Lux TX9000TS Touch Screen Seven-Day Programmable Thermostat

Full Overview

Efficient. Easy. Economical. That's why you'll love the Lux TX9000TS seven-day programmable thermostat. This clever device gives you complete and accurate temperature control at the touch of a finger. Compatible with a variety of heating and cooling systems, this thermostat incorporates do-it-yourself installation, a responsive touch screen, and a large lighted display for straightforward programming and operation.

TX9000TS Seven-Day Programmable Thermostat At a Glance: Save up to 33% on energy costs and up to $180 the first year Seven-day programming--up to four programs per day Touch-screen interface with electroluminescence for easy reading Comes preset with default energy-reducing program Registers your selections with audible touch confirmation Seven-day programming--up to four programs per day Backed by a three-year limited warranty

Icons indicate cooling, heating, and lockout modes. View larger.

Customize Your Home's Heating and Cooling Schedule
With the TX9000TS it's easy to set a daily heating and cooling schedule for your home, which can ensure your comfort and potentially reduce your utility costs. With easy-to-use menu-driven programming and intuitive touch-screen commands, this thermostat allows you to program up to four different time and temperature settings in a 24-hour period (morning, day, evening, and night). You also have the option of setting a different program for every day of the week.

Wallet-Friendly Choice
The TX9000TS can be an energy-efficient choice that can save your family approximately 33% on energy bills.

It comes pre-programmed with a default energy-conserving heating and cooling schedule that's designed to save up to $180 in energy costs over one year.

And thanks to the keyboard lockout feature, the TX9000TS is great for households with small children or other potential unauthorized users.

User-Friendly Features and Operating Simplicity
Incredibly user friendly, the TX9000TS boasts a range of helpful features to simplify both programming and everyday operation. First, a large blue electroluminescent display is easy to read--even in low light--and clearly shows the current day, time, temperature, and filter status.

Additionally, audible touch confirmation indicates that your choices are being registered, while snowflake and flame icons indicate cooling or heating mode. For further convenience, a filter-usage monitor allows you to set filter limits from zero to 720 hours of use, and a "replace" icon will appear when battery power is running low.

The TX9000TS is compatible with a number of heating and cooling operational systems, including most 24-volt systems, single-stage systems, heating-only and cooling-only systems, furnace systems, central air-conditioning systems, heat pumps without auxiliary heat, two-wire hydronic systems, and 750-millivolt systems.

What's in the Box
One Lux TX9000TS programmable thermostat, mounting hardware, and a manual (batteries not included).

Technical Details

- Easy-to-use touch-screen interface
- Seven-day programming with four periods per day
- Default Energy Star-approved program
- Two-minute or five-minute delay
- Filter usage monitor from zero to 720 hours of use

BOTTOM LINE:
Took about 45 minutes from removing old unit to new installation and completing programming. It works great!

SYSTEM:
4 wire Gas heating and electric cooling.

OLD UNIT:
Honeywell Electronic C9825 - bought in year 2000. Has weekday, weekend, 4 periods per day and adaptive recovery. Replaced as temperature override and 'Hold' features work erratically.

TOTAL EXPERIENCE:
1 Week

REVIEW:
The TX9000TS is the 3rd electronic thermostat I've owned and is probably the most intuitive of them all. Lux has provided a generous sized display and a very responsive touch-screen. The back light is a pleasing blue. The unit is 3 parts - the main unit, a back plate where you connect the wires and an optional accent plate that provides a .75 inch border to provide a finished look.

I had read the earlier reviews on Amazon and had decided that I will not read the instructions prior to the install to determine how intuitive this system really was? The only exception I would allow myself was if the wiring was significantly different from my old unit - which it was not!

The setup was relatively simple. Removed the old unit and replaced it with the new back plate and accent bezel. No new holes to drill. The accent bezel is the closest piece to the wall and is held up by the back plate. I straightened the old wires, inserted into the corresponding clamp and tightened the screws - Total time of 15 minutes.

