Showing posts with label rv thermostat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rv thermostat. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Waring Commercial Heavy-Duty Commercial Cast-Iron Countertop Burner Reviews

Waring Commercial WDB600 Heavy-Duty Commercial Cast-Iron Double Burner
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $274.51
Sale Price: $139.93
Today's Bonus: 49% Off
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I purchased the Waring Commercial WDB600 in February from a wholesaler. Its now July. I'd used Cadco in the past. This was on sale, however. I gave it a try.

The burners are slightly smaller and somewhat less powerful than the Cadco cast iron burners. The time to heat up is longer. The Waring cast iron burners seem thinner and cheaper than the Cadco I had...although I never pulled it apart to look at it, so that's in the realm of speculation on my part.

So, today my wife informs me that the large burner isn't working. The power light is on, but despite not being above room temperature, the "Ready" light is illuminated and the burner won't heat up at all. It seems to be some sort of thermostat. I think its under warranty, but I've had better success with Cadco, so I think I'll just call it experience and buy some other brand. Maybe Cadco, maybe not. Not a Waring though. I bought a coffee urn made by Waring that I thoroughly disliked. In this case, its two strikes and Waring's out.

It worked OK for the five months it did work. There is no excuse for selling a product that dies after a few months. Add to that it is supposed to be a "commercial" model, and I won't risk buying anything from Waring again.

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I have been using this Waring double burner for a month now. It performs very well. I like the fact that is portable, so it is easy to put away after use, and it does not take space on the kitchen counter.

It is well built, sturdy, so I am sure it will be durable.

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Although we've only had this a short while, we really like it.

For a double-burner, it's a convenient size, it's easy to clean, and the controls are simple one dial per burner.

It appears to be well-made, as you'd expect from Waring, and so far it's worked out really well for the dishes we've cooked using it (e.g. pasta, soup).

It does seem to take a little while to come up to temperature, but as long as you plan for that, it's not a problem. Also it remains quite hot for some time after you turn it off, so be very careful.

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Monday, November 10, 2014

Discount Dropcam HD Wi-Fi Wireless Video Monitoring Camera

Dropcam HD Wi-Fi Wireless Video Monitoring Camera
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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My review is focus on one aspect so as not to be too long, but still useful. **Please note the updates at the end**

The Dropcam is a very good, very easy to use device. Many of the top rated reviews here do an excellent job of listing the pros and cons. Also, the firmware has been updated since many of the negative reviews were posted, so there have been subtle improvements (not enough) with motion detection, and also the iOS and Android apps are now easy and great.

The best use case of this camera, by far, is indoor remote surveillance of a kids room, a family room, or a workplace.

Here's the real, overpowering negative about the device for me: it uses about 60GB of upload data capacity each month. The camera transmits its HD video feed to the DropCam cloud servers ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. The cloud service is what makes the user experience so easy, and what allows you to view your camera from multiple places, phones, tablets, all with just a userID and password. It's good in that you don't have to learn about firewalls, IP port forwarding and such just to make it work. But, that also means that it sends enormous amounts of video of a room with nothing at all happening in it. If your ISP has a quota or a limit to how much you can send per month, this camera WILL DEFINITELY USE A LARGE PORTION. In Canada and with some US ISPs, the limit is 50GB...i.e. less than this camera sends!

Lots of ISPs offer a quota of 250GB, so this camera won't put most US customers over their limit. Just know that this will soak up a good portion of your allotment.

Each additional camera will add to the bandwidth you use.

Consider that you are also downloading the video feed from your ISP, so if you are in the same place as the camera viewing it, it doubles the bandwidth used. Yep, that's right, your video goes up to the cloud server, then back down to you.

FYI, the upload rate is about 400-600 Kbps

The camera does use excellent compression, so the HD video is as compact as it can be in 2012.

If you have anything less than awesome Internet service, the camera will slow down your uploads of other stuff, like photos, attachments, etc. Upload speed is always much slower than download on consumer Internet service, and that's what this camera uses.

So, take this important point into consideration. It may still be a great product for you, but you need to know the costs. For me, I planned on using this at a lake house with slow Internet, so it doesn't work for me. I'll have to find another use for it.

****Update, September 2012

The camera has just received a software update that lets you switch between SD mode and HD mode. All DropCams that are turned on and connected to the Internet will get the update automatically. The standard definition mode uses half the bandwidth of the HD mode. Overall, there is a big improvement regarding the problem I cited in my original review. The update has other benefits in motion detection, etc.

As for me, the 30GB a month is still too much, so I will continue to use the available software switch to turn the camera on and off, and only enable it when I want to watch.

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I spent some time researching the different options (Logitech, foscam, dropcam, adt, x10, cisco, ...) in this product category. I decided to try out a DropCam HD. So far (3 days of use), I'm delighted. The product does everything it promises.

It took me about 5-10 minutes to complete the full setup process (open the box to getting video streams online). In fact, it took me longer to figure out where I was going to put it.

Other solutions require special software to be installed and/or a PC/Mac system to be running to capture the video. I don't want to keep a computer on while I am away on travel + have to maintain/update the software. The DropCam HD solution removes all this extra effort/time/pain.

pros

====

easy to setup (5 minutes of work)

can view online or via android/iphone

can share your camera with friends securely

motion tags allow you to jump to interesting sections

no need for special software or a PC running to capture all the data

surprised by 2way audio feature. Fun to use while you are away.

cons

====

monthly dvr pricing for saved streams (free if you just want live views)

still testing

=============

low light/night video capture

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Our house got burglarized yesterday. I was working 30 miles away from home when I received a dropcam alert on my iPhone informing me that my dropcam was disconnected. When I checked the online recording, it showed the face of the thief who disconnected the dropcam. When I got home, I gave the police officer a copy of the intruder's face. Using the photo, the police officers made an arrest on the same night. Our stolen property has been recovered and we will be retrieving them from the police station where they are being photographed for evidence in a few days. My 2011 Dropcam echo has been so effective I am definitely getting a second Dropcam HD to monitor the interior of our house.

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I have to say, I am loving this Dropcam! I put it in my living room to see when the kids are home from school. The setup process was done lickety-split, and all I had to type in was my wireless password (which admittedly I had to hunt through a dozen post-its to find). Now I can see it on my iphone and also from my computer at work! Cool!

