Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I have both the Honeywell RTH7600D (bought at Costco for around $65 and packaged there as model RCT8101A) and this Honeywell RTH8500D. Both units are very good with the one major difference being the "Vacation Hold" feature; the 8500 has it and the 7600/Costco version does not. The programming interface is different as well, however, one is not necessarily better than the other. The 7600 unit is a little easier to program whereas the 8500 offers a shortcut that allows multiple days to be programmed at once. Since you'll likely program the unit infrequently, I don't think this should necessarily be a consideration unless you are an installer of these units where time is money; then the 8500 is the unit of choice.
The Costco version for me is going back because it lacks the Vacation Hold feature. If you travel or not at home frequently, the Vacation Hold feature allows you to hold the temperature, say, at 50 degrees for 10 days while you take off for a ski trip. With this feature, once the timed Vacation Hold is over, the thermostat resumes it's normal programming schedule. So, when you arrive home, the house temperature is at a comfortable level.
The Costco version allows you to manually override the program schedule, however, you must manually remove the override as well. Therefore, when you arrive home from your ski trip, you come home to a cold house and you'll need to manually reset the thermostat and wait for the house to warm up. If this is not an important feature for you or you're are at home most of the time, go for the Costco version and save about $40.
Otherwise, the RTH8500D is an excellent unit that has worked quite well for me over the past several years.
UPDATE: We recently (May 2011) installed the RTH8500D in our bedroom. The "click" of the relay contact when the thermostat calls for activation annoys my wife who has rather sensitive hearing. I contacted Honeywell and they said the clicking sound is unavoidable at the current time and suggested insulating the back plate of the RTH8500D with 1/8" Styrofoam to deaden the relay sound. I temporarily tried a thick folded piece of clothing material and I didn't notice any difference. After reading other Honeywell thermostat reviews, the clicking sound seems to be universal across many of their thermostats. So, if considering a bedroom application, you may want test the unit to ensure it's within an acceptable noise level .
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Honeywell RTH8500D 7-Day Touchscreen Universal Programmable Thermostat - Honeywell's 7-Day Touchscreen Programmable Thermostat is effortless to use. Its intuitive logic and menu-driven programming respond to your choices and schedule for optimal comfort and energy savings. The RTH8500D offers you top-of-the-line features like touchscreen interaction, auto-changeover, a real-time clock and a large, easy-to-read backlit display. If you want your home to feel as comfortable as it looks, then the 7-Day Touchscreen Programmable Thermostat is the thermostat for you. You'll enjoy the convenience, energy savings and consistent comfort for years to come.Program is retained in memory in the event of a power outage Real-time clock automatically adjusts for daylight savings time Precise temperature control of +/-1F for consistent comfort Includes change reminders for filters and low batteries Armchair programming allows user to program the thermostat from his or her sofa or chair Energy Star Rating
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