least a background temperature at night, a setting for the day which can be overridden when she's out to a background temperature setting again. I don't think she really needs a 5/2 or 7 day setting. Just 2 or 3 timezones in a day.
I'd sooner stay in bed whilst the house warms up!!
Horses for courses as they say. I like having it warm first thing in the morning, lower during the day, higher again for the evening and just ticking over at night. To say they're equivalent to a manual type is crazy!
So just like a traditional stat and programmer then:-)
Having fitted hundereds of programmable rooms stats I have never found one that is easy for most elderly customers to use.
Unless you have a very high frost setting on a frost-stat, there'd be no background heat at night. Each to their own. It's also good to see what the actual temperature is and the demand temperature without fiddling.
Hence my question on any that are the best of the bunch.
Indeed, each to their own. I have never found a need for background heat at night in my home. Of course this could easily be added with a second stat.
Actually knowing the background temperature and the setpoint temperature just leaves people slaves to the programmable stat (or in the case of my elderly customers buggering about with them all day).
If I am cold I turn the stat up, if I am hot I turn it down. And depending upon what I am doing I want a different temperature every day.
None of them IMHO:-)
And I did say most elderly customers. I have had some customers who took the the programmable stat like a duck to water, however they could have worked ANY programmable stat.
Each to their own. One big advantage of the programmable room stat is that it can be set at a low temperature for night time, a medium temp for during the day, and a higher temp for mornings and evenings. It then just does it without having to keep making adjustments. If we do want a different setting for a short period its as easy as turning a traditional stat up or down, but with the knowledge that after that time period it will return to its normal settings. Now that is far more useful than a standard bimetal stat.
Mike
Disagree, we'd be for ever (or rather not thus wasting fuel) tweaking a manual stat. Once set up for the normal pattern of life it's fit and forget. We have ours set for 18.5C during the day with a little boost to 20C in the evenings and overnight set at 15C.
A manual stat would not get adjusted, except perhaps up to 25C by the females in the house (it heats quicker the higher you set the stat...). So until I tweaked it back down we'd be heating to that temp for 10hrs/day when 18.5 is fine. Why bother with the agro when a box can do it automagically?
The heating is never switched off, it's always on via the stat. There is a solid stone wall weighing it at about 20 tonnes right through the middle of the house. If that gets cold it takes days to heat back up and the house become comfortable again.
I doubt you'll find a 24hr only programmable stat, there isn't any need for it. Just get a 7 day(*) and set all the days to follow the same pattern. Ours has a "copy" function so once one day is setup you can just copy those settings to other days.
(*) 5/2 are fine *if* the 5/2 happens to match your life style, 7 day is much more flexable.
Bimetal stats dont give any night time background heat if you set them to not do so. If your insulation is so bad that you need it, you can set them to stay on at night, and either turn them down when wanted or add a 2nd stat to do it automatically. I'd be more inclined to add insulation though.
NT
If its inaccesible, working a digital stat will be impossible. At least with a bimetal you can do it blind. Surely the only sensible solution is to move it.
NT
I'd tend to agree with that - I use a programmable thermostat myself (I was intending to replace the thermostat anyway, and when the programmer failed it was easier to replace the thermostat mounted in a convenient position with a programmable one and leave the inaccessible programmer set to constant...) but I didn't even think of recommending my Mother get one when she was having the system upgraded.
The current thermostat is already in a convenient eye-level location, the programmer isn't. If it wasn't I would purchase a wireless solution instead.
But often far slower to respond than digital stats - allowing several degrees 'over' and several degrees 'under' before switching. I often found with my old bi-metal stat that I was either too hot or too cold. I've now got a digital programmable stat and it maintains a comfortable set temperature far more accurately.
The one that I have is very efficient - but every time I want to set it, for example to be off for a week away, and come back on the day we return, I have to get the instruction manual out and spend a fair bit of time fiddling with it. It's quite complex and I agree would be wholly unsuitable for an elderly person (although I'm 64!).
Well the easy answer is to book more holidays. That would give you more experience with the holiday settings on your programmer and save having to get the manual out:-)
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