List Price: $277.06
Sale Price: $162.90
Today's Bonus: 41% Off
I am an owner of the T5800 and while I'm not a HVAC contractor I work in a related business. I'm writing this review mainly to refute some of the things stated by the previous reviewer. . . .
The main thing I must say is if you don't know what you are doing hire a professional. I've always said "the devil is in the details" and while it may be a breeze to replace a thermostat (all you need is a small screwdriver) there is always a possibility that some little things may (or may not) get in the way of a successful installation.
This thermostat requires a constant supply of 24 volt power, and you must have a wire called a "common" coming from your system transformer and running to the "C" terminal on the thermostat. This "C" wire along with the "R" wire provide the power and they shouldn't be touched together or jumpered together unless you are interested in sparks, flames, or melted plastic. If you are running a furnace and an air conditioner and you have 4 wires coming to your thermostat (the most common scenario) you will NOT be able to use the T5800 out-of-the-box. This doesn't mean it's game over. There is a product called "Add-A-Wire" that you can purchase very inexpensively that will allow you to duplex 2 functions on 1 wire and then use the free wire you created as your common. You could also run another wire.
For the reviewer to say that you can just jumper things together is akin to saying you can put a paperclip in an electrical outlet and everything would be fine. Specifically, jumpering "R" and "C" together would most certainly fry your transformer. The fact is a thermostat installation might not be a DIY project. If you aren't sure of what you are doing, pay the money to hire a professional, or do a little more research. Don't criticize the product or the manufacturer because of your own ignorance. It sounds like in this case, Venstar bailed this person out. Kudos to them as they really weren't on the hook to do anything (IMO).
So enough review bashing. This is a very cool looking thermostat AND with the addition of the Wifi Key (part number ACC0454) you can access it over the internet from any computer, your iphone, droid, etc., etc. This is very, very convenient if you are going on vacation and you want to return to a heated or cooled home while saving energy during your trip. You can display family pictures as a "screensaver" which makes the thermostat a lot like a digital picture frame. All flashy features aside, the T5800 is a very easy thermostat to program and use. I have owned many thermostats in my day and this is by far my favorite. Luckily for me I had the "Common" wire in place when I started my thermostat replacement project and so I didn't have to worry about the problems the other reviewer had. My only beef with the thermostat setup is the multi-step firmware update I had to do. No big deal, but you have to have an SD card reader on your PC and you have to download some software. Another "devilish detail" which was no big hassle for me, but might have stumped my Grandma.
Also the Add-A-Wire accessory, which can be used to expand a 4-wire configuration and "create" a common wire is part # ACC0410. Even with the Add-A-Wireyou may still need an HVAC professional to help, as the common side of the transformer will need to be identified on the equipment side.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I did a LOT of shopping to replace our 6 year old RobertShaw cheapie that was installed when we did a recent remodel. That one used a pair of batteries to provide the power it needed. In this case, the Venstar requires 24VAC (if I recall) power to be supplied -which we were not wired for at the time. After going into the attic and looking at the wiring I found two unused wires on the cable that ran to the thermostat. I found the other missing wire that supplied the 24VAC from the furnace and connected it to one of the two available wires which allowed the full 24VAC to be available at the thermostat -we checked it with a volt meter.A few things that set this thermostat apart from the others -accuracy for starters. We frequently found our RobertShaw thermostat to be multiple degrees off. I could sit a calibrated Thermapen thermometer right on top of the thermostat and the old thermostat would be on average about 3 degrees high. Ugg.. We also noticed that with other models of Honeywell models we'd had in the past as well. This one is spot on or at best 1 degree off -usually it's reading the same value that the thermapen reads which is really nice.
Another feature that sets this one apart from the competition is the super easy to read/understand screen and associated content. We had ours up and running easily with the easy to use prompting.
One area you need to check when doing the install -make sure you understand the dip switch settings -there are 3 of them if I recall. Initially we had set the jumpers wrong which caused it to not shut off the heat after it started -so a few times we found it heating to 75 when we told it to stop at 70F. Ugg.. Anyway, reading closer on the meanings of the dip switches indicated that we had set one switch incorrectly. We changed that switch and it's been a champ since with NO issues.
