A: If you have a digital thermostat, they are designed to be accurate within 1 degree of the setpoint and may cycle more frequently than a mechanical thermostat in order to maintain their precise degree of accuracy. Energy savings are gained during setback periods. If the thermostat is controlling according to set point, the thermostat is operating normally.

The heat anticipator or cycle rate setting does not affect the way your thermostat controls in cooling mode.

Also be certain the thermostat is installed so that it is not affected by radiant heat sources such as the sun, appliances, a light bulb, etc. External sources of heat or cold air can affect the cycling of the system.

A: Make certain that the wires are connected to the "R" and "W" terminals for heating only and "R" and "Y" for cooling only. If the Y wire is attached to the W terminal, or if the W wire is attached to the Y terminal, the thermostat will operate in reverse.

A: Most of Honeywell's programmable thermostats require 24 volts coming from your heating or cooling system. Fortunately, a vast majority of thermostats that are already installed in homes are powered by 24 volts.

One way to verify that you are currently using 24 volts is to look at your old thermostat. If it is a mechanical thermostat, meaning non-digital display, simply remove the cover and look for 30 V stamped on it. If you see this, you have a low voltage system that will be compatible with a 24 volt thermostat. If you see 120 or 240 vac on your thermostat, a low voltage thermostat will not work with your system. This is common with electric baseboard heating.

A: Do not place your mercury thermostat in the trash. Honeywell recommends contacting your local hazardous waste authority or a local heating and cooling contractor for instructions on how to properly manage and recycle your old mercury thermostat.

A: Every heating system type will deliver heat to the house at a slightly different rate. Some thermostats provide you with the flexibility to set the cycle rate adjustment to match your specific heating system, whether it is gas or oil forced air, high efficiency forced air, electric forced air, or baseboard hot water.

A cycle rate is the ideal number of times a heating system will run, in an hour, to maintain temperature within one degree. For instance, gas or oil forced air systems have a recommended cycle rate of 6. With a cycle rate of 6, the heating system, at a 50% load, will cycle 6 times per hour. This breaks down to about 5 minutes on and 5 minutes off. Again, the actual on and off time of the heating system will vary as the load on the heating system varies.

A:The thermostat is equipped with a feature called Smart Response or Adaptive Intelligent Recovery.

This feature takes the guesswork out of achieving a comfortable temperature at the exact time you desire. When this feature is operational, you will see "IN RECOVERY" in the thermostat's display, and the room will reach the comfort temperature at the time programmed into the thermostat.

In heating for instance, if the NIGHT program is set for 11pm at 65°F (18°C), and the MORNING program is set for 6am at 72°F (22°C), the thermostat will turn the system on before 6am to bring the temperature up to 72°F (22°C) by 6am.

The thermostat learns from experience, so please allow approximately two weeks after a program change or after initial installation to give Smart Response time to adjust to local weather, your lifestyle, the construction of your home and your heating and cooling system.

A:Different things can cause a thermostat to overcool.

Extraneous heat sources such as direct sunlight, lamps, and televisions can cause and thermostat to "think" the living space is warmer that it really is. Either move the extraneous heat source to another location or have a local heating and cooling contractor relocate the thermostat on another inside wall.

An unplugged wiring hole can also cause overcooling. If the wiring hole in the wall behind the thermostat is not plugged, a warm draft can heat the thermostat causing it to "think" the living space is warmer than it really is. Plugging the wiring hole will eliminate the warm draft and allow the thermostat to control properly.

High voltage or current can also cause the thermostat to "think" the living space is warmer that it really is. A local heating and cooling contractor can check the voltage and current at the thermostat.

Check for oxidation of the silver ball or subbase metal grid. Excess oxidation on the silver ball and connectors in the system switch or metal subbase grid can increase circuit resistance and increase the heat provided to the thermostat. In this situation, the subbase, and possibly the thermostat, will need to be replaced.