Customer Reviews

Lux Products TX500E-010 Smart Temp Programmable Thermostat

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought two of these--one to control heat and air (upstairs) and one to cycle the air in the house when downstairs gets too cold--the downstairs unit just controls the fan. They are easy to program and work well. When I got them and I found out they weren't tall enough to cover the junction boxes on the wall, I e-mailed the manufacturer from their website and they sent me two wall trim pieces at no charge.

The Lux 500E thermostat is easy to install and easy to program. Can readily change set temperature, without opening cover, by pressing exterior up or down arrow [1 degree per click]. I rate it only 4 stars because it does not have a light and some display wording is too small, i.e., difficult to read. The wall plate cost only $2.00 and gives a nice appearance. I purchased both the thermostat and wall plate at same time from Amazon, but they were shipped from different locations; wall plate arrived a few days after thermostat.

These are great thermostats, however; I like the previous TX500 (no "E") models better as they toggle back and forth with a digital readout of the programmed temperature as well as the actual room temperature. My experience with Lux Thermostats is that they are easily programmed and are very affordable. You may also want to note that a thermostat with a back light might be handy which these do not have. The readout window is also kind of small so if you prefer large, you may want to consider this when making your purchase.

I bought my first Lux 500 thermostat on a Sunday morning in January 1999 when it was 30 degrees outside and the existing Honeywell digital/programmable thermostat (roughly six years old) had failed. I was waiting at Home Depot when they opened their doors at 7 am, and choose the Lux 500 from their available inventory. The house has no A/C, only a forced air gas furnace. Installation was simple and, within an hour of leaving the house for Home Depot, the furnace was working again and the house was warm. Programming is easy: you turn a dial to select day of week and time, and programs for weekday, Saturday, and Sunday. Vacation Hold and override functions are easy to program and operate. The device uses AA batteries which I change out once per year in the fall.

My only qualm lies with the issue of durability. After several years, the units seem to develop either short circuits or worn-out switches, in particular the on-off switch (which basically remains in the "on" position for the entire heating season and is switched back to "off" only once each spring, then back to "on" in late fall). The original unit began acting erratically after about five years of use. At that point, I found the Lux 500 offered online from an Ace Hardware Outlet store (roughly $26; Amazon did not yet sell them) and purchased TWO of them: one to replace the existing Lux 500, and one to keep on hand as a spare, having learned my lesson after my 7 am trip to Home Depot. Last year, I had to install the spare, since unit #2 stopped working reliably, so each of the first two units provided 4-5 years of service.

The current (third) unit, the former "spare", has been in place for nearly two years and the on-off switch is starting to "act up": you have to push it up and "jiggle" it to get the unit up and running, which makes me wonder if the switch contacts are wearing out, and/or not well made at the factory from the outset. One advantage of replacing with the same model--assuming it meets your needs--is that there is no learning curve, and installation is simply a matter of removing the screws that hold the base to the wall, and reconnecting the wires on the new unit in the same configuration (duplicating the original installation).

My only other hesitation about the Lux 500 is the lack of a backlit display. Outside of daylight hours, I have to turn on a nearby overhead light fixture to read the display or adjust the programs.

The bottom line: a good and easy-to-use thermostat for the price, as long as you don't expect 10-15 years of service from it. And given the reasonable price, if you buy one and like it, you may as well buy a second unit to keep as a spare, in case your original unit stops working at an inconvenient time. Just as people keep spare light bulbs and batteries on hand. That way, you can fix the problem instantly without having to learn a new system. In my case, since I've used a total of three units of the same model, even the holes in the base of the unit matched the drywall anchors on the wall. Installation was simply a matter of removing two or three screws, removing the old base, and inserting the new base using the same screws. Ditto for the control wires, which simply connect to the same terminal screws in the new base. After adding batteries, the front (display/control) portion of the unit then snaps on top of the base, and you're in business.

Four star rating, with one star deducted because neither of my first two units lasted longer than roughly five years.

