THE BENEFITS OF A SMART THERMOSTAT

 

From smartphones to smart cars, to smart home appliances, everything is becoming more intuitive to better serve consumers. There is a push for smarter technology, and your heating and cooling system is no different. Smart thermostats are available in a variety of styles offering many basic to advanced features.

How do smart thermostats work?

Smart thermostats are made up of 3 basic components: The first one plugs directly into your HVAC system. This part communicates directly with the second component, the thermostat control itself. The third part is the smart thermostat app, which is downloaded to your smartphone, tablet or computer. These three parts work together to allow you to adjust your home’s temperature from any location, as long as you have a wireless or internet connection. Some higher-end models may offer more, such as smart ‘learning’ models, which require no programming; smartphone tracking, adjusting temperatures as family members get closer to home; or additional sensors, for zoned temperature control and improved energy savings.
 
Here are some of our favorite smart thermostat features, and some of the ways they can help keep your home more comfortable and energy efficient.

Remote Access

A smart thermostat gives you access to your heating and cooling system from your phone, tablet, or computer.  You can adjust your system whether you're home or not. This may not seem like a huge deal, but it adds an extra layer of convenience to your HVAC system. For example, if you’re away from home for a few days, and forgot to turn your system down before you left, you can turn your system down remotely. Then when you are coming home, you can turn your system back up so that your home is comfortable when you arrive.
 
Another benefit of remote access is that you can control the thermostat from anywhere in your home. If you are cuddled up on the couch enjoying a Netflix binge, but you want to turn the thermostat up a few degrees, you don't have to move! Just use your mobile device to turn up the heat.

Learning

The more high-tech type of smart thermostats can learn from your patterns. They pay attention to the changes you make in your routines and adjust themselves according to how you normally like the temperature set at different times of the day. Your smart thermostat can begin to automatically make those changes for you, and, its programmed to make the most energy efficient choices.

Energy Efficiency

About half of monthly energy costs are related to your thermostat. A smart thermostat offers great convenience, helps keep your home comfortable and helps reduce your energy bills.
 
Most smart thermostats use motion sensors to detect when you’re home. Many models also use your smart phone’s geofencing to tell if you’re away from home. If the smart thermostat detects that you’re not home, it can put the system into a lower power standby mode to save energy. The more information it tracks, the more the smart thermostat can predict your needs. By adjusting accordingly, it uses less energy to heat your home. And, that means a lower heating bill.
 
A smart thermostat will also analyze what the best way is to heat or cool your home while using the least amount of energy, based on the data it records. Instead of repeating patterns that use unnecessary energy, your thermostat learns the best ways to use the smallest amount of energy to do the best job. 
 
Smart thermostats offer convenience, home comfort, and increased energy efficiency. If you want to make a simple home improvement that will pay off in the long run, a smart thermostat is a great choice. Furnace Cleaning Scarborough