Honeywell VisionPro Heat Pump Thermostat - Programming and SettingsHoneywell VisionPro Heat Pump Thermostat Review: Richard, I have a Honeywell Vision Pro Programmable Thermostat. I was wondering how I can program the settings to save money? It was recently installed six months ago and I want to make sure it is programmed to get the best out of it for a heat pump.

At this point, I do not believe I have saved money and was told I could save 10% or more with a programmable thermostat. Please help me with the appropriate settings and give me some insight that would help me save money. Thank you and I look forward to your answer.

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The VisionPro can save you money but with all things being relative the temperatures this year can be colder than the temperatures last year so the system would run more thereby costing you more money. This makes for a great segue for me to review this thermostat and put it in our new reviews category.

Honeywell VisionPro Heat Pump Thermostat Review

Another factor, has anything changed in the home? Maybe a lot of people going in and out or a window cracked open somewhere?

Is it programmed properly? If it is not then you will likely see no savings depending on the settings. Or if someone keeps changing it to turn the temperature up or down (depending on the weather) it won’t save you any money.

There are 4 basic settings for the program:

  1. Wake - this should be set when you wake up in the morning. Preferably 30 minutes to an hour so the house will be warm or cool when you wake. For example - if it is winter at night when you go to bed the night setback goes to say 60°. You wake up at 6 am so at 5:30 a.m. you set the program to turn the heat on for a set point of 70°.
  2. Leave - this should be the time approximately 30 minutes before you leave. The temperature gets setback so the system will not run while you are at work. Example - The temperature setpoint while you are getting ready for work is 70°. You leave the house at 7:30 am. So the thermostat should be set back to 60° at 7 am so while you are at work the system will only run when the temperature goes down to 60 degrees.
  3. Return - this should be set to approximately 30 minutes to an hour before coming back home for the day. For example - you return home at 5 pm. The program should be set for 70° to turn on at 4:30 pm so the house is warm when you get home.
  4. Sleep - this should be set to set back the temperature for when you are sleeping. For example - in the winter set it down to say 60° about 30 minutes before you go to bed.

Honeywell VisionPro Available Here

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With heat pumps the temperature differential is typically 3° for the auxiliary heat to kick in and assist the heat pump so if the temperature in the house is 60° and you program it to come on and bring the temperature up to 70° you will have the auxiliary heat come which it is common in most heat pump installations to have electric heat. Electric heat is 100% efficient but it costs more per BTU to produce than the heat pump refrigeration cycle will cost you.

So from 60° to 67°, you will be using auxiliary heating in addition to the heat pump if the differential is set at 3° (it is adjustable in the installers program set up). You could expand that setting to reduce that cost however when the temperature gets really cold (below 38°) then the differential is a factor in your warmth because the second stage or auxiliary heating will not kick on until the differential is met.

So if you have the thermostat set for 70° and the differential is 3° the auxiliary heating will not kick in until 67°. If you make that a 4 degree differential in the installers set up in the program the backup or second stage heating will not come on until 66° and you can become uncomfortable.

Honeywell VisionPro Heat Pump Thermostat Review

When the temperature outdoors falls below around 38 degrees the heat pump mechanical heating will begin to stop keeping up with demand. This is the reason why air-source heat pumps are installed in southern regions and not really good for northern regions as the temperatures in the winter are frequently lower than 38°.

So if the temperatures in the region where you live rarely fall below 38° then the differential setting will not make that much of a difference but if you live in the mid-Atlantic region then it is probably not a good idea to reset the differential anymore than 3°. There are many other settings that you can set but you can also go into the installer settings but I caution you to be careful there.

You can set the thermostat to turn off the condenser when the temperature outside falls below the threshold where the heat pump begins to lose its ability to produce heat. Why keep it running when it obviously is not being productive? There are some other ways of controlling the condenser when the temperature outside gets too cold but the VisionPro makes it easy.

Honeywell programmable thermostatThis feature for heat pumps needs a separate 2 conductor (preferably shielded wire for the best performance and least interference) wire to be run to an outside air temperature sensor which is sold separately from the VisionPro. It is available for purchase and it is a thermistor.

The wiring connections are made at the s1 and s2 terminals on the VisionPro. Then the settings are adjusted in the installer’s programming menu to turn the condenser off at a certain temperature whatever the installer determines to be the most appropriate for your geographical region. This feature will save you money but shutting down the condenser when it is not needed and the heat pump will utilize the backup heat to maintain the temperature for comfort reasons.

Conclusion | Honeywell VisionPro Heat Pump Thermostat Review

Using the VisionPro thermostat can and will save you money. Now saying all that if you have settings like that and if you still have problems it could be something to do with your heat pump. The best thing to do, after checking the thermostat program, is to call a heat pump repair service company to check it out. I hope that gave you some insight into your thermostat and your potential problem. Good Luck.

Honeywell VisionPro Heat Pump Thermostat Wiring Diagram

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Honeywell VisionPro Heat Pump Thermostat Review