Honeywell RTH230B 5-2 Day Programmable Thermostat
by Honeywell
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Honeywell RTH230B 5-2 Day Programmable Thermostat
Customer Review: Excellent - Just what I wanted
Summary: 5 Stars
Ok... I have been using this thermostat for the past 12 hours and have been monitoring its behavior closely.
I wanted a thermostat that could hold temperature very close to the set value. I also wanted something that was programmable. Was not too fussy about back-light.
Installation: With my IQ of 75, I could remove the older t-stat and install this new one in about 60 minutes. If I had to do it again, I could do it in 15 minutes. The installation was very simple and the instructions were ok... though I did take some useful help from this wonderful article [...]
The t-stat "does" maintain the temperature to within +/- 1 degree F. Since, I have an electric central cooling and heating system, I set the CPH value to 6 cycles per hour. After installing I started noting when the t-stat would start the heating, how long would the heating continue for and at what temperatures does the t-stat trip on and off. Since I feel especially cold, I like to set the temperature really warm. I set the temperature to 79 degrees. The t-stat would start the heater as soon as the room temp. dropped to 78 (79-1) and would continue to heat till the temp increased to 80 (79+1). This is exactly what I wanted. I also noticed that the heater took about 7 minutes to increase the temperature from 78 to 80 degrees and it took about 40 minutes to drop back to 78, when the heater would turn on again.
I've seen some reviewers complain about the outer face plate that needs to be taken off to adjust the settings. I find that to be a non-issue. It takes me 2 seconds to take it off... and if it take you longer... don't put the face plate at all...
I cannot still comment about how long this thing will last...but hopefully it should last long, given that it is a honeywell product.
Customer Review: Don't Do It.
Summary: 2 Stars
First off I must say it's sad to see how many negative reviews are out of laziness and lack of attention. There is a backlight, you just hit a button and VOILA...light. Than you proceed to do what you want. It even tells you this in the directions. Also, the plate that pops off is not a big deal, there are no tools required to get it off. Place thumb on bottom and pull with your two fingers on top and it pops right off.
Now on to my review. I bought this unit to replace a mid '90s programmable one that was in the home when we bought it. Instillation was a little tricky because I had wires that weren't listed on the installation instructions. Finally got it installed and cranked it on. Set it to 76° and let it run. Well it kicked off and I thought to myself...this isn't 76°, this is closer to 80°. Went and looked and sure enough it said it was 75°, but I know it wasn't. Needless to say it is about 4° - 5° off. Also, after some experimenting there is no difference between 72° and 65°. This thing just flat out doesn't cool the house. It also runs more than the original unit. We have had our system checked and the system is running fine. This thermostat just dosen't cut it.
The programming doesn't work. It always reverts back to the default settings which are awful for Southern summers. I would suggest spending some extra coin and getting a better one than this. We have had this thing for about a month now. Had I not thrown the original away I would go back to it.
Customer Review: Broke After Less Than A Year
Summary: 1 Stars
This thing was a piece of junk from day one. Getting the front plate to snap on is a pain. It took me 20 minutes of fiddling with it to finally get it to latch right.
It never kept our house at a constant temperature. If we set it at 68, it read anywhere from 67-71. If it was reading 70 when it was set at 68, the heat would still go on.
Last week the heat wasn't kicking on at all so I replaced the batteries with brand new ones. It took a half hour for the heat to finally go on. We don't use discount/cheap batteries here, we always use name brand. So it's not cheap batteries that's the problem.
Today, the heat wasn't working again and I went down to check the pilot light on the furnace. That was fine so I replaced the batteries again and the heat went on immediately. Long story short? This thing is a piece of junk that eats through batteries like no tomorrow. When I told my uncle, who is a seasoned Mr. Fix It, that I just replaced the batteries last week, he told me that it's probably eating through the batteries so fast because something on the board is shot. So we paid $30 for something that lasted less than a year. Needless to say, when my husband comes home from work today we will be taking a trip to the hardware store to buy a new thermostat that ISN'T a Honeywell.
DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT!!!! Spend an extra $20 and get a better quality thermostat from a different company.
Customer Review: Great... While It Works
Summary: 3 Stars
The Good: Compact and attractive design, easy to install, and inexpensive.
The Bad: If you sift through the reviews you will discover some common complaints: the unit fails to call for heat after a certain duration of use, and the documentation is lacking [some sections either omit certain necessary details and/or not clearly written]. These are accurate from personal experience. I installed one of these in November of last year and this past January the unit began failing to call for heat; sometimes going 2 degrees below the set temperature. By the time that I contacted Honeywell Support, the unit was about two weeks outside of the manufacturer warranty. Tough luck. It would be nice if electronic items were less disposable.
I chose this unit because of the design; it's smaller than most thermostats in this category and more attractive in appearance. Another common complaint is the front cover that hides the buttons; it makes the unit look cleaner but must be removed to access the controls. Some kind of hinged design would be a plus. I wanted something programmable to replace the old dial-type thermostat, without being too or pricey.
I was happy with this unit when it worked properly, which was about 1 year. I will likely replace it with the same model mainly because I know how to easily operate it. However, I will definitely look for a really good buy next time around.
Customer Review: outstanding product, easy to use, paying off big with savings
Summary: 5 Stars
I finally decided mid way through the summer to replace my aging thermostat with a more modern programable one after the shock of the first summer electric bill. Every day I would raise the thermostat before I left, but ocassionally I'd forget and waste a days worth of cooling. There are many choices for thermostats, and I initially looked at this model because of the name, Honeywell, A brand that I recognize and Know is a major player in thermostats and climate controll. I purchased this model because of its great step by step instruction and ease of installation. I have worked with other older programable thermostats, and many use to be difficult to program and even more dificult to figure out the display. Well, this unit has a nice easy to read picture display, and the programing is a snap. One feature that is nice is that it has 4 programable times during the day: wake up, going to work, home from work, bedtime, allowing you to save energy over the day, but also over night when it is cooler. It also has easy to program saturday and sunday settings as well, with available 4 programing settings as well if needed. So if your in the market for a new thermostat, this is a nice simple unit, affordable, and easy to use, why waste more money on a more expensive model.