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Emerson UP310 Thermostat Review
Best Conventional 7-Day Programmable Thermostat

Get Simplicity Without Sacrificing Quality

Whether you are planning to renovate a house you are selling, need a quick and affordable replacement for your broken thermostat, or just prefer something simple, this Emerson thermostat is bound to satisfy.

Personally, I am a fan of much more advanced systems since I spend a lot of time out of my house these days. I like being able to set it and forget it by creating programmed times and temperatures on my thermostat, access my thermostat from afar, and know that it is smart enough to adjust my settings based on when I am actually physically inside the house. However, I understand that these features and functions aren’t necessary. In fact, many people prefer the ease and simplicity of a device which simply allows you to activate your heating or cooling system by adjusting the set temperature manually.

Emerson UP310 Programmable Thermostat

Emerson Sensi Smart
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A device such as this one is also great for those who renovate homes for a living. A good friend of my mine makes his living as a house flipper. Though he knows that expensive extra touches are important in certain homes, he also knows that in certain areas it is important to limit the amount of extras you build into one of these homes. Too often, those extras aren’t deemed necessary by potential buyers and you end up not making your money back on them. When I talked to him about thermostats he said, “Stick with the basics.” He told me that things such as countertops, tiles, and wooden floors are the areas a house flipper should really focus on if they want to entice buyers with expensive extras.

Not as Basic as You’d Think

I’ve spent all this time talking about how this is a very basic thermostat, but I haven’t really gone ahead and defined that term for you. I want to begin by saying that this is still a rather impressive thermostat. It isn’t an old-school circular dial that you turn to adjust the temperature or one that relies on the mercury of a thermometer to measure the temperature. Instead, this is equipped with state-of-the-art temperature sensors, like many of the other thermostats on this page.

Hot and Cold

This thermostat can control one heating system and one cooling system. Of course, if you only have one or the other you can use this for just that one system. You alternate between heat, cool, and off with the flick of a switch. Once you’ve chosen heating or cooling you can use the hold/run button to turn it on or pause it for the time being.

What’s even better is that this thermostat (unlike many other rather basic thermostats) is compatible with many different heating and cooling systems. In fact, it can run up to 4 different heating systems and 2 cooling systems at once. This is perfect for people with large homes (or offices) which require multiple furnaces, or for those who like to alternate among different types of heating (such as baseboard heating, radiant heating, in-floor heating, and forced air). It is perfect for use with electric systems, gas systems, and oil systems. Talk about a universal thermostat!

Manual and Programmable Temperatures

Temperature settings can be manually adjusted using the up and down arrows if you need a quick change in temperature. I find this feature to be extremely helpful whenever I am cooking or find myself with a house full of people. It is incredible how the heat level in a house can change based on those factors.

In the winter, I can use the heat of the stove and the body heat created by my guests to heat the house in lieu of the furnace. In the summer, however, I find that I need to bump up the functioning of my air conditioner to compensate for that warmth. Though I could allow the sensors in this thermostat to do all the work of adjusting the heating and cooling systems, it’s nice to know that I can bump it up or down in advance to compensate for such fluctuations in temperature.

You can also program your ideal temperature settings through the menu. This means that you can set specific temperatures for specific times of day and even specific days of the week. Some thermostats only allow you to set temperatures based on the time of day and ignore the fact that different days of the week often come with different schedules. Whether you want to set this thermostat to a particular temperature based on when you are at work, when you are at regular extracurricular activities, or when you regularly leave the home to visit friends and family, you will be able to set it and forget it.

Easy to Install

No need to worry about strangers traipsing through your home or having to fork over extra cash to line the pockets of “professional installation experts”. Instead, you can easily install this thermostat yourself. I know that may sound like an overwhelming task for many of you. Don’t worry, you aren’t alone in your anxiety. However, this thermostat is seriously so easy to install than almost anyone can do it in as few as 15 minutes.

A special website has been created with the sole purpose of walking you through each step of this process. All you have to do is load it up on your computer, cell phone, or tablet and follow the simple step-by-step instructions. Everything from hooking it up to setting up the programmable features will be covered in this one easy guide and, to make things even better, it includes pictures!

Other Notable Features

I haven’t even covered all of the important points I was hoping to discuss here. I guess that there is just so much to be said that I cannot fit it all onto one page. I find that rather impressive, considering that this is a somewhat basic thermostat.

Among its other notable features is its fairly compact design. Though it isn’t the smallest thermostat you will find on the market, smaller isn’t always better. What is truly important is the fact that it is only 1.125 inches deep. It shouldn’t be too hard to find a place where this slim thermostat won’t interfere with your walkways. The easy-to-read LCD display is also a big bonus.

Overall, there isn’t much a person can say against this thermostat, unless he or she is married to idea of a super high-tech thermostat. Of all the somewhat basic options out there, I am happy to say that this is my favorite.

Further Information

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