Some details:

1. I tried another camera like this before and it couldn't see the entire living room from its perch in the corner. On the other hand, the Dropcam can see almost my whole living room while sitting on the same bookshelf in the corner. Faces appear a little small, but I definitely like being able to see the kids whether they are on the couch or laying on the floor

2. The night vision is a really nifty feature. I could just make out my husband on the other side of the room (about 20 feet?). We don't have a big use for it since our kids are older, but it would make a great baby monitor. I guess if somebody breaks in (eek!) we will have the video for America's Most Wanted!

3. There's a little clicking noise here and there on the audio (not sure what that is?) but you can definitely hear what's being said ... I had to wear headphones to really make it out though because my laptop's speakers aren't too great

4. The talking feature is already a family favorite at least for Mom, that is ... let's just say I think a lot more homework is about to be done after school and before dinner time....

5. It's bee-yoo-tee-ful! I really can't tell you how many of these electronic doo-dads are ugly as sin. It looks and feels like a little art sculpture sitting next to the other knick-knacks on the bookshelf, and the white cable blends in nicely with the wall.

I think that's about it! I don't normally write reviews, but I just felt like this gem deserved it. Thanks Dropcam!!

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My home and at least three others in my neighbor has been the victim of repeated home burglaries over the last few months. The police had a couple of suspects but no hard evidence. Last week my wife and I went on vacation. Before leaving I got two Dropcams and subscribed to the DRV service. I set up my I-phone to receive alerts when the cameras detected motion. Five days into our trip while driving down the interstate 800 miles from home I got an alarm. When we checked it we were able to watch the burglar going through our belongings in our home. I called the police and they caught him in the act. Without Dropcam he may have never been caught and now the video evidence I was able to download and provide the police will be a key component to the trial. I Love Dropcam!!

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Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Cheap SPT SH-1505 Ceramic Heater with Humidifier

SPT SH-1505 Ceramic Heater with Humidifier
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $179.99
Sale Price: $64.70
Today's Bonus: 64% Off
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I needed the temperature in my baby's room to stay the same even though we're in a small apartment. This really did the trick. It looks great is very compact compared to other ugly large heater humidifiers AND it is both a heater and humidifier so even when it warms up in there it does feel so dry. It also has a tip over feature, which or safety is great. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is I wish you could operate the humidifer separate from the heater but you can't. Can't have it all I guess. Oh, and we have a modern looking apartment and this fits right in!

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We bought this because of the humidifier feature. However, the humidifier is very hard to fill (You have to pour it in at a trickle), and the reservoir is tiny. Fortunately, neither of these things are really a problem because it takes weeks to even produce enough humidity to go through that tiny amount of water. I think you could literally just leave out a glass of water and it would evaporate faster than what this thing puts out. DON'T waste your money buying this. The heater is totally adequate, but you can find one just as good without the humidifier for one third the price. Buy a separate heater and humidifier and you'll still come out ahead and you'll have a humidifier that actually works. Seriously. I never take the time to write reviews, but this thing is a joke. Save your money!

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I bought this heater for my husband who suffers from arthritis. He likes is extra hot in the room so we were using a space heater at night. However he started getting bad nose bleeds from the hot dry air. The SPT SH-1505 Ceramic Heater with Humidifier has stopped the nose bleeds altogether. I can feel the humidy in the room and the heater works well to heat a room. I would recommend this product.

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As others have noted, filling the humidifier reservoir is confounding because one must poor so slowly. Plus, humidifier consumes full reservoir of water on low setting if run overnight. Moisture/humidity not appreciably better. "Thermostat" is nothing more than a manual switch which allows high/low/off settings.

On the plus side, the heater seems to fire up quickly and the fan is very, very quiet---almost imperceptible.

I've concluded that getting separate humidifier and heater is probably a better way to go.

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The heater works real good, but the heater has to run for the humidifier to work. So can't run it on high as it will shut off, but found out on low it runs all the time so I run it on low to get heat and humidity.

Wes

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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Best Salton YM9 1-Quart Yogurt Maker Deals

Salton YM9 1-Quart Yogurt Maker
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
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Look...making yogurt isn't that compicated. All you need is a good starter culture, a stable and appropriate temperature and clean equipment so you get the proper cultures growing. The Salton 1-quart does a beautiful job and you can't beat the price. If you've never made your own yogurt before, this is the unit to buy. Don't spend tons of money on a piece of equipment that does nothing more than keep the milk warm for a few hours. Realize, it is much easier to just buy yogurt at the supermarket. But if you don't like keep buying little plastic containers, and if you don't mind going to just a little effort to make your own foods, you'll enjoy making yogurt. I like to use milk straight from the bulk tank at a local dairy farm and either organic Stonyfield (NH)or organic Butterworks (VT) yogurt as a starter. Homemade yogurt doesn't always have the homogenous and solid consistency of store-bought, but I've had very good results (quite comparable with commercial yogurts) with the Salton, plus I can use whatever flavorings I want from real maple syrup to my favorite jams. I even use the yogurt in place of sour cream. The possibilities with home-made yogurt are almost unlimited!

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Why pay up to $0.80 for a cup of yogurt when you can make your own easily? All you need is skim milk, a cup of plain yogurt or powdered starter (healthfood store or mail order) optional dry milk and electricity.

If you have kids and they gobble yogurt up by the case, this handly appliance will repay you very quickly. If they insist on cups, save and clean the plastic ones from the store, or get small containers from the housewares department. Put juice-sweetened jam or crushed fruit and honey in the bottom and make home-made treats that are less expensive and have less sugar.

Why scald the milk? If you are using fresh milk, as opposed to the ultra pasturized tetrapacks (like Parmalat) you scald the milk to kill enzymes that can prevent the yogurt from forming. Why use dry milk added? The added milk solids make a stiffer yogurt. If you are going to make smoothies and yogurt shakes, don't bother to add the dry milk.

This yogurt maker holds a quart and doesn't have the goofy single containers that other yogurt makers have. A quart is a good size for a family. This maker will serve you well.

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I use this to make several quarts of yogurt a week. You can make yogurt without a specific yogurt maker, but it's a headache if you don't have an oven with digital settings that let you set the temperature very low. I never quite succeeded with any other method, but this seems to be foolproof. I plug it in, it goes on. I unplug it, it goes off. If only my vcr were this simple! So no, you're not paying for features, but features are not always useful anyway.

Another nice thing is that you can throw out the silly inner container it comes with, and use a widemouth quart jar, or even a recycled quart yogurt container, to make your yogurt in, so you don't ever have to transfer it to another container.

You can make your yogurt with organic milk and at a price that is dramatically cheaper than buying it in the store (mine comes out to be 1/5 the cost of bought organic yogurt).

