I feel I should make a few things clear so nobody kills a $300 thermostat...

1. Always unplug the unit first

2. Never touch any of the internals.

  • Some of the components stay charged even after power has been disconnected. (which can give you a nasty shock)
  • Your body has a static electric field that can short out sensitive components (thereby potentially killing the thermostat)


3. Never get any of the internals wet (common sense)

Dust cleaning helps to keep airflow throughout the thermostat. If dust builds up inside the components will run hotter which will decrease the lifespan of some components. (most components in a herpstat aren't really effected by this)

How often you need to dust clean will depend on a few things:

1. Air quality in your house (more dust in the air = more frequent cleanings)
2. How often the fan on the herpstat runs (When the fan runs it draws more dust in than when the fan isn't running)

Most people won't see any dust build up in the first year or so. I dust clean all of my electronics every 6 months (computer/game consoles/audio equipment/workbench equipment) If I wasn't in this practice already I would probably only check my herpstats once a year maybe even every other year. (things like computers etc. build up dust exponentially faster than something like a herpstat will)