Smart thermostats are becoming increasingly popular. Installing a smart thermostat in your home can help make your life more convenient. It’s also a great way to save money by helping to reduce the amount of energy your heating and air conditioning systems use. If you’re unsure of whether or not a smart thermostat is right for your home, this guide will explain the ways that it could potentially benefit your home and your HVAC system.
An Introduction to Smart Thermostats and How They Work
Like other smart home devices, smart thermostats connect to a home’s Wi-Fi network. This enables you to control your heating and air conditioning remotely using a connected app on your smartphone or tablet. Most smart thermostats can also connect to smart home hubs so that you can also control your HVAC system by talking to Alexa, Siri or Google. If your Wi-Fi ever goes out and you don’t have internet, you can also control a smart thermostat manually just as you would any other thermostat.
The fact that a smart thermostat allows you to control your heating and AC remotely makes it a far better choice than a standard programmable thermostat. If you happen to leave work early, you can use the app to turn your heating or AC up so that your home is more comfortable when you arrive. If you suddenly start feeling too warm or too cold, you can also turn the temperature up or down without having to leave the couch.
How a Smart Thermostat Can Save You Money on Your Heating and Cooling Bills
Any type of programmable thermostat can help lower your heating and cooling costs by enabling you to program different temperatures for different times of the day. Leaving your HVAC system set at the same temperature all of the time can be a waste of energy. After all, there is no need to keep your home as warm or cool as you normally do when you’re away at work or on vacation. There is also usually no reason to keep your AC cranked all the way up at night when the temperature is cooler. Unless you prefer sleeping in a hot environment, you can also save money in the winter by turning your heating down at night.
Statistics show that turning your heating down or air conditioning up by 7-10 degrees for eight hours each day will reduce how much energy your HVAC system uses by approximately 10%. If you adjust the temperature both for the times when you’re at work and when you’re sleeping, you could easily end up saving a few hundred dollars a year.
You can still adjust the temperature for different times of the day with a manual thermostat. The problem with using a manual thermostat is that you have to remember to adjust your heating or air conditioning before leaving for work. With a manual thermostat, you may also end up coming back from work to find your home colder or warmer than what you’d like. During the winter, you may also find your home to be uncomfortably cold when you wake up.
This is what makes programmable thermostats superior – you can set them so that the temperature automatically changes in the morning, afternoon and night. Smart thermostats are even better than standard programmable units. This is because most smart thermostats have learning capabilities that allow them to automatically adjust the settings based on your behavior. A learning thermostat can work with other types of smart technology like motion and door sensors. It then uses an algorithm to program and adjust the settings based around your normal daily routines.
Many units also have other advanced features like geo-fencing and weather monitoring that can help save you even more on your heating and cooling costs. Geo-fencing works with the GPS on your phone to monitor your location. When you’re on your way to work, the geo-fencing feature will allow the thermostat to automatically turn the temperature up or down. Once the workday is over, the thermostat will then again change back to the normal temperature setting when you’re within a certain distance of your house.
Weather monitoring is another useful feature that enables the thermostat to change the temperature settings. It can even turn your AC or heat completely off based on the current temperature and weather forecast. On much cooler summer days or warmer winter days when less AC or heat is needed, the thermostat will change the temperature setting so your HVAC system runs much less often.
How Smart Thermostats Can Help With Maintenance and Reduce Repair Needs
Most smart thermostats allow you to monitor how much energy your HVAC system uses over a day or month. This is not only helpful for keeping your energy costs in check, but it also makes it easy to see if your HVAC system is still functioning effectively. If the energy usage unexpectedly starts to increase, you’ll be able to quickly tell that your heating or air conditioning isn’t working as effectively. This is so you can then schedule an inspection and get the system serviced or repaired. Most units will also automatically send a notification to your phone if your heating or AC suddenly shuts down so that you’ll immediately know when any major issues arise.
By adjusting the temperature settings and limiting the amount of time your HVAC system runs, a smart thermostat helps to lessen the wear and tear on your furnace and air conditioner. In turn, this will lessen the risk of the unit needing expensive repairs or suffering a major breakdown. By lessening the wear and tear, you can also help to extend the life of your furnace and AC.
Smart thermostats can also take the hassle out of HVAC maintenance. You can program the unit to send a reminder to your phone so that you remember when you need to replace or wash your HVAC system’s air filter. Similarly, you can set reminders so that you remember to schedule an annual heating or air conditioning maintenance appointment. Regular maintenance is essential for the continued health and life of your HVAC system. A smart thermostat makes it easy to ensure that your system gets the professional help it needs.
South Jersey’s HVAC Experts
If you’re looking to upgrade your HVAC system with a smart thermostat or need any heating or air conditioning service in South Jersey, Laury Heating Cooling & Plumbing can help. We have been South Jersey’s trusted contractor for HVAC and plumbing for more than 75 years. Our certified technicians are ready to take care of all of your HVAC installation, maintenance and repair needs. We are proud to be a Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer and a Mitsubishi Diamond Dealer, and we offer a range of high-quality HVAC units suitable for all situations.
Our technicians also have experience servicing and repairing equipment from all other manufacturers. To learn more about the benefits a smart thermostat offers to your home or to schedule residential heating, cooling or plumbing service, give the experts at Laury Heating Cooling & Plumbing a call today.