It also makes yogurt cheese almost affordable. Just toss your yogurt in one of those reusable coffee filters (Kmart and Target sell them) and the strained yogurt becomes very thick, a good replacement for cream cheese and sour cream, among other things. Try it in cheesecake yum!

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I bought the Salton quart size yogurt maker and use it fairly often. Here's how I use it to make nonfat yogurt.

» Place the Salton yogurt maker in a convenient but out-of-the-way location where it can run for a few days. Plug it in.

» Add one cup of nonfat dry milk powder to a gallon of skim milk and mix well. This makes the resulting yogurt thicker and more nutritious. (I've read that non-instant is better for this but haven't tried it. Any experience with this, anyone?)

» Heat milk to 185-190 degrees F, stirring frequently.

» Cool milk to 110-115 degrees F. (I usually use an ice water bath. Stir the milk frequently and monitor its temperature closely. This only takes a few minutes.)

» Stir a cup to a pint of plain nonfat yogurt with live active cultures (usually from the previous batch, sometimes from a commercial product) into the cooled milk. Whisk well.

» Decant the inoculated milk into the Salton quart container and four other clean wide mouth quart canning jars. Put the Salton container in the yogurt maker and the lidded quart canning jars in the refrigerator.

» Culture the yogurt to your preferred state of solidity and tartness. It's edible in a few hours but becomes stiffer and tarter the longer you leave it. I usually let it go 24 hours (no kidding-I like it tart!).

» When the batch is done, cool it either for several hours or overnight in the fridge or, if you're dying to eat it, more quickly in an ice water bath (no stirring!). At this point the yogurt is setting. If it gets jostled or stirred anytime before it's completely cooled its consistency will be looser and runnier.

» When you're ready to make the next batch (or immediately, to keep the ball rolling until you've processed all your quarts), put a wide mouth canning jar of inoculated milk into the yogurt maker. (I used to just take them directly from the fridge. It works, but the resulting texture of the yogurt is distinctly thicker at the bottom of the jar. Now I zap the milk on half-power in the microwave in 30-second runs, stirring between, until it's at 110-115 degrees F. It works like a charm!)

SUMMARY: The Salton YM9 has been a trouble free unit. The only improvement would be larger capacity, such as the Yogourmet machine has (though at more than twice the price). Knowing what I do, I'd buy it again.

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I would love to give this nice simple little tool 5 stars, but it does have the fault of making itself a lot more complicated than it needs to be! The included yogurt container is goofy, the lid does not snap on, and the spoon is fairly useless. I just use a quart canning jar or peanut butter jar. Don't be put off by the fancy directions, its really easy. Why scald the milk, it was just pasteurized. I gently warm it up to body temperature before adding the starter. We have just put cold milk and 1/2 cup of starter in the jar, and let it warm up in the yogurt maker, but it takes a lot longer. Also, adding extra dry milk is not necessary, it just makes the yogurt a little firmer. Set yourself free from all that fussing, and enjoy some nice fresh yogurt. The basic appliance, the incubator, works great and can save you money. Our local stores do not carry good plain yogurt, so we just keep organic whole milk in the freezer and make our own.

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Monday, August 25, 2014

Buy 7Day Touch Thermostat

7Day Touch Thermostat
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $209.46
Sale Price: $144.50
Today's Bonus: 31% Off
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This review is a comparison between the Honeywell RTH8580WF thermostat and Nest 2nd Gen thermostat, which I've spent considerable time with over the last two months.

With limited options on the market for a 7-day programmable thermostat with an intuitive user interface, a straightforward attractive minimal physical design, WiFI capabilities, and a reliable brand name, the Honeywell RTH8580WF thermostat has proven to be somewhat of a lifesaver, and in my opinion, the best bang for the buck in these categories.

The story begins in Christmas 2012 when I asked for a Nest 2nd Gen. It was beautiful, easy to use, and seemingly the clear choice for all homeowners looking to upgrade to a home thermostat "of the future." Nest is also highly attractive to homeowners such as myself who own an Apple device or two and appreciate the ability to view and edit schedules from an iPhone/iPad/computer remotely. Unfortunately, my love for Nest diminished very quickly. A call to Nest support within the first few days of ownership confirmed that the "set temp" is merely considered "a desirable ambient temperature." This means that unlike Honeywell thermostats, THE NEST HAS A 3 DEGREE +/SWING (sometimes more like 4 degrees)!! This proved to cause many problems with scheduling over the coming weeks with Nest kicking ON the heat when it was too cold (as it should), but then STOPPING the flow of heat through my central heating system 2 or 3 degrees BEFORE reaching my set temp! This major flaw proved to be the downfall of the Nest. Nearly all aspects of interacting and looking at Nest are pleasurable with a really fantastic web/iPhone interface, in addition to use of very high quality glass and metal components, which create an iconic design/interface that separates itself from the competition. However, with its 3 degree +/temperature swing from the set temp put in place by engineers to "help conserve energy and decrease annual heating/cooling costs" and no way to edit this rangy deviation from the set temp, well, then, I was forced to look elsewhere for a thermostat that is actually functional when it comes to heating/cooling my house to an accurate temperature.

After a few pleasant and helpful phone calls with Nest customer support (not a long wait to talk to someone) who ultimately could not resolve my issue at hand, I ended up returning my Nest 2nd Gen to Amazon and beginning my search for a replacement unit.

Finding a suitable unit after owning a Nest proved to be a very difficult task. At first, nothing seemed to compare! It took a couple of days to rule out thermostats by Ecobee and Venstar because the prices were high, the design was only okay, the name brands and reliability were unknown to me, and what ultimately swayed my decision was the worry of incompatibility with my basic heating/cooling system and possibly requiring a "guy" to come in and do the install for me. After my troubles with Nest, complicating things further with a messy, expensive install didn't sound appealing. I also considered the Honeywell Prestige HD but decided to keep searching for similar reasons as to those described above.

I finally landed on the Honeywell RTH8580WF. For $149 on Amazon and at The Home Depot, I was able to get all of the usability of the Nest with only a slightly compromised physical design. The readout is very large, clear, and easy to read/understand/use. Heck, similar to the Nest, I'd have to call it attractive. The touch screen works very well despite it seeming just a bit outdated compared to 21st century devices like the iPhone, but I really like that by default the unit continually glows a dim green color that can be read during the night or day and brightens up when you touch the screen to make an adjustment. This setting can be switched off so that the display is dark all the time unless the screen is touched, but who would want that?