One other interesting thing I found with this thermostat are the short run times. Our old thermostat would frequently cycle on for 5-10 minutes minimum before it would shut off. This one frequently runs for 3-4 minutes max -short runs and then shuts off.
Overall this unit is by far the best thermostat we've ever owned. We did buy the optional WIFI key for it and frequently use the iPhone app to control it which is really nice if you're in bed and don't want to get up to bump the temp or whatever.
Best Deals on Venstar T5800 ColorTouch Touchscreen Programmable Thermostat
I can't believe how much this thermostat does. It's super easy to use, I can put in my own pictures to make a photo slideshow or even just change the background, and I can connect to it through wifi and see the temperatures in the house or outside, and change settings from anywhere with my iPhone. I bought the wifi card (which was surprisingly inexpensive and has NO MONTHLY FEES!!) so I could change the temperature settings on the thermostat remotely, in case I forgot to turn it off or wanted to turn it on, on my way home. But I realized I can even use the iphone like a remote control for the thermostat IN the house, too for example, my phone is on a charger next to me all night so now I can adjust the temperature on my thermostat in the middle of the night without getting out of bed. Nice...Also I love being able to send a text message that will display on the thermostat.
PS I had this product professionally installed by an HVAC contractor, very happy with the results.
Honest reviews on Venstar T5800 ColorTouch Touchscreen Programmable Thermostat
This thermostat installs very easily, especially if you have all the necessary wiring. I had a White-Rogers thermostat with a faulty outdoor sensor. Rather than replace the sensor, I upgraded to this t-stat for the color screen and online connectivity. The big benefits to this t-stat over others is:1) can't beat the price
2) color screen is customizable and looks very high end
3) extremely easy to use and good looking user interface
4) no stupid expensive wireless gateway needed, just a simple WiFi card.
Mine is hooked up to a Rudd 2 stage A/C 2 stage heat pump with LP furnace unit. The Installer Test Menu was perfect for confirming all stages were working properly. Also, don't miss the dip-switches on the back of the t-stat during installation.
Once wired, it takes 30 seconds to boot up. The setup menus are so easy If you've ever used a Garmin GPS, you'll be right at home with this thermostat. The user interface is setup very similar, with big icons and a menu bar with a "back" button displayed on the bottom of the setup screens. If you want to get really user friendly, you can even enable the simple thermostat option, great for the less computer savvy users. I also love that it shows if you're using 2nd stage cooling or heating.
The Optional outdoor sensor was also extremely easy to install (2 additional wires). I mounted the sensor in my outdoor condenser unit. The outdoor sensor is very simple and doesn't appear to be weather resistant so you want to mount it either in your unit or under an eve or overhang of your home. The installation of this allows you to set a temp you'd like the emergency heat to run (i.e. mine kicks in when the temp goes below 35 degrees). Another benefit to installing the outdoor sensor is that it displays outdoor temp on the t-stat, along with high/low temp for the day in a pull-down menu (after upgrading the firmware).
The Optional WiFi key was also a simple install I had it on my wireless network and registered with VenStar in less than 5 minutes. Once it's online, you create an account on VenStar's website and enter the MAC address displayed on the t-stat. You then have full control of the t-stat and all configurations from your computer. Once you have your account created, you can also download the VenStar app on your phone. After signing in with your VenStar account, you can control the t-stat and see your daily/weekly usage.
The only "cons" i can think of is that this t-stat seemed to cycle my equipment more often than my old White-Rogers t-stat. This was easily fixed by adjusting the deadband settings and number of cycles allowed per hour in the installer menu. Also, why not include WiFi in the unit Having the key stick out defeats the purpose of purchasing a different colored frame. I'd like to see some more functionality in the App (such as ability to edit the weekly or vacation schedule), but these configurations can be made from your computer and could show up in a firmware upgrade. Also, make sure you have an SD card available so you can upgrade the t-stat firmware I used one from my digital camera.
I really can't give this t-stat enough praise. My buddy who works for a HVAC company commented that this is probably the easiest thermostat to configure. If you want an inexpensive, great looking color screen, and WiFi connected thermostat look no further. I've added some pictures in the user picture gallery.
No comments:
Post a Comment