Honeywell Thermostat

Last Thursday I went to a presentation put on by Honeywell and Mid-City Supply in Plymouth that discussed their latest advancements in programmable thermostats.  I would hesitate to say that this is their answer to the Nest thermostat I talked about previously (here), since Honeywell was actually doing this first, but I think Nest and its advances and popularity are pushing them to be more innovative.  They have reduced the size of their programmable stat, given it more color options and beefed up their internet connectivity.

The three main things that I think set the Honeywell system apart are as follows:

1. They have a lot of module add-ons available. (Homeowner Accessory Flyer)   They can tie together multiple thermostats, zone sensors, duct sensors, humidity sensors and outdoor sensors within the HVAC realm.  In addition they are adding things like sump pump sensors which will make your thermostat more of a multi-function device.
2. Their RedLINK system has its own wireless bandwidth that works in a 1/2 mile radius to tie the modules together.  The advantage of this is the entire system becomes just one device on your wireless internet router reducing the load when Dad is playing video poker, Mom is watching a Netflix movie and Junior is playing a multi-player online game.
3. There is a commercial option for this system, partially allowed by the flexibility listed above.

The Honeywell system doesn’t have the “learning” option touted by Nest, but once you have your system set the way you want, I don’t see that as a huge advantage.  I’m more intrigued by the functionality, versatility and the ability to allow varying degrees of security access.  (Honeywell product comparison flyer)  For example, you may not want your HVAC technician to be able to change the temperature settings remotely, but you may want him to get the service alerts.  You can also store most of your system information in the device so you know exactly what the system is when you call with questions and your technician’s memory is immediately refreshed when an alert does come through.

Speaking of security, I would have assumed that it was a no-brainer to have the Honeywell thermostat talk to your Honeywell security system.  Apparently not so simple in the corporate world…  They are two different divisions and currently they do not play together.

The Honeywell system trumps Nest on versatility, but they aren’t quite there on style yet.  They’re trying though!  They have just released a line with a reduced size and they have upgraded the screen for improved touch control and wireless technology that lets you put a thermostat anywhere.  And while the case color is limited to three choices, the screen itself can be adjusted to about any color you can imagine.  You want fuschia to match your fuschia wall color?   They can do fuschia!  Though interestingly enough, I couldn’t find a picture of one in anything but blue online…

And a last note – if you are changing out your old dial thermostat, make sure that you recycle it.  The ubiquitous old Honeywell dial thermostat used mercury.  Mercury is one of those hazardous wastes that we should keep out of our landfills.  For more information, check out information from the Thermostat Recycling Corporation here.