The web interface for the Honeywell is VERY GOOD. I had very low expectations in this department, probably in view of the brand name "Honeywell," which doesn't exactly conjure up thoughts of a front runner company in the realm of Internet computing technology. For whatever reason though, it's VERY easy to use, pleasant to work with, and so far is quite reliable. The set up process to get the Honeywell thermostat on my WiFi network was a cinch.. very easy. After getting the thermostat on the wall and hooked up, it didn't take long at all to get the unit registered on Honeywell's website and start scheduling out my week from my computer.

The only problem I had was tracking down a C wire for my basic gas heating system using central forced heat/air. My old thermostat used four wires: Red, White, Yellow, and Green (R, W, Y, G). Even the Nest only required four wires to power up and run. However, it says all over the labeling of the Honeywell that a "C wire" is REQUIRED to power the unit. The first attempt at getting this thing to work with four wires was halfway successful. I jumped the green wire, (G), which runs the fan, to the C terminal on the unit to provide power. This powered the unit intermittently, but the screen would cut out and go completely black, return to green again, and then cut out again, etc. I FINALLY figured out that the blue wire wrapped around the bundle of main wires that wasn't being used is called the C wire! However, I had to go down to my heating unit in the basement and physically connect up the blue wire to the heater for it to work. It was just dangling there! So, after connecting the blue C wire to the heating unit, I connected it to the C terminal on the Honeywell thermostat and the unit has been working like a charm ever since.

My only gripe about the Honeywell is that the 7-day schedule for the week cannot be altered from the iPhone app. This is a minor inconvenience to me, as the Nest schedule can be altered from the iPhone app, but it's a minor complaint overall. The current temp can still be adjusted from the Honeywell app, etc. just fine, and the app itself has a nice interface and is quite basic to use. It even shows the current outside temp for my zip code along with the five day forecast! Nest didn't have this built into THEIR app. :D

All in all, I'd highly recommend the Honeywell RTH8580WF thermostat to any homeowner looking to upgrade to a WiFi unit. Even if you don't want or need the WiFi accessibility, the unit itself is very pleasing to look at on the wall and interact with. Honeywell customer support was very prompt, polite, and helpful when I called, matching the same great service I received with Nest.

If you can live with a loosey-goosey 3 degree +/swing from the set temp of your thermostat and want an incredibly beautiful piece of art/functionality on your wall, go for the Nest. However, if you're like me and want to be comfortable without constantly manually turning the heat on/off, go with a Honeywell unit that keeps your house within 1 degree +/of the set temp LIKE ALL THERMOSTATS SHOULD FUNCTION. I'd like to address some people's concerns that I've read in some reviews about certain thermostats constantly turning on/off too often to maintain a set temp and this being bad for the central heating unit. I have NOT noticed this to be a problem in my house. The Honeywell unit does not turn my heat on too often that I would be concerned anything is wrong. It just heats when the temp drops too low and cools when it's too high.. like a thermostat should.

Hope this helped someone out there searching for the end-all-be-all upgrade to a "smart" thermostat of the future.

EDIT (02/17/2013): Scheduling can now be done from the Honeywell iPhone app!

EDIT (06/28/2013): I've been having fairly frequent/intermittent problems connecting from an Internet browser and from my iPhone 5 over Wifi for about two months. This means that despite a solid Wifi connection I cannot make any changes to the thermostat temp or make scheduling changes. Furthermore, sometimes I make a change and think that it has successfully been submitted to the thermostat when in fact it has not, and I will receive an email 30 minutes later explaining how the change that I submitted did not go through on account of a connection error. This can be annoying when you're really hot and think the AC has been turned on but OH LOOK, NOPE, IT HASN'T!

I still really like the thermostat, but these intermittent connectivity issues are really unacceptable in a thermostat that touts in Wifi connectivity as a selling feature (I will mention that it's nice to be able to view and change the temp from anywhere over 3G/4G/LTE from iPhone without doing any sort of port forwarding or anything special...) Some people go into more detail elsewhere about the above-described connectivity problem. I assume it has to do with the unit itself malfunctioning though, because I have already reset the Wifi settings and the problem persists. I'm knocking the review on this thing down 1 star (and not more stars) because making changes from a web browser or iPhone does work a fair amount of the time, just not allllll the time.

EDIT (08/10/2013): I just tried someone's tip from the comments to fix the intermittent connectivity problems that people (including myself) have been experiencing on occasion: "If the security on your Wi-Fi router is set to a mixed security mode (WPA/WPA2), refer to your Wi-Fi router documentation to learn how to update your security to WPA2-only mode." The commenter reported good results with this, so let's hope for the best. I'm still loving this Honeywell overall and actually haven't been logging into it via my iPhone or web browser lately because I have the schedule dialed in so well, but I'm sure that will change as we move into fall and winter. I'm really hoping the connectivity problems are totally cured now! Thanks for the tip, commenter!

EDIT (10/08/2013): Haven't noticed any connectivity issues since changing my Wifi settings to WPA2-only. I've been using my iPhone 5s with the Honeywell app lately and things seem to be going smoothly. Changes to the temp, etc. that are submitted using the iPhone app appear to be getting received and executed by the thermostat, unlike before when I *thought* they were being submitted within the app and received properly by the thermostat unit when in fact they were not. I'm once again falling head over heels for this Honeywell setup now that everything is working so seamlessly again. It's back to 5 stars as far as I'm concerned!

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Most of you will purchase this Thermostat due to its Wifi capabilities, unfortunately that is the main reason you will not want to purchase. I have bought 4 of these for two homes after I tested 1 for about a one week period. Thermostats worked like a charm.....for about a two months. Gradually the Thermostats would lose connection to the Honeywell service until a point where they would only be connected for a day. If you disrupt TCP/IP communication from the sensor for a short period of time (about ten minutes) or unplug/plug back in, they start working again. Clearly a state issue on their end. Considering I bought half of the Thermostats from different vendors, have 2 different ISP for Internet, 2 different router manufactors (Cisco and Actiontec), 3 different wirelss setting (mainly to prove a point), 3 different wireless access points (Cisco, Cisco Linksys and Actiontec) , I'm thinking the issue is on the Total Connect side of this which Honeywell outsources to let you remotely access these thermostats. And to give some background on the end user here, I work for the largest Networking company in the world so I know how to do a little TCP/IP analysis. Even though all four of my sensors consistently show Lost Communication on the Honeywell website I have detailed wireshark packet captures and firewall logs clearly showing that my sensors are communicating every 10 seconds to Total Connect registered IP addresses.