Note for "green" customers: the battery bay has a warning sticker to use only alkaline AA batteries and not rechargeable batteries. So once or twice a year you will have to recycle or otherwise dispose of a pair of AA alkaline batteries. The owner manual [...] specifically advises use of alkaline batteries only.

I was researching programmable thermostats and was shocked to find this on Amazon. This looks like the exact thermostat that I installed many years ago to replace the original crappy mechanical thermostat in my new house. To my surprise, this Lux thermostat has worked flawlessly for more than 10 years. I used to work as an HVAC technician so I know a good thermostat when I see it. The thermostat has some very good features like a run time delay to protect the A/C compressor. My spouse would probably disagree but I think that programming this thermostat is intuitive and easy. I see some bad reviews saying this thermostat won't last. My advice is, don't hit any thermostat with a hammer, OK? I wish all the electronic gadgets in my house worked as well as this thermostat.

Easy to install. Includes labels to attach to existing wiring to prevent confusion. Once installed, the ability to remove the main unit makes it easy to program at a more convenient location. Works like a charm.

This is a replacement for the TX500 we had installed over fifteen years previously which ceased working properly, so if similar the unit should last for far longer than its warranty period. I chose this unit because I'd been happy with the earlier version; satisfied return customer, that's me.

The unit comes in two parts, one attaches to the wall, the other snaps onto the base. The unit that snaps onto the base can be removed to replace the batteries, and to hold the unit in a more convenient manner while programing it for use.

You can set it up for up to four distinct time/temperature setting per day, which allows for lowering the temperature during the times you are asleep or regularly away. You can program weekdays and Sat/Sunday as distinct settings; it does a five day/two day block set on the normal work week. If you work a different schedule check out their seven day programmable units instead.

I'm happy with the unit.

After ten years, our Lux TX1500b conked out. We had two identical units, one for the main furnace, and one for a small gas stove. By swapping units, I determined that it was a bad thermostat, rather than a stove problem.

I looked on Amazon and found a similar model - this one - for about $10 less and ordered it. I used the same holes in the wall and the same wiring to mount it. It works fine - no problems.

I would recommend, however, that you spend a few dollars more and get the next model up (equivalent to our old TX1500b). That model has a button that will light up the display for about thirty seconds - a real convenience. It has programming for Saturday and Sunday, rather than just "Weekend." More importantly, the better model shows both the current temperature in the room and the temperature setting of the thermostat at the same time. The TX500E-010 shows the only room temperature - unless I push an up or down arrow. Then it will show where the thermometer is set. This can get to be a bit confusing when you see 68, 70, 72 flashing on the screen.

If you are considering getting a programmable thermostat, first determine if you will actually use it. Someone in our house likes it to be warmer than someone else, so the heat does not go much lower at night. Dropping the temperatur one or two degrees will not make much of a difference in your heating bill - after you pay for the cost of the thermostat.

So, if you buy this thermostat, it will work fine and adjust the temperature just as you set it. If you get the slightly more costly model, it will do even more.

I purchased this TX500E because I have three TX500b's in my home and needed to replace one. The photo showed the exact model I had and was hoping for a snap in replacement with no wiring. The unit that arrive is different than the photo shown and does not fit the old base. A small amount of rewiring of to the new base is required. The new unit works nicely.

Bought this just a few weeks ago and hooked it up myself, nothing to it. The product works great and I was able to program in the settings that met my needs. I would recommend this product. Great product and you cant beat the price at $17,23

Started shopping Amazon to find replacement thermostats for this model. I have two. I decided to see how people liked them...

For 8 years they worked fine but now the dial to change the time, temperature, etc is very touchy. Sometimes it works other times it doesn't. I found that if I hold the dial while adjusting the up/down buttons it will work but as soon as I let go it goes back into it's operating mode.

I guess for the price maybe 8 years is the life expectancy of the units? I'd rather be spending my money on something else instead of having to replace these. Something as simple as a programmable thermostat should last longer than 8 years!

I should point out that the three stars is because the unit does function as described. I have had no issues with it malfunctioning. It's just that programming them is a hassle now.