Review of the Honeywell RTH8580WF WiFi Thermostat. Now this thermostat is a state-of-the-art digital climate control regulator. It features extensive program attributes. Plus, you can set it for different programs on each the seven week days. This t-stat also has battery backup, and does not forget user programs should the batteries die.
Review of Honeywell RTH8580WF WiFi Thermostat: Introduction
The RTH8580WF has most features of today’s best digital thermostats. Plus, you can program it via Wi-Fi and the Internet. All common furnace types can be controlled too. E.g. heat pumps, gas, oil, or electric units, along with single or multiple heating and cooling stages systems. Up to a maximum of two stage heating and two stage cooling is supported.
With this Internet thermostat, you can monitor your home AC / furnace from anywhere. You can also update the following operations.
- Create and modify program schedules.
- Turn your furnace on and off.
- Operate its fan.
- Set the temperature.
- Override the current program.
- Check filter status.
- A myriad of other climate control settings.
Review of Honeywell RTH8580WF WiFi Thermostat: Features, Benefits, Advantages, and Pros
Big, Bright LCD Display
Most features in this Honeywell wireless programmable thermostat can be programmed from its large, bright green LCD touchscreen.
7-day Programming
Each of the seven days in the week can have a unique program schedule. However, the unit also comes with preset programs. These cut energy costs in the typical home without changes.
Lots of Documents and Pamphlets
Extensive documentation provided in a few booklets packaged within. These include
- Quick start guide.
- Installation manual.
- Users guide.
- Wiring labels.
These manuals describe detailed procedures for how to connect this Wi-Fi thermostat to the internet.
Review of Honeywell RTH8580WF WiFi Thermostat: All Mounting Hardware Included
The mounting wall plate, and all necessary hardware and wiring tips are included. The term “wireless” here refers to the wireless way, via the internet. Through the internet, you can control this digital thermostat remotely. Note that wires are still required, in order to connect this unit to your furnace / HVAC system.
Battery Backup
A coin type battery is also included. This lasts at least one but probably over two years.
On Board Time of Day Clock
The built-in clock keeps time very well, and automatically adjusts itself for daylight savings time if that feature is enabled.
Sends you Email Status Change Updates
Honeywell notifies you via email if temperatures in your space rise or fall too far,. They also email you if they lose the connection with your thermostat.
Review of Honeywell RTH8580WF WiFi Thermostat: Control your Home HVAC System from Anywhere
- Monitor and control your home heating / cooling equipment from anywhere you have Internet access.
- Do this via smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, and media players.
- Use web browsers like Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari.
On the password-protected TCC website or the iOS or Android app, do the following.
- Check both the indoor and outdoor temperatures.
- See whether your furnace is running currently or not.
- Check if the fan is running.
- See if your t-stat is following the programmed schedule, or in manual temperature override mode.
Great for world travelers or anyone who spends lots of time away from home either near or far.
Connects to your Home WiFi Network
This wireless home thermostat incorporates similar features to Honeywell’s RTH7600D model. This one however, adds wireless Internet access to those features.
You can set up multiple thermostats around your home. Then you can control them all from afar via the Total Connect Comfort (TCC) web site or app.
Up to Four Program Events Per Day
Custom program each day in up to four periods (Wake, Leave, Return, and Sleep). You may wish not to enter a particular period. Let’s say that you only want two temperature changes per day instead of the maximum of four. In that case, you delete the other periods from the daily programs. But if you like the default program, then you need not change it at all.
Screen Back Light Feature
You can set the touchscreen back light to stay on at a low brightness all the time. Then, it brightens briefly when someone touches the screen. Very handy for finding this t-stat in the dark.
Review of Honeywell RTH8580WF WiFi Thermostat: Current Status Shows Onscreen
A message center is provided across the top of the touchscreen, where status information and indicators display. The status of the WiFi connection appears for example. You also see the following.
- Current temperature reading.
- Temperature setting.
- The time of day.
- Hold status.
Permanent and Temporary Hold Options
Override programmed schedules. Set manual control on either a temporary or permanent basis. Temporary hold overrides the current program until the next scheduled event happens. Permanent hold overrides the program schedule until the user puts the t-stat back into the “following schedule” mode.
