thermostat selection help

[billconner]

I'm looking for a very simple, mechanical, heat only thermostat with a day and night setting. This is an addition, a new zone on the boiler, but if I like it, I'll replace the other "programable" ones in the house. Those are set to stay at one setting 24/7. Can't stand them.

Had Honeywell thermostats in my parents house, with a clock and day and night settings. Perfect. Do those exist anymore?

 

[brewchief]

I know of nothing that is mechanical but there are plenty of programmable stats that con be set to 2 programs a day for a night and day situation. Some you can set for heat only, some will be both heat and A/C.

 

[whateg01]

So, mechanical and programmable?

 

[billconner]

Iirc, clock inside thermostat was a single wheel with pins. Top photo shows the two settings - red and blue for day and night. Bottom is not quite what I recall but idea is there. Simple and reliable (and definitely unhackable )

 

[danski0224]

I remembered something like that. Likely not available new since 1985 or so...

 

[PoorUB]

I'm looking for a very simple, mechanical, heat only thermostat with a day and night setting. This is an addition, a new zone on the boiler, but if I like it, I'll replace the other "programable" ones in the house. Those are set to stay at one setting 24/7. Can't stand them.

Had Honeywell thermostats in my parents house, with a clock and day and night settings. Perfect. Do those exist anymore?

Good luck finding that! Everything is electronic these days. You might find something on eBay, something left over from 1970, but nothing in current production.

 

[American Locomotive]

IMO, mechanical thermostats are not great. They're rarely accurate, and they're rarely stable.

A basic non-wifi, non-smart, programmable thermostat like a Honeywell RTH221B1039 will last forever and can easily be setup for simple day/night. The LUX TX500B used to be my go-to cheap simple programmable t-stat, but they discontinued it. I've seen those going on 15-20 years without issue. Set of batteries usually lasts like 5+ years, too.

 

[billconner]

Thank you. Wish they made the Honeywell RTH221B1039 for heat only.

 

[fitter30]

Heat only programmable has a floor and air sensor. Floor sensor doesn't need to wired in.

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Honeywell-Home-TH6100AF2004-T6-Pro-Hydronic-Programmable-Thermostat-w-Slab-Floor-Sensor-1-Heat-Only

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Tekmar-561-WiFi-Thermostat-One-Stage-Heat

 

[billconner]

 

[bonneyman]

Good luck finding that! Everything is electronic these days. You might find something on eBay, something left over from 1970, but nothing in current production.

I found a model like that at a surplus shop. Three mercury bulbs for $5. (Heck, I could probably sell the merc for more than that)! Saving it for a rainy day.

Looks like an A/C - electric heat model. Could be made to run a heat pump, or gas heat if the appropriate jumpers and an isolation relay was added. EMP proof, un-hackable, and unintelligible to most younger techs. Put this with the vinyl records, 8-track tapes, and landline phone.

Good things come to them that look!

 

[billconner]

That round one is from Lowe's Web site. 8 in stock at my store.

 

[PoorUB]

I found a model like that at a surplus shop. Three mercury bulbs for $5. (Heck, I could probably sell the merc for more than that)! Saving it for a rainy day.

Looks like an A/C - electric heat model. Could be made to run a heat pump, or gas heat if the appropriate jumpers and an isolation relay was added. EMP proof, un-hackable, and unintelligible to most younger techs. Put this with the vinyl records, 8-track tapes, and landline phone.

Good things come to them that look!

I can't tell you how many of those I have torn off the wall and thrown away! Sure they will work in the apocalypse, but will your heating/cooling equipment?

 

[Bert_]

Find a new old stock one in a hardware store or eBay.

I run a simple old style mercury thermostat myself. You can turn the temperature up or down, there are literally no other settings. I like that.

I started with a newer Honeywell digital programmable thermostat. I pulled it off and gave it away.

 

[bonneyman]

I can't tell you how many of those I have torn off the wall and thrown away! Sure they will work in the apocalypse, but will your heating/cooling equipment?

