In terms of compatibility the Honeywell RTH8500D is much better. It can regulate up to 2 stages of heating or cooling and heat pumps with auxiliary heat.
The Honeywell RTH8500D 7 Day Touchscreen Universal Programmable Thermostat price is $110, whereas the Lux Products TX9000TS Touchscreen 7 Day Programmable Thermostat costs only $70. Is the Honeywell RTH8500D worth the extra money?
In terms of program sophistication, both devices are the same: both offer a daily program with 4 different periods of heating/cooling to set up in a day. This is the ideal level of programmability to guarantee that you can match the indoor climate with the comings and goings of the people in the home.
Both devices are relatively simple to install and both have large backlit touchscreens. Although programming styles differ between the two thermostats they are both equally easy to master.
In terms of compatibility the Honeywell RTH8500D is much better. It can regulate up to 2 stages of heating or cooling and heat pumps with auxiliary heat.
The Lux Products TX9000TS can only deal with single stage heating and cooling and heat pumps without auxiliary heat.
The Lux Products TX9000TS can only deal with single stage heating and cooling and heat pumps without auxiliary heat. Also the Lux Products TX9000TS is battery powered whereas the Honeywell RTH8500D can take its power from the mains.
Both devices share many functions. Both have smart recovery/response, temporary override, vacation mode, filter change warning and both can cycle the fan.
The Lux Products TX9000TS is different to the Honeywell RTH8500D in that the display can show the time in either 12 or 24 hour systems and the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
When you make a program change there is also a useful audio confirmation. Other features found on the Lux Products TX9000TS but not the Honeywell RTH8500D are keyboard lockout and swing control.
Instead of swing control all Honeywell thermostats limit the number of cycles for the air-conditioner, furnace, etc. per hour. The Honeywell RTH8500D also features auto change-over; a handy function that switches automatically between heating and cooling to maintain an exact room temperature.
In terms of performance, there is nothing to separate the two thermostats. The choice comes down to how much you want to spend, what type of HVAC systems you have and what functions you value the most.
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