Lux TX9100E 7 Day Universal Programmable Thermostat
by Lux Products
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List Price: Our Price: $34.10 You Save: $45.89 (57%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Lux TX9100E 7 Day Universal Programmable Thermostat
Customer Review: Not the coolest looking thermostat, but it's very good
Summary: 5 Stars
Initially, I was looking for a larger, cooler-looking touchscreen thermostat. However, most of those, except for the really expensive thermostats, couldn't accomodate a multi-stage heat pump with emergency heat. I also wanted a thermostat that would operate off of the 24v line with battery backup or with just battery power and this one did both of these things. So I tried out the Lux TX9100E and I'm glad that I did.
To begin, if there is even the slightest, tiny doubt in your mind as to how to wire the connections, e-mail Lux before you start the installation. Maybe even e-mail them anyway, as some adjustments might not be evident. In my case, I had the wiring down properly, but there were 2 micro-switches and a jumper they wanted me to move and I wouldn't have known this without sending the e-mail to Lux. I think it would have still worked without flipping the switches, but it will work better with a completely proper setup.
On the downside, I had to repaint my wall because this thermostat isn't quite as tall as the last one and the unfinished wall was visible above the Lux, which looked a bit funky. The good news is that I now have one nicely painted wall, although you might not have the same problem that I did. Apparently, no trim piece is made for this unit.
The design is clean and functional, if not as cool in appearance as some. There is considerable customization available via the mostly hidden controls that you'll find under the swinging door. You can program multiple settings for each of the 7 days in the week. The copy feature is helpful as you can simply copy Monday's settings, for example, to Tues through Fri and then set up custom settings for the weekend.
Because the unit also operates on batteries, you can easily remove the thermostat from the wall and program it from the sofa, rather than having to stand next to the wall during the programming process. I like the fact that it uses AA batteries, which you can find everywhere. The unit it replaced used button batteries, which are more expensive and not as widely available.
Installation was easy. I drew a diagram of my old thermostat on a sheet of paper with notations about what wires went where just in case. I thought I had turned off the power at the junction box, but I started to smell smoke during the installation process, which is not good. Turns out the power was not off and two of the loose wires were touching. So make sure the power is off so you won't have a problem.
I was going to hire someone to install this thing, but some friends questioned my masculinity and so I decided to do it myself. Install was actually much easier than I thought it would be and the unit works great.
This is a highly flexible thermostat at a cheap price. I believe that Lux thermostats are top-rated by a leading consumer publication and I can see why. The customer service is great, the product works well and my sense is that it will last a long time based on the seemingly solid build quality. Highly recommended!
Customer Review: Easy to install, easy to program, great thermostat
Summary: 5 Stars
I wanted to replace some several-decade-old thermostats in our house, and I decided to go with Lux to give them props for WIN100 Heating & Cooling Programmable Outlet Thermostat, the best idea ever for anyone using space heaters. This thermostat was super-easy to install. We have two, one on a hydronic system and the other on a heat pump; like many other reviewers I had a question about the wiring, and got a quick and thorough response from Lux customer service. Programming is very easy; the copy feature means that 7 days are not burdensome even if every day is the same (does anyone really have 7 different programs?). The controls are pleasant to use.
I also had questions about whether it would be good on our heat pump. I had read that programmable thermostats on heat pumps often don't save you money, because if the auxiliary (electric) heat kicks in every time you go from a cool setback program to a warmer comfort program, you end up eating all the money and more that you saved by having the setback. I asked Lux if this thermostat was smart enough to avoid that problem. They emailed me back an extensive description of the rules the thermostat uses to avoid over-using the auxiliary heat, and also about the rules for its optional Smart Recovery feature (where the thermostat uses recent data about how fast it can change the temperature to try to change the temperature in advance of a program change). In short, the thermostat would spend at least a half-hour trying to just use the heat pump before letting the auxiliary heat kick in; and with Smart Recovery on it would only use auxiliary heat for the second half-hour unless recovery within a single hour required electric auxiliary heat. That's not as smart as I've read some thermostats are, where they pay attention to the amount of time it takes to raise each degree, and/or pay attention to the outside temperature. But, I decided it was smart enough, given how happy I was with the other one I installed; and it looked to me that I was unlikely to do better with anything that was a simple DIY install. So far in this variable February weather, we've occasionally used 15 minutes of electric heat in the morning, but never more. (Thanks TED 5000-G - The Energy Detective for that information.) I should say I do use a pretty light setback on this thermostat, from 70 to 65; a deeper setback would probably use the electric auxiliary heat more.
As I was browsing the web for information before making the purchase, I came across a couple of contractors' forums where Lux thermostats seem to be widely regarded as low-end products that don't last. ("I've never installed one, but I've had to replace plenty" was typical.) Even knowing that reputation, the user experience is so pleasing that I've decided to go with more products from Lux.
