Hunter 44360 Set and Save 7-Day Programmable Thermostat
by Hunter Fan Company
|
List Price: Our Price: $32.05 You Save: $20.94 (40%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $26.00 (click here) Category: Tools See more product details |
|---|
Tools and Hardware Reviews of Hunter 44360 Set and Save 7-Day Programmable Thermostat
Customer Review: Best $50 I've Spent
Summary: 5 Stars
This thermostat is worth every penny! It does exactly what it should do, and the instructions were perfect for my heating/cooling system. I didn't have any problems putting it in.
What the other review didn't mention is that this thermostat has extra features over the other Hunter models. The big difference is the Energy usage information. It tracks the amount of time that the system was on today, yesterday, this week, last week, and total since you installed it. It's neat being able to come home and see that the air conditioning was on for only 30 minutes, or on for 2 hours. This helps you figure out how your thermostat settings are affecting your real energy usage. It also has a filter reset reminder, which tracks the number of hours that the system has been used with the current filter. This is useful, since most filters say they last 3 months. But the real lifetime of the filter is based on how much air has been blown through it. You could run it for 12 hours a day, and it might only last one month. On the other hand, you could run it only 10 minutes a day, and it would probably last 6 months. With the filter reminder, it's able to tell you when you truly need to replace the filter.
Also, the backlight works perfectly in my opinion. It only stays on for 5 seconds after you stop pushing any buttons. So if you are programming things, then it continually stays on until you are done programming. Plus, if you are just checking the current temperature or setting, 5 seconds is more than enough time to read a 2-digit number. I love this thermostat, and recommended it to a friend who loves it as well. It's much lower-priced compared to other competitors like Honeywell, and has a nice, simple interface. The blue backlight is gorgeous as well, and other brands don't all offer an indiglo backlight like this one does. There really isn't anything I don't like about this product. I HIGHLY recommend it!
Customer Review: Concerned after 17 months of usage
Summary: 2 Stars
I purchased this unit 17 months ago in October 2008 to replace a similar unit that failed after about 14 years of service. Installation went smoothly and it's very easy to program. Initially the unit functioned as described.... then one day this winter we came home to a very cold home. Apparently the batteries failed without warning, yet the display was functional and there still wasn't a low battery indication. I replaced the batteries and all seemed to be fine... until this week. We're on our 3rd set of batteries this week after each time coming home to a cold home. Each time the display is functioning just fine, the programming is in tact, there's no low battery indicator, etc. I'm not sure what's wrong with it, but when I select the temperature warmer and "return" there should be the sound of a click (the relay) then the furnace should activate. When I replace the batteries, then all systems are operational again.. for a day or two. This happened again today. Today after all attempts to activate the furnace failed, I again replaced the batteries. Again, a fresh set of batteries successfully engaged the relay in this unit. These are name brand batteries. Each pair has been from different brands from different packages. All are new, freshly bought.
I'm very concerned and most likely will end up replacing this thermostat. Save your money and buy a more reliable unit.
Update: So far the unit has held on with the most recent replacement of batteries about 4 months ago. I'm keeping a close eye on it, if I indeed have to replace it then it will be with a different unit, but again, so far, it's holding on....
Customer Review: Great thermostat, easy install, but use is sometimes counterintuitive
Summary: 4 Stars
Overall, I have to say this is a great thermostat. I love that you can program each day separately, and the unit looks nice on the wall when the cover is closed. The backlit display is really helpful. The whole unit was slightly bigger than I expected (it looked really big in the package when I first received it), but it's not bad once it's on the wall.
As far as "installation troubles" that others have mentioned, I have no idea what they are talking about. I've never installed a thermostat before, but they made it SO easy. Maybe that person's pre-existing wires were confusing? The instructions give you lots of match-up options for old thermostats, and it matched perfectly to my old system. They even give you stickers to put on your wires so you don't mix them up. I'd say the whole installation process took me 10 minutes.
One slightly odd thing--there is no battery cover. This isn't a big deal as it's usually covered by the main unit cover, but when you open it, the batteries are exposed.
The unit works well, and the features they mention work just as they say they do. My biggest complaint (and the loss of a star), is some features seem too difficult / confusing to use. It's not terrible, but it could be more intuitive. For example, to change the temp on the fly, you have to hold down the up/down arrows for a few seconds. Also, if you want to exit a special program (such as "Home Today"), it can be difficult to know how to do that. Once you figure it out it is fine, but I would have been happy with a few less features and a little more intuitive operating.
That aside, though, still a great thermostat for the money!
Customer Review: Easy to Use***BUT ONLY IF YOU READ THE BOOK****
Summary: 4 Stars
This thermostat was a really good investment for the $40 price.
For starters, it was RIDICULOUSLY EASY to install. I'm just your average Jane, and I was able to install this thermostat simply by following the instructions in the manual. Installation was a no-brainer.
I haven't had the thermostat long enough yet to be able to say whether it's saving me money on heating bills, but I appreciate the control this thermostat gives me. I was able to program the thermostat so that the heat is on a lower setting at night when I'm sleeping and at times when I'm not home during the day. You can actually make a unique program for every day of the week if you want to.
Programming the thermostat was really easy, by the way. Just like installation, all you have to do is read the manual and follow the simple instructions.
***The key here is that you must actually read the instruction booklet for this product. My husband didn't read it, and he finds the thermostat confusing. DUH. I suspect that other people who have posted reviews saying that this thermostat is confusing have also not read the book. You gotta take 10 minutes and READ THE BOOKLET, FOLKS.***
The only gripe I have about this thermostat is the same one that others have reported in these Amazon reviews: The thermostat backlight is really annoying. I wish I had the ability to turn it off and on with a switch.
(Others have also written that the batteries fall out of the thermostat when you open the cover. I have not had this problem.)
Overall this product was a really great value.
Customer Review: A Green Thermostat That Tells a Story
Summary: 5 Stars
I selected this thermostat as a replacement for my original that came with the house and had only two functions, on and off, both selections being manual. After vigorously accomplishing research and comparing features, I compared two brands, Honeywell and Hunter. Realizing my defunct thermostat was a Honeywell, I opted for the Hunter for several other reasons, such as cost, and return on investment. This thermostat is programmable, and will pay for itself in a matter of several electrical billing cycles for the summer with air conditioning in demand, or a winter season.
It was so darn easy to install, that if you are capable of screwing in two screws and connecting your thermostat wires that are color coded, you can not go wrong. It may be a good idea to see which wires are connected to your old thermostat first and then write the information down on a piece of paper so you can re-wire the new thermostat using the color coding of the old thermostat to avoid any issues. I merely attached the back plate, connected the wires and inserted two AA batteries and was going in less than ten minutes. It was easier to program than Tivo and comes pre-programmed with an energy savings plan. These settings can be kept or customized freely.
This green thermostat tells a story. How long the AC or heat has been on throughout the day, the past days of the week, or the entire week and can be programmed daily which really worked for me. I wished all thermostats came with the amount of features that this one did, as it would have made my selection much more difficult.