If you’ve been paying any attention the past couple years, you know that the latest in home automation technology is smart thermostats. The rising cost of energy has made it imperative for homeowners to keep heating and cooling bills manageable. Combined with the popularity of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, it’s become easier and easier for homeowners to micromanage their home’s systems from a distance without a lot of expense on the front end. Enter the smart thermostat.
What Is It?
A standard thermostat controls how hot or cold a room is allowed to become before the HVAC system kicks in to regulate the temperature. Energy-savvy homeowners began adjusting the thermostat as they left and came home to prevent the system from working hard to keep the temperature steady while they were away.
The invention of the programmable thermostat made that process easier by automatically changing the temperature based on a pre-set program, so the homeowner no longer had to adjust the thermostat on their way through the door. Smart thermostats take this feature and add an internet connection, allowing the homeowner to adjust the temperature remotely, using a smartphone, tablet or other internet connection to adjust for last-minute changes to the schedule. Some of these thermostats analyze your behavior patterns and “learn” to adjust their own settings to meet your typical behavior.
Will It Really Save Me Money?
Absolutely. A smart thermostat allows you to adapt to changing weather. If the temperature goes up during the day, you can adjust the temperature at home before you leave work and walk into a comfortable environment that would have been too hot an hour before. As the thermostat learns your system and your home, it can even estimate how long it will take for your home to reach a certain temperature. Most estimates show savings of 10 to 25 percent depending on the home and system.
How Easy Is It to Use?
Because smart thermostats are an HVAC thermostat, they’ll work like any other thermostat. New mobile apps may seem daunting at first but are easy to use with a little practice. Some smart thermostats include motion detectors to determine whether a room is empty so it adjust the system. The ability for smart thermostats to learn your behaviors means as time goes on, you don’t need to adjust the temperature to be comfortable — the thermostat does it for you.
Smart thermostats and regular maintenance of your HVAC system will keep your home comfortable for less. Gembecki is always happy to help with all your HVAC needs, so contact us today for help installing your smart thermostat.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Speak Your Mind