Heating and air conditioning are essential for ensuring comfort in your home. Notably, AC/Heat systems consume a significant amount of energy. While you can’t do away with heating and air conditioning, you can take some measures to minimize the energy bills. That’s where smart thermostats come in. This home automation technology allows you to control the heating and air conditioning of your home remotely.
Advantages of smart thermostats:
- Better monitoring of energy use
- Compatibility with voice command technology
- Automatic monitoring of weather changes
- High accuracy
Simplifying Your Life With 7 Types of Smart Thermostats
Manufacturers have gone a step further, spoiling the consumer with several choices. Today, there are many types of smart thermostats you can choose from as you transition to your smart and automated life. Some products incorporate many of the following technological options.
1. Motion Sensor Thermostat
Motion sensor thermostats use electronic tracking to determine your location or that of other home occupants. The thermostats then adjust accordingly, depending on this information. Therefore, you don’t need to monitor it continually. For instance, if the room goes vacant for a prolonged period, the system automatically goes off.
However, suppose the family members are likely to move in and out of the room frequently. In that case, you might consider getting a system that accommodates custom timing to prevent too much triggering.
Benefits of motion sensor thermostats:
- Reduced utility costs
- Preserves the heating and cooling system
- Environmental conservation
- Increased automation
2. Programmable Smart Thermostats
With a smart programmable thermostat, you can program your preferred temperature that aligns with your schedule. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about going back home to turn down the system if you forget. Depending on the model you are using, you can program temperatures for the entire week. You can even make exceptions. For instance, if you don’t leave the house over the weekend, you can have a different setting to accommodate that.
Besides, some programmable thermostats have a back-up battery. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about reprogramming in case of a power outage. Notably, most programmable thermostats entirely replace the existing ones. However, some can work perfectly well, along with the current system. While making a purchase, consider factors such as precision and ease of use. Since there are various types of programmable thermostats, our technicians can help you decide one that best suits your unique needs.
3. Geofencing Thermostats
You can think of a geofence as a virtual boundary around your home. Once you are within that boundary, the smart thermostat considers you to be home. Therefore, it makes the house warm or cool, depending on the season. Similarly, when you are outside that boundary, the smart thermostat considers you to be away. Therefore, the temperatures adjust accordingly.
A geofencing thermostat is ideal if you have a quite unpredictable schedule. The thermostat figures out when you are home or not, preventing the system from heating or cooling an empty house. To use the thermostat, you need a geofencing device. For instance, your smartphone could work perfectly since you probably carry it everywhere with you. Make sure to turn location services on as well as the Wi-Fi. If you are using an android device, you might consider turning location services to high accuracy for the best results.
4. Learning Thermostats
Programmable thermostats are excellent and efficient. However, learning thermostats are even better. The thermostat monitors your habits and learns the temperatures you prefer. Therefore, you don’t need to program it. Once it knows your pattern, it automatically makes the home comfortable. For instance, it learns what time you leave the house and what time you come back.
A learning thermostat will be ideal if you have a predictable schedule. However, you don’t have to worry if you need to make changes to your schedule. The thermostat will gradually adapt to the changes. Besides, the thermostat can pre-cool or pre-heat the home right before you get home, making sure you enjoy optimum comfort.
5. Zoned Smart Thermostats
In most cases, while some rooms of your home are in use, others are not. For instance, while the family members gather around the dinner table, the bedrooms are empty. Consequently, during winter, you might prefer the dining area warmer. The opposite is true during the summer. Therefore, to further save on energy usage, you can invest in a zoned smart thermostat. Unlike other smart thermostats, a zoned thermostat controls individual rooms’ temperatures, as opposed to the entire house.
In some cases, to achieve zoning, you might need more than one thermostat. However, even if the initial investment is relatively higher, it could be your best shot at saving on energy costs for the longterm.
6. Connected Smart Thermostat
As the name suggests, you can connect this type of thermostat to the internet. Consequently, you can control the thermostat over a Wi-Fi or internet connection. However, these thermostats provide no analytic information and cannot study your behavior pattern. Since they rely on an internet connection, they cannot work offline.
7. Learning-Zoned Thermostats
We live in an era where home automation gets better by the day. That has been the case in smart heating and air conditioning systems. You can find a smart thermostat in the market that combines the functionalities of a zoned thermostat and a learning thermostat. Therefore, the thermostat learns your movement pattern while you are in the house. For instance, the thermostat can learn what time you go to bed and what time you go into your home office. Therefore, it can adjust these rooms’ temperatures according to your schedule. Like a conventional learning thermostat, it can adapt to any changes you make in your schedule.
Notably, this type of smart thermostat is among the most advanced systems available. Besides studying your pattern, it can detect you when you open or close your window.
Get Professional Assistance
Smart thermostats are quite an exciting investment. Perhaps you would love to have remote control of your home and save energy while at it. With a smartphone, you can easily control your thermostat from anywhere. However, it is essential to note that each home comes with unique needs. Therefore, you might need to consider factors such as your schedule before choosing a thermostat.
However, you don’t have to make the decision alone. At Rite Way Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, we have experienced technicians who can guide you throughout the process. You can talk to our technicians about your schedule, unique needs, and budget. Using this information, they can make a recommendation that will be ideal for your property.
Over the years, we’ve committed to quality and business ethics, earning us a dazzling reputation in the Greater Tucson area. Due to our diligence in our field, we’ve won numerous prestigious awards and certifications along the way. These include Angie’s List Super Service Award and a BPI certification. Besides, our technicians have extensive product knowledge and experience. Call the Rite Way team today to enjoy quality heating, cooling, and plumbing services.