Calling there Help Desk is a joke. They don't even understand how the thermostat communicates to the Total Connect website and consistently have you go through a script on how to setup wireless. Upon asking to escalate to a Tier 2 support or to esacalate from the Honeywell Tech to the Total Connect tech, I'm told that I should return the Thermostats to where I bought them. No effort was made to fix my issue and they didn't even want to look at a wireshark capture (because they didn't know what it was). Returing would be helpful except the things worked fine for about a two months and then factor two more months of getting nowhere with Honeywell, chances are one of the stores isn't taking my return. Of course I still wanted the things to work and wanted to help fix issues for the community as a whole so with some pleading I get to a manager and offer to work on my time to show the Total Connect guys how to do a network analysis. After being told to wait for a call from them the following week, here I sit two and half weeks later still waiting and taking the next step of cutting my losses and making sure none of you run into the same issues I've seen. So a week ago I emailed the Manager on the option for some kind of refund which she said she would help me with it she couldn't get it resolved with Total Connect...unfortunately that hasn't been responded to either. Hopefully I will get it after months of highlighted Red locations and Thermostat Communication Lost for all 4 of my Thermostats (see the viewer submitted pictures).

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This control unit appears to work as the manufacturer promises.

It requires minor skills to make the installation simpler. First, physical installation just follow the included guide, remove your old t-stat while taking notice of the wire placement/colors/labels, thread the wire through the base plate, mount the base, and then switch the wires to the same terminals on the new thermostat. This took no more than 10 minutes, and the thermostat was powered-up and running. You must have a system with a 24V control wire, or this will not work. If you do not know how to test for 24V, you are probably not qualified to do this install. If you know your system is newer or more modern (less than 10 years old), this install should be a very simple swap-out. You can simply take a look and see if the wires will match-up and that you have a 24V "C" wire before doing anything if you want to be sure it's a simple swap.

The unit itself It's your typical plastic thermostat. It feels relatively sturdy, but I was very careful to handle it gently while installing because the plastic case flexed and groaned a lot. Once turned-on, the touchscreen is appropriately sensitive and is easy to operate with no problems accidentally bumping other touchscreen functions. The keys are nicely spaced and easy to touch. The back-lighting is nice too not too bright, not too dim, and very easy to see in both a darkened or well-lit room.

Setting up the WiFi requires you possess some minor computer skills. The system requires connection to a wireless/WiFi network. If you've set up your WiFi router at home, connecting the Honeywell is a very similar process. You will log in to the t-stat with a computer browser, follow prompts to register with the Honeywell website, and in a few minutes, it will request an IP from your network, connect, and register itself with minimal user input required. Mine went off without any problems.

The app installed on my phone just as easily. I can log in using the credentials created during the WiFi setup, and I have control of my HVAC at home from anywhere. The Honeywell Android app works to control the system flawlessly from my cell phone (I have Verizon/Droid Razr). For now, I'm giving it 5-stars because it's fulfilled every promise it makes. If anything changes, I'll be back to edit this review. :)

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Prior to this purchase I had never installed a thermostat and had zero knowledge of HVAC systems. I spent time reading online how to determine if this thermostat worked with my existing system (my AC equipment is 20 years old so I was quite worried), and I contacted Honeywell and confirmed my wiring setup with them before purchase. Honeywell responded quickly and confirmed my existing wiring would work with this, and told me what wires to connect where to make it work.

Installation was very easy, and the only difficulties I encountered had nothing to do with the thermostat and more to do with my own wall mounting issues. I had to drill holes in our plaster wall to mount it, and drilling into old plaster always is scary as sometimes it just explodes, but I was able to install the included anchors without difficulty. Then I discovered my wires didn't have much slack to them, so I had a difficult time getting a couple of them into the wall plate because the Honeywell positioning on the wall was slightly off from where the old thermostat was installed.

Once I got the wires connected I just followed the instructions and everything has worked perfectly since then. I did have to change some of the default settings, and the system they set up, while it works, is not intuitivive to anyone -it absolutely requires the manual to make changes. I needed to configure it for my radiator heat (water/pump), and the "auto" temp control (which will switch between heat/AC to keep temp in a defined range) is not an option unless you make it available through the menus. I assume they did this not to confuse people, because even when the Auto option is available, it's still just a choice next to heat, cool, and off, so it's not as if you are FORCED to use it by enabling it.

Setting up the WiFi worked but not as smoothly as I would have hoped -I used my Macbook Pro to configure it, and the Honeywell website locked up while I was trying to finalize the setup, so I couldn't tell at first if it actually worked. It turns out it did set up correctly, but I could only tell that by looking at the thermostat and seeing that it showed a WiFi connection. Also I've noticed just when walking by the thermostat it seems to randomly at times telling me that it is connecting back to the WiFi when it should never have lost its connection. I have a fairly new and high-quality router that connects by WiFi to multiple devices, none of which just randomly lose their connections. It so far hasn't imapcted my ability to use the iPhone app, however, so I'm letting it go for now.

The iPhone app is very nice, and they just pushed out a software update for it to add functionality, including a 5-day forecast. It does NOT let you program the daily schedule, but it does let you change heat/cool/off, fan, shows you current temp and set temp, and let's you change the set temp to something else.

When you change the set temp you can make it a permanent hold, or a temporary hold to a specified time at which point it goes back to its scheduled programming at the next scheduled change. There is no vacation mode option in the app, but I honestly think it is not necessary -when you're leaving you can turn the temp up at home or via the app, and since you can change it via the app you can set it to whatever you want before coming back home. I've tested the app both over WiFi at my house and WiFi elsewhere as well as around town over AT&T, and I always connect to the thermostat within 5 seconds.

The thermostat itself does exactly what it is supposed to -it gives an accurate temperature read, it has enough customization so we can program it how we want, it looks great on the wall, and it is easy to read regardless of the ambient light. I've read mention on the Home Depot website that people didn't like the plastic feeling or that you could feel a little give when pushing on it because of how it mounts to the wall plate. Unless you buy a Nest thermostat plastic is pretty much the choice of material, and and the give is VERY slight, and I have zero concern that it is not stable on the wall.

Lastly I will say I ordered this the first day it became available on Amazon -I think because of a pricing error I received it cheaper than intended, as the day after I ordered it the price on Amazon went from $99 to $199. So apparently I got this cheaper than most/all other customers, which just adds to my satisfaction. I did contact the selling company after installation because of potential problems after installation as I thought I had a defective unit (the WiFi connection issue and one unrelated thing that ended up not the fault of the thermostat). The company was responsive to my concerns and offered to ship another one out free of charge, but I ultimately told them it was not needed as I actually don't think the unit is defective.