I inserted 2 new alkaline batteries (And NO, I did not use the recommended Duracell or Energizer!) and the unit came to life. I clicked on the time and it started beeping. I could see arrows on the right and intuitively touched them to set the time. Did the same to set the day. Touching the 'Menu' got me into the programming mode for the unit. I touched "SCROLL" to skip to the next feature, and "NEXT" for the next step in the feature programming. I do admit I took a few iterations to get used to the programming logic. Also 'YES' to accept settings is a little different from the colloquial "ENTER" we are used to in a computer literate world!

This unit is programmable for every day of the week. I, at most, need one setting for all week-days and one each for Sat and Sun. While programming the days, I noticed that they had a "COPY" function. I was sure that this was to copy my settings - every time I touched it, it went over to the next day. I thought that the data was being copied over and I did verify it after I completed my first iteration of programming. By the way, once you are in the programming mode, setting the start time for any period and/or setting the temperature is as simple as touching the time or temperature and using the up/down arrows. Could not be simpler!

I was fortunate that I had the program settings available from my old unit - once I went through a few iterations of errors (not using "YES" to accept settings!) the unit was programmed - Total time of 15 minutes

I spent another 10 minutes setting the 'Filter Usage' and 'Swing settings' and reviewing the 'Temperature Calibration' and 'Energy Usage' monitor. The Swing settings only went upto degrees in 0.5 degree increments (One of the other reviewer found that it went upto degrees???)

I did not see the 'Smart Recovery' option and thought that it might be a switch on the circuit board like my last unit. It was 1.30 in the morning and I did not feel like reading the instructions. I attached the TX9000TS and it kicked off instantly.

The instructions did have the following options that can be changed with the small slide switches towards the back of the main unit -- 12/24 hours time format, Smart Recovery, Degrees in C or F, and 2 or 5 minute interval between restarts.

OTHER REVIEWER'S CONCERNS
Some of the other reviewers have concerns that the unit does not automatically switch between heating and cooling to keep the temperature constant. This is done intentionally!
In the summer, our ideal temperature is 74 degrees. When we leave for work, our "DAY" period is set to 82 degrees so that the AC does not cool the home while we're out. In an auto switch between heating and cooling, the heat would take over and get the temperature to 82 degrees and maintain it - which is NOT the intent!! We do not want the AC to cool any below 82. I can, of course, see the gentleman's point if one spends 90% of their time at home and is OK with the associated heating/cooling cost.

PROS:
* TX9000TS is rated #1 by Consumer Reports
* Cheapest in its class for display size and features
* Very easy to program
* Love the LARGE display and the accuracy of the touch zones.
* Very nice Backlight and fantastic positioning of the backlight switch.
* Like the "CHANGE FILTER" feature. I used to use a Sharpie on the filter and then try to read the date through the grill
* Like the "Low Battery" alert.
* Power Usage also seems like a valuable feature...will find out in the near future! I did manage to find it by pressing menu and scrolling

CONS:
* Lux could have done a better job with the programming terminology and could have improved the user experience with regards to the programming. For e.g., if you had to program day and time, it continues to loop when you click "NEXT"...to exit the programming you need to use "MENU".

* Another feature I miss from my old Honeywell is the "RUN PROGRAM" button which when pressed would clear the "OVERRIDE" functions and run as per the program. The TX9000TS unit achieves this either by touching the temperature and using the arrow keys to bring the temperature to the programmed value, OR, by touching "HOLD" twice. Minor inconvenience.

* The tabs, on the top of the base plate, that hold this unit are very small and I am in constant fear of breaking them off. My old Honeywell had a very robust design.

CONCLUSION:
I do agree that the TX9000TS is not completely intuitive, but it is nowhere as unintuitive as others claim. I do like to play around with stuff that I get...if it were all super-intuitive and easy then it'd be no fun! ;o)

Really simple to Install with just a screwdriver. Wiring made simple by good instructions. The product itself comes with a size increase backplate to avoid having to redecorate if size does not correspond to old unit. Now onto the functions, really simple easy to program with smart copy function. Large display and numerals can be read from 10 feet away. Touch screen is a pleasure to use. Backlight is bright and clear and makes this unit an absolute dream do adjust in the night time or as you walk into the house.

