While a thermostat may seem like a pretty mundane consumer electronics device, it was a great addition to my home theater. The thermostat in my family room is mounted on the same wall that my home theater system is on (TV, speakers, components, etc.). The thermostat is less than 12 inches away from my amplifier, which has been known to put out a little heat from time to time. This would wreak havoc on the temperature in the room. When the amplifier was on, the room was too cold. If I adjusted the thermostat to compensate, the room would be too warm when I had the amplifier off.

Of course, the obvious answer would be to move the thermostat. However, the only interior wall (which is where all thermostats should be placed) is the wall my home theater system is on, and it takes up the entire wall. Instead of attempting to rewire the thermostat to a new location (and patch the wall where it was moved from), I turned to technology for a solution.

There are a couple of remote control thermostats on the market for residential use. The one I purchased is Carrier branded thermostat. However, I believe I have seen the same thermostat sold under generic brands as well. While I believe there are also a few other product around, it isn't something you will find without a little effort.I purchases my thermostat for approximately $250, although I have seen it listed for over $400.

The product consists of a receiver and a remote. The receiver is mounted on the wall where the old thermostat was. The model I purchased had a power LED, and an LED to indicate when the fan, furnace, and air conditioners where running. The receiver should be wired up the same way the old thermostat was. The remote has 4 buttons and an LCD display. It provides the features found in most of todays programmable digital thermostats. The remote comes with a fold out stand, or can also be mounted on a wall.

This solution worked great in my situation. The remote now sits on the table next to my couch, so the room temperature is always matches the thermostat setting. It isn't a glamorous consumer electronics device, but it provides an easy solution for a lazy gadget freak.