Overall for the price I think this is as good a thermostat as you can buy, particularly with the WiFi features and the solid quality of Honeywell behind it. It does not have all the features or awesome aesthetics of the Nest (which I almost bought), but it has enough features and a good enough appearance to satisfy 99% of customers at a significantly lower price.

----------------

August 2013 update

I've had this for a year now and am very thankful I purchased this and not the Nest. The smartphone app now lets me control everything of real importance, and the iPad app looks great. The Nest still looks slightly cooler and more futuristic, but this one does everything perfectly, and still looks good after a year of use. I've never had a single problem connecting remotely to this thermostat, and it does a great job of the core thermostat functions. Unless you have to have the Nest aesthetics, I can't think of a reason to buy it over this product.

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Installed this with a hydronic heating system which is essentially forced air heated by water from my normal household hotwater heater. Not a common system. There was no "C" wire on the old system but was able to hook one up using an extra wire in the bundle. A key point for me was that the "C" wire is the Common or neutral wire from your 24vac transformer. I did not have a terminal in the furnace labeled "C." But simply found the neutral wire and spliced into that. It was pretty straightforward once I understood the furnace schematic on the entry panel door.

Regarding wifi connectivity I was unsuccessful using my iPad. Tried it half a dozen times. But took 5 minutes using a laptop. The thermostat creates its own little hotspot which you log into for configuration. Once you configure it the thermostat then stops acting like hotspot and logs into your home network.

The remote internet access is great, the reason I bought it. I have a vacation home where I want to remotely monitor the temp to make sure the pipes don't freeze. I can turn up the heat on the drive up and walk into a heated home. The online apps are very logical to use, nothing like most confusing programmable thermostats.

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Monday, August 11, 2014

World Marketing Pelonis Ceramic Safety Heater Review

World Marketing Pelonis Ceramic Safety Heater
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $29.95
Sale Price: $25.99
Today's Bonus: 13% Off
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This heater replaces an older Pelonis heater which we have had for 20 years. We are pleased with the adjustable fan speed and the adjustable heat. The heater turns off if picked up, so that is a nice safety feature. The heater works fine for a bath, but would not work well in an office, since the fan is very noisey.

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This heater is just what I was looking for at a reasonable price. I wanted a heater just for my bathroom, so I don't have to turn up the heat in my whole house. This does the trick perfectly, and safely.

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Very small, but is better than most large heaters. Perfect for a room, or as I'm using it, in my RV.

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This heater is awesome for my apartment. I do have central heating but we also have large windows with poor insulation. This is perfect for those nights when the thermostat is turned down in the rest of the house but our bedroom is kept toasty for ourselves and our dogs.

This little heater is super powerful and so far I've only used it on the low setting, at medium heat. I love that it has some type of internal thermostat to shut off before baking us. The safety mechanism of shutting off when tipped over is a plus with clumsy dogs.

Great price, very toasty, compact--I love it!!

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EDIT: December 9th, 2011.

Since mid-november, I began using this heater on low settings for about 1hr at a time (2-3 hours a day)to warm up the one small bedroom

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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Rheem RTG-84DVN Direct Vent Indoor Series Natural Gas 8.4 GPM Reviews

Rheem RTG-84DVN Direct Vent Indoor Series Natural Gas 8.4 GPM Tankless Water Heater
Customer Ratings: 3 stars
List Price: $1,240.00
Sale Price: $867.00
Today's Bonus: 30% Off
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Worked first time. Installed easily. Natural Gas version. One person can lift and place on the wall. Not that heavy. Has a center slotted hanging point then multiple points to secure top and bottom.

Amazon shipped quickly. UPS delivered on time. 2 days.

Need: 1) 120v AC source. 1)3/4" Gas connection. 3/4" water connections.

I removed the sheet rock and installed a plywood back for mounting. Cost of change over: $300. Those fittings, flex hoses, and vent are expensive from Home Depot. They don't have the 3 X 5 heater vent pipes. 3" works fine. Did the install myself.

Will go to 140 deg must must read directions to set it. Nice to have the remote control. Will work with more than one remote. So you can set the temperature for what use. Very small, in relation to a tank. Cannot tell the difference between a tank an the tankless. I use one for the whole house.

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This unit started out great and then after one year started throwing error codes. I found out that " normal" maintenance on this thing is going to cost me an extra $200 $500 each year! According to Rheem (manufactuer of Richmond products) I need to have a Plumber come out twice a year and descale the unit and then about every year to year and a half I need to have it completely disassembled and the burners and ignightors cleaned. What a deal this thing turned out to be!

Customer service said I could do it myself and sent me the 12 page instruction sheet for the cleaning of the burners. It involves removing the gas manifolds, control board, burner box, several gas lines, and then reassemble. It requires the removal of at least 50 different screws in very tight places. I am fairly handy at fixing thing and they told me it would take less than a hour. It took me 5! Only to find out the problem was in the control board.

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I previously owned a Takagi tankless hot water heater, which is amongst the best one can own. But, this unit most definately blows away the Takagi, and most other units. Installation is simple. The unit requires only a very low flow to start the heater which is super nice. It runs incredible quiet. It is a very small and compact unit, and, best of all, it will save you a ton of money. Rheem also makes an even higher efficiency unit, if you are interested. The construction of this unit is excellent. I highly recommend it.

(BTW... I wouldn't pay too much attention to the reviewer who only gave the unit one star. If these units didn't work (as the reviewer said), then Rheem wouldn't sell them. I would imagine that the one star reviewer was probably a one star installer and that the unit they purchased was just fine. Otherwise, Rheem wouldn't have sent it back to Amazon.)

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This was without a doubt, one of the worsy purchases that I have EVER made! Arrived defective and the manufacturer, Rheem, could not have cared less.They refused to replace the bad unit and kept sending plumbers out to touble shoot and fix. After the third plumber, I packed it up and sent it back to Amazon.Amazon was great! they took care of my out of pocket expenses and made me "whole". I will NEVER buy another Rheem product.

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The Rheem 8.4GPM tankless hot water heater has a design flaw. Internal to the unit is an observation window used for determining if the burner is working properly. This window has a piece of glass which can fall out, allowing heat from the burner to damage internal components, rendering the unit inoperable. Unfortunately, Rheem will not cover the cost of this failure as they will most likely look for ways to classify the failure as "incorrect installation". In my experience, they did not like the vent termination assembly used, and disqualified any warranty regarding damage induced by the piece of glass falling out, which is wholly unrelated.

