Smart devices are an integral part of our daily lives, so much so that they have also replaced traditional tasks and processes with automated ones. Similarly, a smart thermostat is designed to take care of your heating and cooling needs according to the outside temperature and weather conditions. They are a massive upgrade from traditional thermostats that have to be adjusted multiple times each day.There are a lot of benefits to installing a smart thermostat in your home. Not only does it optimize the performance of your HVAC system, but it also brings about energy efficiency. Let’s look at them in more detail and see how you can benefit from having one in your home.
How Does a Smart Thermostat Work?
Smart thermostats can be divided into three main components, one of which is connected directly to your HVAC system and sends signals to the thermostat control, which is the second one. The third part consists of a smartphone app that you can use to control the smart thermostat from virtually anywhere. You can download this application on your smartphone, tablet, computer, or any other device.Moreover, you can use Wi-Fi to make changes in your thermostat control through the app, so whether you are at home or halfway across the world, you will be able to increase and decrease the temperature of the HVAC system and do many other things. Some of the newer thermostats also come with more advanced features.These smart thermostats can detect whether someone is at home or not, and they can set the HVAC system into energy-saving mode. As soon as you get closer to home, the HVAC system will start working more efficiently and adjust the temperature according to outside weather. Moreover, you can also program them according to your work schedule or program them differently for each day of the week.
Why are Smart Thermostats Better?
Traditional thermostats are generally cheaper and less energy efficient. They feature a mercury thermometer system inside them, and you can adjust the temperature with buttons present on the thermostat control panel. They consume a lot of energy and don’t offer you much flexibility in terms of temperature adjustment.After these analog thermostats, digital thermostats were introduced. They offered better temperature control and more precise readings. They have a digital thermometer embedded in the control panel that turns off your HVAC system when the set temperature is reached. It turns it on again once the temperature goes lower or higher.Digital thermostats were upgraded to programmable thermostats, which offer you more control over the temperature settings of your HVAC system while you are in the house. You can choose different programming options to suit your schedule, which reduces your energy consumption by 20% or more.However, these programmable thermostats were only effective when you are home, so there wasn’t enough energy saving when you are out of the house. Enter smart thermostats, which allow you to control the HVAC system through the smartphone app, no matter where you are. Smart thermostats don’t require any programming or setup, and they are effortless to use. This way, you can lower the HVAC energy consumption when the home is empty, thus lowering your energy bill.
Benefits of Thermostat Scheduling
As mentioned in the previous section, you can program your smart thermostat to alter the temperature according to a fixed schedule that you set according to your office hours and other activities. Thermostat scheduling brings about a lot of savings, especially in terms of energy savings. If you program your thermostat to turn off the HVAC when you leave the house, it will significantly reduce energy consumption. You can save as much as $200 to $300 a year on your energy bills through this method.Moreover, this makes it easy to monitor the energy usage of your HVAC system so that you already know how much energy you have consumed and what your energy bill will be in the future. If you think the energy consumption is still high, you can program the smart thermostat to turn off the HVAC system or alter the temperature to ensure more energy saving.One of the most foremost benefits of scheduling your thermostat is that you also get geofencing features through your smartphone app. If your phone’s location services are enabled, the smart thermostat will track your location through the internet, and once you are close to the house, it will power up the HVAC system so that you find your home at a suitable temperature already.Once you leave the defined radius, the thermostat control will power down the HVAC system to not consume as much power when you are not at home. Through geofencing, not only can you program your thermostat to operate the HVAC system according to your presence, but also optimize its usage and efficiency.Naturally, smart thermostats allow you to save money as they are much more energy-efficient than digital or analog thermostats. They also allow you to reduce your carbon footprint and put less pressure on the environment, making it a highly favorable option for your home.Since your goal is to stay comfortable within your home, you can program your thermostat to work according to your desired temperature. This way, when the room temperature equals the value you have set, the HVAC system will instantly turn off, thus saving a lot of energy.
How to Install a Smart Thermostat?
If you have any traditional thermostat in your home, you may be able to replace it with a smart thermostat on your own without involving an HVAC contractor or service provider. However, smart thermostats may have more wires than the other options, so calling in a technician to install them efficiently isn’t a bad idea at all. It will be more cost-effective for you in the long run and also ensure that your home stays comfortable all the time.After reviewing the benefits of smart thermostats, you can hopefully understand their applications and uses much better, thus applying them to your home. If you need help installing a smart thermostat or would like to purchase a smart thermostat, give Protek Roofing, Heating, & Air a call to set up an appointment.