The thermostats placed in your homes are one of those essential devices which not only add comfort but also aid in saving energy. However, finding the best model that gives the best possible results within your budget may seem challenging.
This article aims at reviewing one of the programmable line voltage thermostats which fits the concerns of those who want a basic digital programmable thermostat the ones without the smart features.
In the sparse realm of the 7-day programmable line voltage thermostat that supports electric baseboard heating convector and fan-forced heaters, Aube TH106 model by Honeywell is surely one of the best buys. It looks stylish and has numerous features to program your schedule so that you can have a smile while looking at your energy bills.
What kind of thermostat is it? Detailed Review
As already mentioned, it is a digital thermostat, sans the smart features. You can program the schedule for all 7 days of the week. For each day, you can set the temperature for 4 periods. It also comes with pre-programmed settings, which is aimed to give you the best economic results.
It is two wired devices and supports both 120 V and 240V heating units. Only a few programmable models have 4000-watt option, it is one of them.
Let me give you a brief about its other striking attributes, to help you identify it as a good choice
Design
Aube TH106 is a rectangle-shaped thermostat that looks stylish and blends well with the interiors of any room. It has a digital display screen on its right. It has two sections, one where the screens and control buttons are placed and which can be opened, and the other one has metal fins that act as a heat sink. This actually contributes to its large size.
Talking about its dimensions it has a height of 4.9 inches and a width of 5 inches. The depth is about 1.5 inches, which means it won’t stick out of the wall much. Programming control is facilitated through the easy push buttons placed just at the left of the display. The attractive design is one of its peak advantages when compared to other models of the same category.
Display
The digital display of this thermostat is quite easy to read and understand. It, however, does not have a backlight, since this one comes with just 2 wires. It shows all the vital information like day and date, set-point temperature, actual temperature, operating mode and period, and the live heating power used. You can monitor the power being used for heating through the power heating indicator in the display.
The display is clear and can be comprehended easily once the icons are known to you. Just a glance at it, and you will know in which mode the thermostat is working and at what temperature it has been set.
Compatibility
If you have a 120V or 240V electric baseboard heater, convector, or fan-forced heater, you can install this thermostat. However, since this works on a comparatively low ampere, it cannot operate relays. Also, make sure your house supply runs on 60 Hz frequency. This thermostat is also ideal for radial ceilings.
Accuracy
The accuracy of this thermostat is found to be bang on! This one feature stands out from the rest, as this thermostat has been rated to have the best accuracy in the market among the models of this category. This leads to its amazing on-point temperature control of about (± 0.15-Degree Celsius and 0.27-Degree Fahrenheit). Users have complimented the thermostat a lot for its perfect temperature control.
Switching sounds
Aube TH106 boasts of 100 percent silent switching. Yes, it is free from the annoying clicking sounds that disturb your sound sleep or a peaceful environment. Many thermostats have the drawback of a clicking sound each time the switching happens. The TRIAC switching of this thermostat, however, is smooth and works without a sound. Therefore, it can be placed in your bedrooms, to make your sleep cozy and comfortable in a noiseless way.
Operating Modes:
It has basically two operating modes: Automatic and manual. If you have a proper daily schedule, then programming a schedule that fits your timings would give you the best results. This means that you will be using the automatic mode that makes the thermostat follow a pre-programmed schedule for the 7 days of the week.
Even though the makers boast of providing 4 periods per day, you can actually set only two temperatures per day. This means your room will be nice and toasty in the morning when you wake up, cool when you are away, then again heat up in the evening, and then cool down again at night.
However, in the manual mode, you have to set a temperature, and the thermostat would work on that until it is changed by you.
Installation
The manual of the thermostat can be used for the installation. It comes with 2 wires, however, with a proper technician, there is a scope for a 4 wire installation as given in its manual. In case you are not a pro electrician like me, I would definitely recommend you to hire an electrician to install this device. It cannot be installed vertically as it vents out a decent amount of heat onto its metal fins that act as a heat sink.
It comes with aluminum wires though, which may need an antioxidant grease coat on them while hooking if your household wiring is copper.
Power Source
This thermostat is powered by batteries and has battery-free backup. This means you need not worry about losing the program to the power outages. Your programmed schedule will be held securely in its memory.
Cost
Aube TH106 is certified to be an energy saver thermostat. This implies it would pay for itself in the long run when installed and used properly. The cost is not much, you can check the price at amazon.com.
These were some of the features of the 7-day programmable line voltage AUBETH106 thermostat.
To wrap it all up, let me list out the pros and cons and conclude the article.
Pros:
- Striking Design
- Sturdy built
- Useful display, with all the important indicators, especially the power heater indicator
- Installation is quite hassle-free
- Accurate temperature control
- Silent switching
Cons:
- The display does not have backlighting
- It comes with only 2 wire, which may not meet the electric code requirements at certain places.
- Large size
- Cannot be placed on its side, it needs to be placed horizontally always.
So, this is my review of the AUBETH106, to give a brief idea about the product. Hope you liked the write-up and it helped you in deciding whether the unit should control your heating system.
