Current model needs to be manually switched from heat to AC, which isn’t meshing well with the regional weather swings from really hot to really cold.
I suspect it’s just a bare-bones cheapest model on the market.
Searching for an upgrade, I’m seeing lots of ‘smart’ options that pair with my phone or WiFi, but that’s overkill for my taste.
On the other end, I’m seeing lots with terrible reviews / unit craps out after a couple months, or has the same annoying lack of function as my current model. … Didn’t expect this purchase to be such a battle.
All I want:
Set it like 73° with a +/- 5° tolerance. If it hits 68°, heat kicks on. If it hits 78°, AC kicks on.
That’s it. No phone connection, no Internet, no AI slop home assistant.
Any of you know a good model that fits the bill?
From some searching, it looks like the term you’re looking for is an “auto changeover” thermostat. Honeywell is usually a pretty safe choice for thermostats and they have models with auto changeover. Some of those are technically ‘smart’ but can be programmed and operated without using the app.