I have been so pleased by this product. It was very easy to install. The large touchscreen and display size made programming a breeze. I didn't think it was possible to really like a thermostat, but this one is so easy to interface with and so attractive that I'm actually enjoying it a bit. The fact that it is a touchscreen is the best part--if I had to buy another thermostat and this model were not an option, I would definitely look for another that had a touchscreen. The unit is working flawlessly and keeping the house at a consistent temperature--much better than my old mercury thermostat.

Considering all the features of the TX9000TS, I think Lux offers this product at a very reasonable price. I have found that similar touchscreen thermostats from other companies cost much more.

Finally, I ordered this unit from a third-party seller on Amazon. On the screen there was a small defect in the coating of the touchscreen itself. I wasn't sure if the blip was supposed to be there, so I got in touch with Lux Customer Service. The response was almost immediate, and very helpful. They made every effort to understand what I was trying to describe, and once we determined that there was a problem, they agreed to send out a new one with a prepaid return envelope for my defective unit. I was so surprised at Lux's high level of customer service and their willingness to stand behind their product, since it is usually akin to pulling teeth in order to get problems like this resolved. As a result of the interaction I had with Lux, I would definitely favor their brand of thermostats in the future.

I bought this thermostat to replace a programmable Honeywell unit that was the same price, and had many of the same features, but was inaccurate when it came to maintaining temperature. This Lux is easy to set-up, easy to take off the wall and replace the battery, and has many features the Honeywell did not have. I like the seven day programming, and the touch-screen. I do wish it displayed the room temperature and set temperature at the same time, though. Also, I am not fond of the switches that control heat or cool and fan mode, but it's a minor issue as those controls are not used often. Overall, it's a great thermostat.

This is a good product and about what I expected. The filter monitor is nice since it tracks how many hours the furnace is actually running, so if the filter's not being used much it will track that.

The feature I was really hoping for was the ability to run the fan for an hour or two on a timer basis. For example, if the fan hasn't turned on in 12 hours I'd like it to just spend an hour circulating the air. Or, if I'm cleaning then I'd like it to run for 2 hours to clear out the fumes.

I can't say enough about this product. bought a two story 2854 sq ft house. Got the first electric bill and it was $370 (bulging eyes). At that moment i went online and bought two Lux TX9000TS after reading reviews for the two units in my home. my next bill with those two Lux units controlling my a/c units the whole time was $125. that's almost a third of the cost of running the a/c units with the original controllers. it paid for itself in one month...

I bought a pair of these setback thermostats to replace a White-Rodgers setback and a ritetemp setback. While both of my present thermostats were technically perfectly operational, the former had a small, one-line screen and no backlight and both were hard enough to set that on those rare occasions when I wanted to change a setting I had to resort to a manual. Not so with these Luxs.

I cheated a bit in that I downloaded the manual from the Lux Web site and had it read before my thermostats arrived, but even so they would have been a snap to program. I am fairly handy and didn't even find it necessary to turn off the (24 volt) power to my 2-wire gas heaters (and I am _not_ recommending this shortcut for anyone else). Within an hour I had both units mounted, programmed, tested, and running. One required drilling 2 new holes, the other mounted in the same holes as the unit it replaced.

The advantage of the Luxs over my old thermostats is in the touchscreen interface. The font is large, especially the room temperature, there is backlighting, and, to make things even easier the electronic front panel can be separated from the wall mount so that you can do your programming at a table or desk. I inserted 2 AA batteries in each unit and made 2 hardware settings (24 hour time and "smart recovery", keep reading for an explanation). The day of the week and the time are set from the touchscreen, as are all the software settings. The start time and temperature for each period of each day are set from one of the (several) available menus and one day's settings can be copied to the next day by pressing COPY. Those settings, which can be done in a minute or two, are all you need to be up and running and all most people will use. Snap the faceplate onto the wall mount and you're done.

My "almost" in the title expresses one of only two reservations I have concerning these thermostats. For some reason, the engineers at Lux decided not to show the set temperature on the main screen, the one you see most of the time; only the room temperature shows. It's easy enough to see the set temperature (just touch the room temperature), but I would have liked not to have to do anything to see the set temperature.