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Monday, May 5, 2014

Discount Lasko #5775 Ceramic Tower Heater

Lasko #5775 Ceramic Tower Heater
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $46.99
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This is a good heater. We have purchased it for our bathroom and it does a good job in heating it quickly. We know it states it is not intended for a bathroom, but those that are rated for a bathroom just have a GFI on the end of the power cord. We already have a GFI outlet that I use offering the same protection.

The timer is a nice feature and easy to set from 1 hour to 7 hours or anywhere in-between in increments of one hour. The oscillation works as expected. The power level is either 900 watts or 1500 watts. All of those options are easy to set.

The thermostat is an area we would like to see improved so that it works at the 900 watt setting. Our bathroom is small and really does not need that much heat. The thermostat only works on the high heat, 1500 watt setting. The manual states this if for "increased efficiency" which I do not understand. 900 watts is 900 watts and 1500 is 1500 watts. Have a thermostat turn it on or off does not make it any more efficient. If you get more BTUs per watt, that would be more efficient in my eyes. Plus, when I tried it on the thermostat, there appears to be a cool down period after you reach the desired temperature which I think is a good for the unit.

We like the heater and would recommend it to others given the above.

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We just received our Lasko Ceramic Tower Heater Model #5775 yesterday and could immediately see that this unit really does a great job of heating up our family room. We were using an EdenPURE which was a large applicance, over-priced and not energy efficient. It never really heated the room well. We won't know about the energy cost until we get our next electric bill but as far as the heating it works great!!! It is very quite operating, looks nice and doesn't take up much room. So far we love this heater!!! I had read consumer reviews on this heater which were excellent. Also the price is great. We paid over $300 for the EdenPURE and it was not worth it. It was a rip-off.

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Hoping the "plastic bag roasting in the oven" smell eventually wears off. Other than that this works well. I have no idea, still, how the temperature setting works. I left it 65º and it runs for some mysteriously predetermined amount of time and then shuts itself off. Also, it seems that the electronics panel on top stays warm when left plugged in so it's an electricity vampire.

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We have been without a furnace since January 1st 2012. We have two of this type of heaters. We live in Michigan. Keeps our home warm. I highly recommend this heater. Well worth the money.

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Bought two of these one for my son-in-law in his workshed separate from his house, and another for us to use in our living room. I didn't want to keep heating the whole downstairs floor when we spent most of the evening in the living room only. It did eventually warm the room a few degrees and would have been OK if it didn't keep blowing the breaker switch. Our house has quality wiring and we don't have much of a problem with this sort of thing. We sometime have some pretty heavy electrical loads from an electric stove, electric oven, electric dryer, lighting, and air conditioning with no problem. The house has GFS breakers throughout, as well as the main breaker panel in the garage. Built in 1993. But the constant blowing of the breaker in the main panel dedicated to the living room (where we were only using the TV and one lamp), is too much of an annoyance, so it is basically useless for us. It has to be the heater, because we've run in the living room, the TV, stereo, lamp, main light, another lamp, foot massager, and a massaging chair all at the same time with no trouble. My son-in-law sent his back and got a more powerful heater. His house and workshed are much older (1960s built) but he has no trouble with blowing the breakers with a different brand of more powerful heater. Don't know why this one does it, but it's pulling too many amps or volts or something. I'm not an electrician so I don't know the exact problem but I do know it's related to that heater. No problems when it is not running.

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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Buy Honeywell 1,500-Watt All Metal Heater #HZ-2110

Honeywell 1,500-Watt All Metal Heater #HZ-2110
Customer Ratings: 3.5 stars
List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $39.97
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This is a pretty good, little, electric heater. It's in an all-metal case. It has a non-detented thermostat. The detented power knob (Off, Fan only, I. (less power), II., III. (more power)) works much like opening a prescription pill bottle. The plastic, hinged handle is nice, too. I tested the tip over feature while moving it on the floor, and it works well! The whole unit shuts off if it's even a little out of plumb.

"Sparky," as I named him, gets pretty hot. The fan blows at what I'll call a slow to medium rate--sufficient to circulate the air and quite quiet. The thermostat works well, too.

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Well made,works effectively, quiet and I now own three. Purchased one, liked it so much purchased two more. The design is safe as well. Different settings. Fan Heater......... very quiet. No plastic odor and toxic fumes. I say it's certainly a buy

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Bought this heater at my local hardware store before reading these reviews. Sounds like they either work or they don't. My didn't. I brought it home, took it out to the garage (about 35º F out there today), plugged it in and waited about an hour to see if it would warm up. Despite being on the highest setting and having the thermostat on it cranked, the heater barely put out any heat. It was level and stable, but the only heat I could feel from it was from about two inches away, and that felt like a hair dryer on the lowest setting (and that's being generous).

I returned it. I'm sure some of these heaters really get the job done, but I can't imagine that mine was functioning properly, and it sounds like a common problem. Light came on, fan whirred away (a little) but barely any heat came out. My halogen work light put out more heat at three feet away. Find another heater.

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I took a chance on this heater because of the January 2010 review that said it had no toxic fumes. But the one I just received (in September 2012) was so smelly, without even being plugged in and heating up, that I quickly repacked it and returned it. (Since the return was not because of damage or any error by Amazon, return shipping costs of $10.99 were deducted from my refund.)

If you could bottle this heater's odors you might label it "Eau de Service Station". The rubbery cord smelled especially strong to me, like new tires. These are smells that I know from experience never air out or burn off.

This is sad, especially if the product has changed that much since 2010. Many people who buy an all-metal heater are trying to avoid inhaling toxic fumes and have serious health reasons for doing so.

I've been getting by with Markel 198TE all-metal portable heaters, which used to have minimum smell, but in recent years the new ones are smellier and break down quickly. In desperation I just keep getting them replaced on warranty through a local store. And searching for something better.

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I was so happy with this heater, at first.

It had good heat output, was incredibly quiet, and produced no chemical odor after a couple hours of use.

However, within two weeks, it stopped working. Even the fan won't come on. The only sign of life is the indicator light.

Sigh.

