Talk to me about programmable thermostats

[netskyblue]

I've gotten the go ahead from my landlord, so I'm looking for a programmable thermostat.   What can you guys recommend?  My boyfriend and I work opposite hours, so many days, one of us is home most of the day.  He likes things cooler, I like warmer.  Weekends are mostly irrelevant for us, as we both work Saturdays.   

I would like to be able to set the thermostat cooler for him between say 9 am - 2 pm, and warmer for me between 5 pm- 10 pm, with the times between 2-5 pm and 10pm- 9 am (when we are asleep or not home) being a bit warmer in summer or a bit cooler in winter.   Is there a thermostat that can do all that?

He likes 70-74, and I like 77-80 degrees.

[shusherstache]

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Honeywell-5-2-Day-Programmable-Thermostat-with-Backlight-RTH2300B/203539496#.UaeNdtLFWSo

This one's cheap, has a 5-2 day schedule and four programmable periods per day.  Thermostats are super easy to install yourself.

[netskyblue]

Oh, that looks like just what I need!

Here's a dumb question - I know I need to turn off the power supply before installing it.  Since I don't know exactly how to do that, could I just flip off all the breakers in my breaker box (since I don't know which controls what thing), and be sure that the power supply is cut off?

[Spork]

Flipping the big breaker to the AC would probably do it.  The normal case is that these are low voltage (24v, I think.).  You could probably do it hot and be fine.

...and if you don't know if it is low voltage or not, you probably want to find out before you buy a thermostat.  Line voltage is not common, but there are some out there that want a line voltage thermostat. 

[netskyblue]

Oh...I'm not sure if I can do that.  I think our whole building (or at least the south side of our building) is on the same AC/central air thingy outside.  I might have to get maintenance to shut it off...and they'd have to give all the affected units a day's notice, ugh.

[Spork]

You might pull the existing thermostat off (carefully) and look behind it.  If there are many small colored wires, it's probably low voltage.  If there are 12 gauge (or bigger) wires (probably white/black or white/red/black) then it's 120 or 240v and you might not want to work on it hot.

Low voltage thermostat wire colors

[shusherstache]

Ours was a low voltage that we did hot without problem, FWIW.

[Will]

Got one of these bad boys off of Craigslist (so paid nowhere close to retail for it) and LOVE it!

http://www.nest.com/