I had a previous Lux digital thermostat I replaced with this model just due to the age of the previous unit. My old thermostat was still functioning fine, but I do not necessarily trust modern digital electronics past ten years of age. This thermostat was cheap, and I would rather pay a little money for a new thermostat than experience a thermostat failure during winter. Anyway, my thermostat was super easy to install. All of the thermostat wires were color coded, and I connected each wire to the corresponding terminal on the new thermostat's mounting plate. Since my previous thermostat was a Lux, I was able to use the existing mounting holes for my base plate as those lined up with the new plate and simply attach the wires to matching terminals. That made my install even easier.
I just started using this thermostat a couple weeks ago. It is keeping my house a consistent temperature when compared to another thermometer and my previous thermostat (also cycles at appropriate swing settings). The thermostat is working exactly how it should. I opted for Lux thermostats for a few reasons. I do not have a C wire and need a thermostat that can run on batteries alone. The unit is cheaper than comparable models. The thermostat has a lot of nice features for the price (energy use, filter change, lock out code, temperature set back-which is a temporary hold before automatically resuming program). However, I really like the fact I can adjust the swing temperature on this unit. For those who do not know what swing temperature is, it is the amount of temperature variance the thermostat will allow from the set temperature before turning the HVAC system on and off. A properly adjusted swing temperature allows the HVAC system to run more efficiently (longer run times which are also easier on HVAC system) balanced with occupancy comfort (HVAC cycles more often). I previously had a Honeywell thermostat that short cycled my HVAC system, and I will never use that brand again for that reason.
I am running this thermostat on AA batteries as I do not have a C wire. I ran my other thermostat that way for years, and I would just change the batteries right before heating season. I never had to replace them more than once a year and never saw a low battery indicator on my previous thermostat. I do wish it was easier to change the batteries out on this model. I did end up doing what another reviewer mentioned. I opened my thermostat to expose the battery compartment several times before installing it. It did make it a little easier to take apart after it was mounted.
There are a couple negatives. Some people mentioned the thermostat is inaccurate when powered by a C wire. I cannot comment on that as mine is soley run on AA batteries. The recovery feature was designed for a stupid California law. The hour maximum recovery time does not allow enough time for my hydronic heat system to adjust reach my set temperature during a Wisconsin winter. I program around that by setting my system to start earlier (again thanks to a dumb law). I will say that the display is kind of hard to read without the backlight. I also wish the unit displayed the current room temperature to tenths of a degree. The thermostat also seems a little slow to read temperature. It is just an observation when I first put batteries in it that it took a minute or two to read the exact room temperature despite being out of its case in my house before I installed batteries. I will add that my heating and cooling system slowly brings my house to the correct temperature, and that has not been an issue with its operation.
I will update this review if anything changes.
Edit: The temperature has been in the upper teens to lower twenties the past week. I have been playing with the swing setting on my thermostat as I recently installed new triple pane windows. My previous swing setting of +/- 1 was not working for me after my house upgrade. I lowered my swing to .75. I noticed my energy use dropped 45 minutes from previous day which had even warmer temperatures. I am now starting to experiment with other settings to see if they yield greater efficiency gains. I am also toiling with skipping my 6 degree thermostat reduction at night. By reducing the swing setting, I have learned that it takes my boiler more energy to recoupe losses than to maintain the current temperature (recovery time is around three hours of constant boiler operation). I am currently making a chart based off of run time settings based from the run time settings on this thermostat achieve the optimum efficiency. The energy use feature is also something that is great to have. I suggest people actually adjust their thermostats and check the results.
| Brand | LUX |
|---|---|
| Model Name | TX9600TS |
| Special Feature | Programmable |
| Color | Whites |
| Specific Uses For Product | Heat Pump |
| Included Components | Thermostat |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Item Weight | 16 ounces |
| Voltage | 240 Volts |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| Display Type | Digital |
| Control Type | Touch |
| Control Method | Touch |
| Connectivity Protocol | Wi-Fi |
| Mounting Type | Wall Mount |
| Style | TX9600TS (Gen 2) |
| Backlight | Yes |
| Number of Batteries | 2 AA batteries required. |
| Manufacturer | EME Delaware |
| Part Number | LTX9600TS-A04 |
| Item Weight | 1 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 5.38 x 1.13 x 3.38 inches |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | TX9600TS |
| Batteries | 2 AA batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 1 |
| Pattern | 7 Day Touch Screen |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number of Handles | 1 |
| Special Features | Programmable |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Battery Cell Type | Lithium |
| Average Battery Life | 8760 Hours |
