The Information Age

[rowyn]

Tuesday: Lut: "The thermostat says "low battery"."
Me: "I didn't know it used batteries. Or how to get at them."
Wednesday: Me: *tries to pry open the thermostat, unsuccessfully* "I should look for the directions."
Thursday: Me: *looks at the thermostat for a model number. It doesn't have one*
Friday: Me: "Well, I'm renting a car today anyway, I can get whatever batteries it takes when I go for groceries."
Saturday morning: Thermostat: *display is dead*
Me: "I guess I should figure this out now." *does Google search for the brand name of White-Rodgers, which is the thermostat's only identifying mark*.
30 seconds later: Me: *removes faceplate, puts in fresh AA batteries*

That was ... unexpectedly easy.

Also, I can't believe that my thermostat ran for 12 years on two AA batteries. o.O

Comments

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Yay easy!

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Yeah, wow. I've had really-low-energy things like remote controls last for years, but not *12* years.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Google Knows. :) Or at least is very good at leveraging the wisdom of crowds.

[the-mcp.livejournal.com]

Your thermostat probably ran mostly off the 24V that controls the relays, and only drew small amounts of power from the batteries during power failures and such.

Of course, my old-school Honeywell T87 ran longer than that, on no batteries whatsoever. :D Yay for all-mechanical technology.

Unfortunately, the last time the A/C service company came out to work on things, they replaced it with one of those stupid electronic ones, claiming that it wasn't "legal" for them to leave the mercury-bulb thermostat in place. Because, y'know, mercury.

(And frankly, I do not like the new electronic one at all. I'm sorely tempted to buy a NOS Honeywell off eBay...)