Customer Review: An awesome Thermostat
Summary: 5 Stars
This product has been a life saver for me. I live with someone who is blind who always thinks the house is too cold! I wanted a product that would be too complicated for him to figure out since he can't see it, but actually be simple to use. I got it! I had wanted a password one, but wasn't expecting to find one, but I did! I choose this brand based on numerous positive reviews for it, and also, numerous negative reviews of brands that I could have gone and picked up anywhere. This was the one that met my budget and system requirements.
The product arrived in a very timely manor. We opened it and went to set it up, and like a lot of people in other reviews, we had a technical question specific to our system. Unfortunately if you don't live on the east coast, tech service hours kind of suck, and they were closed for the day. So I emailed them. I got a reply shortly after they opened the next day. My email contained the page and figure number for our system configuration, and also step by step directions of installation. The thermostat only came with one jumper, and our system needed two. It would have been nice to have that second jumper but it only cost us 50 cents or so for the wire to make one. It was pretty easy to install. My fiance did it and he has never changed one before.
Set up was a breeze. The copy button makes it very easy. The instructions are detailed and informative and not vague like some can be. It was very easy to set the swing, and the other setting for how many degrees difference there needs to be for the emergency heat to come on (can't remember the term for it) but the instructions spelled it out very nicely. The only thing I would have liked to know before and I feel I should let others know is about this password... While the password is engaged, you cannot change the temp and you cannot get into the programming to change the settings of the program. However, the switch for "heat/off/cool" and the switch for "on/auto" for the fan settings, do not require the password to be entered. So if you live with a very obstinate person who insists on wanting the air or heat on, all they have to do is turn it on to heat or air, and then turn the fan from auto to on and the heat or air will blow forever till you discover it. It is thankfully not an issue for us, but I can see certain circumstances where that could be a problem.
In short, I would purchase this all over again in a heartbeat!
Customer Review: Lux TX9100E Thermostat
Summary: 5 Stars
This very versatile programmable thermostat is a great alternative to purchasing a more expensive Honeywell thermostat. This thermostat will readily wire up to any single stage or two-stage heat pump system - electric or gas; my unit is a Rheem all electric two-stage heat pump system. Lux shipped the unit promptly and well-packaged. All necessary mounting accessories and clearly-written instructions came with the unit. Installation was a breeze. I must note that if you are a do-it-yourself type, I strongly recommend that you contact Lux and/or your A/C-heater manufacturer to compare notes on which color wire goes to which terminal on your thermostat when connecting the wires. Each system's wiring codes are different, and thermostat makers add extra connection terminals to accommodate as many different systems as possible. For example, in my Rheem system, I have a brown "C" wire that is used as a common for the thermostat and a blue wire that is used to activate one of the heater controls. I connected the brown "C" wire to the "C" terminal and the blue wire to the "B" terminal of the thermostat. In other systems, there is no "C" wire and the blue wire is used as a common. In this particular case, if you were to connect the blue wire to the "B" terminal on your thermostat instead of connecting it to the "C" terminal, you could possibly damage your system. Once wired up correctly, the unit is very easy to program - it takes maybe 15 to 20 minutes to set up a 7-day routine that once set, can be left alone and never touched again and it will provide you with round-the-clock automatic temperature adjustments that will save you money and keep your home comfortable.
There is only one small negative to the Lux TX9100E thermostat. In some wiring applications, it may be necessary to insert a jumper wire between two specific terminals to correctly accommodate your particular system's requirements. Lux does not include this jumper wire in its package. You are required to make one yourself if your system requires it.
Customer Review: A Themostat With Options
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this replacement thermostat because the existing Honeywell thermostat was cycling my furnace on and off far too often, and had no adjustment for setting the "swing" to change that behavior. Apparently few, if any, Honeywell thermostats allow such an adjustment.
This Lux unit works with my dual stage gas furnace which has a five wire system to the thermostat. The markings on the Honeywell matched up 4 of the 5 wires, and the diagram in the Lux manual made it clear which terminal to hook the fifth wire too. Also included with the thermostat was a sheet of adhesive labels, for marking each of the five leads. That was very useful for my system since the wires are not color coded.
The install was a breeze, especially since there were already holes in the wall from apparently an earlier thermostat that matched up with this model. The first step was to turn off the power. I then labeled the wires at the old thermostat, and then disconnected them. After swapping out the back plates of the old and new thermostat I reconnected the wires, installed batteries and checked the settings of the 6 "dip" switches on the back. Only one of those needed changing, to turn on "recovery mode." After turning the power back on and proceeding to setup, the programming was fairly intuitive, but I did need to read the manual to figure out the "copy" procedure for copying one day to another, and to set the "swing."
The readout on the thermostat for temperature seems accurate, matching another thermometer that I placed on top of this thermostat. In operation it seems to cycle on/off my furnace 2-3 times an hour rather than the 5-6 with the old Honeywell. That did require changing the "swing" to 3 from the default of 1 (each number is 1/4 of a degree). I also increased the "offset" for turning on stage two of my furnace to 4 degrees.
My only complaint is that the batteries are not accessible without removing the unit from the wall. That's a very minor complaint.