There’s also a Vacation Hold capability, where suspend normal programmed settings while you’re away on vacation for extended times. In vacation mode, you set the desired temperature. Then, the t-stat maintains that for 24 hours a day, until the date and time that you also set. At your return-home time, normal scheduled operations then resume. You set the number of days from the current day, in which vacation hold is to remain active.
Filter Reminder Messages
Filter reminders are available, to alert you when it’s time to change the air filter.
HVAC Protection Circuit
Includes compressor protection. This prevents the HVAC unit from turning on too many times per hour.
Automatic Heat / Cool Changeover
Automatic switching from heating to cooling and from cooling to heating, depending on room temperature and t-stat temperature setting.
Review of Honeywell RTH8580WF WiFi Thermostat: Features Smart Response Technology
Smart response technology allows Honeywell RTH8580WF WiFi thermostat to learn how your HVAC system behaves. E.g. It watches how quickly your system can raise and lower the actual temperature. Then based on that, the t-stat predicts the best times to run your HVAC before the next scheduled event.
Neutral Color Case Fits Well into most Any Decor
The case is white in color with a medium green LCD display, the most prominent part. It fits well into most home interior decoration schemes.
Simple Cleanup
Clean with a damp cloths using very mild detergent solutions with water. There’s also a lock-screen feature. Lock the screen to prevent accidental changes while cleaning the touchscreen.
Has no Mercury
This thermostat uses no glass bulb with mercury inside for switching your furnace on and off. So this product is environmentally safer than the mechanical thermostats of the past. But the RTH8580WF does have a lithium battery. So this, according to the manuals, may need special handling for disposal or recycling.
Review of Honeywell RTH8580WF WiFi Thermostat: Limitations, Disadvantages, Problems, and Cons
Needs Internet Access
Requires that the user provide internet access via WiFi. Thus, you must have internet service in your home to fully use the features in the RTH8580WF.
Tricky Setup
The RTH8580WF is a bit hard to set up at first. Plus, you can’t do it via the touchscreen alone. Instead, this smart t-stat needs a computer with a web browser to connect this t-stat to the internet.
Relies on Honeywell Total Connect Comfort Servers to Fully Function
Depends on a web site / internet infrastructure provided by Honeywell (the Honeywell Total Connect Comfort Solutions web site) for remotely controlling thermostat functions.
Review of Honeywell RTH8580WF WiFi Thermostat: Uses Relay Switching to Turn HVAC System On and Off
Has relay switching. But this can get noisy, like when you locate the RTH8580WF in a bedroom or other quiet place.
Cannot Control Line Voltage Heating
A low voltage control system, this thermostat works best on 24-volt systems. It does not however, work directly with line-voltage ones such as baseboard heaters. For electric heating systems you need more switching equipment if you want to use this t-stat to control them.
Some Features Inaccessible Remotely
You cannot access every feature via the internet. Nor can you do so locally on the touchscreen. For instance, you can set the internal clock locally, but not from the Internet. On the other hand, you can set up the WiFi connection via a web browser, but not on the touchscreen. We’d prefer ALL functions be accessible via both the web and the built-in display.
Hard To Understand Setting Names
You set most of the thermostat parameters using numbered function codes. Further, these you can only adjust locally via the touchscreen. You cannot change them via the Internet. So we’d like to see the settings given in plain language. This instead of number codes.
Make All Settings Adjustable Remotely
Plus, complete web access to all settings would help a lot. Thus, we could change any setting locally as well as remotely. E.g. The current year setting would better be described as, “Year setting,” than, “parameter 080”. Without the manual, it’s hard to know the meanings in this settings-by-number approach.
Review of Honeywell RTH8580WF WiFi Thermostat: Our Rating
In its day, the Honeywell RTH8580WF WiFi Thermostat was perhaps the most useful home t-stat we ever saw. Given all its features, we did not mind paying the $170 for it at Lowe’s. Once you set it, you can generally forget it; unless you’re one of those who likes to fiddle with controls. If that’s the case, you’ll have plenty of settings herein to tweak either locally or remotely.
Of all the digital Honeywell thermostat models, this Wi-Fi version is probably the most complex. More current models are much easier to program and see, with their multi color, high contrast displays. However, with its very rich feature set, we don’t mind a little complexity. So, we rate this thermostat at 94 out of 100.
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