Yeah, 10-4. If the power grid goes down, then nothing works. I'm mainly thinking of one step back from such a catastrophic event. And if the Apocalypse happens? I'm going to a better place.

I'm just preparing for an EMP incident (solar or man-made) that causes a black out, and when it comes back up I can run my HVAC equipment. Most digital stats that I'm familiar with aren't sufficiently shielded against that kind of stuff. Can't have my sweetheart wife too hot or too cold!
I have a big cover plate on the hallway wall so if I have to pull the digital stat off and install a little H/W round, I don't have a gaping hole to cover.

 

[danski0224]

I'm just preparing for an EMP incident (solar or man-made) that causes a black out

If/when something of that magnitude happens, whether or not your thermostat still works will be way, way, way, way, way and maybe even further down the list of priorities... and just kind of ignoring that the stuff connected to the grid just got wiped.

 

[American Locomotive]

Yeah, 10-4. If the power grid goes down, then nothing works. I'm mainly thinking of one step back from such a catastrophic event. And if the Apocalypse happens? I'm going to a better place.

I'm just preparing for an EMP incident (solar or man-made) that causes a black out, and when it comes back up I can run my HVAC equipment. Most digital stats that I'm familiar with aren't sufficiently shielded against that kind of stuff. Can't have my sweetheart wife too hot or too cold!
I have a big cover plate on the hallway wall so if I have to pull the digital stat off and install a little H/W round, I don't have a gaping hole to cover.

Any EMP strong enough to kill your digital thermostat is also going to be strong enough to kill the control board in your furnace ...and also kill the grid for a lonngg time.

Those are electronic these days.

 

[bonneyman]

Any EMP strong enough to kill your digital thermostat is also going to be strong enough to kill the control board in your furnace ...and also kill the grid for a lonngg time.

Those are electronic these days.

Yeah, the new Honeywell rounds are only round in shape - the internals are nothing like the old mercury bulb versions. But alot of oldsters still buy them as they are the "old" style.

I have a handful of old stats around just for those customers. Now that I'm out of business I'll use them on the evap or portable A/C.

 

[75gmck25]

The comment about old shape vs. new internals is really something to watch out for.

I have a Whirlpool washer that appears to have old mechanical control dials, but they are actually connected to an electronic control board. It looks old and simple, but looks are deceiving.

For example to test the cycles on my washer you cannot manually move the "mechanical dial" forward, which on old washers was just run by simple motor. The manual shows a specific sequence for the dial turning (like start out in center, left one click, two clicks right and then three clicks left) that puts the washer into self test mode, and it then quickly goes through each cycle. Useful, but completely dependent on an electronic control module.

 

[billconner]

Yeah, the new Honeywell rounds are only round in shape - the internals are nothing like the old mercury bulb versions.

True. I'll plan to live with this one until I can find one on a thrift store, junk place, or wherever.

 

[PoorUB]

Yeah, the new Honeywell rounds are only round in shape - the internals are nothing like the old mercury bulb versions. But alot of oldsters still buy them as they are the "old" style.

True. I'll plan to live with this one until I can find one on a thrift store, junk place, or wherever.

Plus the T87 round Honeywell electronic is by far the crappiest thermostat Honeywell sells. I used to work for a wholesaler the sold a lot of Honeywell products. Contractors would order the round Honeywell and order and extra as I would bet 30% of them would fail in a short time. We warrantied hundreds of them!

 

[bonneyman]

The old H/W T87F was so common, I knew techs that bought a case of them every year and installed a new stat on every troubleshooting call just to eliminate any potential stat issue.

White Rodgers made a sideways rectangular stat with mercury bulbs as well, the 1F56 series.
Now they make them merc free!

https://www.amazon.com/White-Rodgers-Emerson-1F56N-444-Mechanical-Thermostat/dp/B006FNREO6?tag=atomicindus08-20

And Robertshaw had a rounded-corner square stat with a magnetic bulb switch (no mercury) that we saw alot.

You searched for 200-501 - Robertshaw

www.robertshaw.com

These were all the rage in the pre-digital era.