The only other complaint I have is with the smart recovery algorithm. The idea is to have the thermostat monitor how fast your house cools off (typically at night) to the setback temperature to have some idea how much lead time it will need in the morning to reach the higher, morning set temperature. The faster your house cools down at night, the colder it must be outside, and the longer it should take to come up to temperature in the morning. At least that's the idea. This feature works perfectly with the thermostat controlling the bedroom heater, but not with the thermostat controlling the main living-area heater. I did a little reading and discovered that if the thermostat determines that it will take more than an hour head start to reach the morning setting it simply will not try and will start at the requested time (no lead). I run my main living- area at 58 F at night, lower than the bedrooms, and I guess that's why the two thermostats perform differently in this regard. I can live with this situation, but I don't see why the one hour constraint is there in the first place.

In summary, despite two minor drawbacks, I find these Lux thermostats to be a dream to program and easy to read. All in all a very satisfying purchase.

Have had this thermostat for about 6 months and am loving it. It's reliable and easy to program. Great extra features, too, like the adjustable filter change reminder and the energy monitor. Program 4 cycles per day, and if you want to use the same programming on Tuesday as you did for Monday, you just hit the "copy" button and it automatically inputs those settings for you. No sitting there and entering the same 10 button sequence 5 times for Monday - Friday.

Highly recommend the WP9000TS Wallplate for Lux Products TX9000TS. Just added this for $2, free shipping, and it definitely enhances the asthetic appeal (if there is such a thing for a thermostat!). Buy it when you purchase the thermostat, so you don't have to take the thermostat off later to add the wall plate.

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UPDATE - JULY 6, 2010
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Have started having problems with the thermostat about two weeks ago (Have had it since January 2010). Now, when I try to program it, after pressing the touchscreen 3-4 times (for example, while trying to program the current time), the screen resets (as in, all characters on the screen light up and stay lit, and I can't do anything else). The problem has persisted. The only thing the thermostat will now do is hold a set temperature, and even then, it resets after a day or two and does nothing until the batteries are pulled out for a few minutes.

Will let you know how the returns process goes. The owner's manual says it has a 3-year warranty instructs me to return it to Amazon; however, Amazon won't let me return it because it has been more than 90 days. Contacted Lux directly and we'll see what they say.

Installed very easy and it works well, but the user interface needs some tweaking.

The copy mode is a little weird...it copies the previous day's schedule to the current day, then moves it to the next day (if Wednesday is displayed, pressing copy will copy Tuesday's settings to Wednesday and display Thursday).

Scrolling through the days can be a bit painful (~8 presses per day) . Pressing the copy button would scroll you quickly through the days, but it would also change the programming. A "next day" button would really help.

Also, remember to program both the heat and cool cycles. The heat cycle can only be programmed if switch is set to "heat" and the cool cycle can only be programmed if the switch is set to "cool."

Overall, I am satisfied with the product and would buy again. It is great value for the money.

I'm not what you would call a "do-it-yourselfer" for the most part. But we really needed digital thermostats, and I thought programmable thermostats would save us some money. The thermostats the builder installed when we bought our house seven years ago were not even digital. I just wish I'd changed them out sooner - I can't believe I waited so long!

We have two systems in our house, one in the attic to heat/cool the upstairs, and one in the basement to take care of downstairs, so I ordered two of these Lux thermostats. I would say that I spent an hour researching thermostats and also watching videos online that demonstrated how to install them, so when I got the package from Amazon I was prepared! I spent approximately 10 minutes installing each one, and most of that time was taking the old thermostats off and trudging up and down one or two flights of stairs to turn the circuits on and off! They were very easy to install and worked great right out of the box. The displays are large and easy to read, and the light function is very nice. Menus and settings are fairly intuitive and easy to understand.

I did have to adjust the heating/cooling schedules that come built in. The defaults are pretty "frugal" and you'll be very hot in the summer and cold in the winter if you use them! But it was very easy to program schedules the way we needed them, and now that I've used it with both AC and heat I'm very happy. Our last "late summer" electric bill was noticeably lower, and I can't wait to see how much lower our gas bills are this winter. I can already tell that we're using less energy, just based on the temperature in the house at various times of the day.

I was pretty intimidated at the thought of installing new thermostats, but this Lux product made it simple. Five stars!