In days past, there was only one option when it came to your home’s thermostat: the manual mercury switch thermostat. Some were square with slider bars, some were round with dials—all things considered, that was pretty much the only difference between them.
Boy, how times have changed!
The first big change was the programmable thermostat, which became available in the 1980s. Suddenly, you didn’t have to be home to change the thermostat because it did it for you! You could have multiple settings for weekdays, weekends, vacations, and more that helped you control your home’s heating and cooling better, cutting energy costs while keeping your home more comfortable.
Fifteen years ago, the next big change occurred with the launch of the first smart thermostat. In the present day, given some of their now wide-ranging capabilities, they are one of the best investments you can make in terms of energy efficiency and comfort. Let’s review some of those benefits here.
Smart thermostats take everything programmable thermostats can do and raise them to the next level.
You can access your thermostat settings and the temperature of your home from anywhere you have wireless connectivity. If you forgot to turn on the vacation mode for your HVAC system before leaving for your trip, no worries! You can do it while waiting in line at the airport.
Smart thermostats also have learning features that allow them to adapt to your specific heating and cooling habits, resulting in a routine that works for you. You’ll also get added insight to the energy consumption of your heating and cooling systems. Additionally, some smart thermostat models work with your home automation system, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, allowing you to adjust the temperature with a voice command.
Some models of smart thermostats are designed to control more than just your heating and cooling systems and can be linked to your home’s indoor air quality systems too!
Here are some tips that can help you make the absolute most out of your new smart thermostat:
Get to know your smart thermostat. Start with thoroughly reading the owner’s manual. Each brand is different—Make sure you know how to use yours! Some models come with more sophisticated capabilities such as the ability to account for how long it will take your HVAC system to reach a certain temperature. If you want your heat to be at 70 degrees when you get home at 5 p.m., for example, the thermostat will know exactly what time to start up your heating system or central A/C.
Timing is everything. Set your thermostat to shut down heating or air conditioning 20 to 30 minutes before you leave for the day and turn it back on 20 to 30 minutes before you return. Further, you can reduce the heating or cooling by an hour before bedtime and increase it 30 minutes before waking up using those same given capabilities.
Give your HVAC system a break. Program your thermostat for when you’re home to the warmest temperature you can stand in the summer and the least-warm temperature you can stand in the winter. The less work your HVAC system must do, the more savings you get!
While Poore’s Propane offers customers an always-reliable supply of propane and fuel oil, as well as kerosene, gasoline, and diesel, we have long been committed to providing top-notch equipment and support services as well! We’ll help keep your home comfortable this season, and for many seasons to come. Become a customer today and experience the difference we can make for you.