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Sunday, February 2, 2014

Cheap Mr. Induction SR-343C 3400-Watt Countertop Commercial Range

Mr. Induction SR-343C 3400-Watt Countertop Commercial Range, 208-240-Volt
Customer Ratings: 3 stars
List Price: $519.00
Sale Price: $391.38
Today's Bonus: 25% Off
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Will boil water very quickly, and the control dial facilitates quick settings. However, this model shares the design "feature" of the other 220v models currently available. It concentrates heat in a "ring" inside the pan, causing burns and charring at high heat. It also pulses on lower settings, meaning that the minimum wattage is 1300, and so this is not ideal for simmering or other low heat applications. For my purposes, it works well, since it sits in the section of my Dacor cooktop previous occupied by a 2200 watt electric burner. It acts as a "pasta station" as well as a quick way to bring water to a boil, before transferring to one of the gas burners for simmering or other cooking techniques requiring the fine control available with natural gas.

Other pluses are that it looks good and cleans easily. A minus is that it does not include a timer function, which I found useful on a Max Burton model I tried. I'll post a picture of my setup when I get a chance or if anyone is interested.

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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Best Sure Heat Sure Heat Vented Gas Log Set Deals

Sure Heat VMO24RNG Appalachian Oak Vented Logs Set with Remote Control, 24-Inch
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
List Price: $319.99
Sale Price: $299.00
Today's Bonus: 7% Off
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Like others have said, it is a great set for the price and does the job. The glowing ember material at the bottom is pretty. Overall, very happy. It doesn't put out too much heat, as it's all going up the chimney, but I got it for looks, so not a problem. Just beware if you think you're going to get heat out of this.

Pros: easy to setup, looks good, the 'steel wool' glowing ember stuff really does glow like embers and looks great. They provide way more ember and sand than needed. I will be filling the rest of my large double-sided fireplace with small rocks.

Cons: when on full (meaning I turn the gas valve all the way on) the gas hissing sound is really loud. Also, the photo shows flames coming all through the logs and such. At least on mine, most of the flames go up from behind the set, not in the middle. Not a big deal and it could just be my set. Also, the way it's designed is pretty much for one-sided fireplaces. The back side of this log set doesn't look as nice as the front when lit. I didn't lower the grade b/c of this, just as an FYI if you have a double sided fireplace like mine.

One of the logs was broken, the one that lays on the ground in the front, but not a big deal. I just put it there anyway pushed together and you can't tell.

**For those new to installation like me, this is a match-lit fireplace with no gas control valve at all. So, as you run your gas line to the fireplace, make sure to put your on/off gas valve near so that you can raise and lower the flames. I mean at 70,000 BTU this thing will eat up gas on full!

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I ordered this set to finally complete my fireplace and have something going while I hosted a Christmas party. Some of the logs were broken, but not badly enough to not use. There were actually way more logs than I needed, so I have half of them sitting in my garage! Installation was easy and the instructions for hooking it up were easy to follow. That steel ember stuff that it comes with looks great! Overall everyone, including myself, were very impressed with the finished product.. especially at this great price!

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Comes with all you will need unless you need a flexible line. Does have a supply line that will need to be bent as needed.

either fill with sand or bend carefully and slowly. Has a basic shut off valve that will regulate the gas flow. Mine is in the firebox and it is able to get to with out burning yourself.I think it comes with too many logs.. It also came with four broken logs,which were replaced easily and I do not think I will use them. The broken ones fit in nicely.Very nice kit, and a very nice price.

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This product was exactly as described and does a very good job. My family and I love it. We would definately recommend it to others. For the price this unit can't be beat...

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unlike other reviews, all pieces were delivered in perfect condition. All items to install, except adjustable wrench, were included. Bending the gas supply line can be tricky, but filling with sand helps prevent kinking. Consider changing the angle of your fireplace's inlet (adding 90* or 45* elbow) to simplify the necessary bending of the gas line. Saw the same log set in the local retail fireplace store for $399! ($699 installed!) Would likely take an experienced person an hour to install. Also very important to have damper all the way open or you will get fumes. My wife wanted to cuddle in front of the fireplace as soon as I finished installing!!

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

QMark HBB1254 Hydronic Baseboard Heater Reviews

QMark HBB1254 Hydronic Baseboard Heater
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
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The heater itself seems well-made and runs well and heats nicely. It's quiet and retains heat. We replaced an older hydronic unit that died, and this is working well so far.

One big advantage to this unit if you are replacing an old one is the fact that this one can be wired from either the left or right end -wherever the wire already is. This was probably the biggest selling point for this heater, as we were replacing an old Isotherm (now Cadet) that was wired on the right -the new Cadets are wired only on the left and we didn't want to have to deal with the complication.

The color is called "Navajo White" and the pictures look fairly white. In reality, the color is more of a light taupe. This was fine for our decor, but don't expect a true white or even an off-white.

When ordering, note that you must also order a thermostat -there are ones that go on the end of the unit, ones that go on the wall, and ones that go on the wall and will control several baseboard heaters in one room. If you are replacing an existing heater and don't want to either fish wires or do drywall work, be sure to get the type that goes on the end of the unit. Whatever type you get, you must install the thermostat yourself -it does not come pre-installed.

I'll preface my installation comments by saying that we are typical homeowners, not contractors or otherwise in the building trades. It was the first time my husband did a project like this, but he's reasonably handy. First off, the installation instructions that are included are hard to follow -they assume a level of expertise we didn't have. However, on the QMark (Marley) web site, if you go to Heaters/HBB Baseboard Heaters, they have a much better .pdf file with photos of all the wiring. It still isn't perfect, but it's a lot better. My husband also commented that calling the junction box "roomy" is a matter of opinion, and while he found it tight, it was sufficient.

The biggest problem is mounting the unit to the wall. You must drill through the back of the heater (the holes are not predrilled) and then screw the heater to the wall (into studs). It's hard to do this without bending the fins on the heater (it's not catastrophic, but better for heat distribution if they're not bent). As every installation is somewhat different, screws are not included -depending on your application, you may need screws, molly bolts, masonry screws or something else. Be sure to get these before starting the installation.

Also note that you'll need several wire nuts -you can get them while waiting for the shipment. You need at least two of the type for connecting 2 wires.

It took Dave about 5 hours to install the heater, from unboxing it and removing the old heater to having the new one heating the room. He used a thermostat that went right on the heater. Admittedly, his total time included just under an hour to go buy some wire nuts. If you are more experienced in this type of project, it would probably take less time.

Overall, we're happy with the heater and would buy it again.

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I am happy with the delivery time, packaging, and the overall workage of this unit. I ordered two of them for my back room which is all windows and they work well.

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Excellent heater at a reasonable price. Easy to install. Perfectly quiet when heating. Too early to tell how economical it will prove to be.

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