Smart home technology continues to increase in popularity to the point that most homes now have at least some type of connected device. By far one of the best and most useful types of smart home technology is a smart thermostat. Installing a smart thermostat in your home is a quick and inexpensive task and will ensure that you enjoy all of these important benefits.
Convenience and Compatibility
One of the main reasons more and more people are opting to install smart thermostats is the added convenience they provide. Most smart thermostats connect to your home’s Wi-Fi network, but they can also use other wireless protocols like Bluetooth or Zigbee. In either case, you can then use a connected app on your phone or tablet to control your heating and air conditioning remotely.
Let’s say you normally leave your thermostat set to the lower temperature while you’re at work. In this case, you can turn the heat back up before leaving the office so that your home is fully warm by the time you get there. If your home suddenly feels a bit chilly while you’re watching TV, you can also use the app to turn your heat up without ever leaving your couch.
Smart thermostats are also compatible with smart home assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google. This means you can adjust your thermostat settings without even needing to open your phone and use the connected app.
“Hey Google, what’s the current temperature?”
“Alexa, turn the heat up to 70.”
“Siri, shut the AC off.”
With a smart thermostat in your home, it really is that easy.
Improved Comfort and Lower Energy Costs
One of the biggest benefits of having a smart thermostat is that it can help to lower your monthly heating or cooling costs. Programming any type of thermostat so that the temperature is set higher or lower while you’re at work and when you’re asleep will always keep your energy costs lower. However, smart thermostats are definitely superior to standard programmable thermostats in this regard. The reason is that a smart thermostat will use algorithms to learn about your behavior and your daily routines. It can then use this information to automatically program itself and adjust the temperature setting at different times of the day such as just before you normally wake up or before you get home from work.
Smart thermostats can also tell when no one is home and will automatically turn the heat or AC down as soon as the last person leaves to help save energy. This means you never need to worry about forgetting to turn the heat or AC down before you leave. Most units can also use geo-fencing technology to automatically turn the AC or heat back up whenever you get within a certain distance of your home so that your home is more comfortable when you arrive.
Smart thermostats also allow you to monitor your HVAC system’s energy usage so that you can make adjustments in order to improve energy efficiency and also determine when your system isn’t functioning as effectively. The thermostat itself can also make adjustments to ensure that the system is functioning as efficiently as possible. Smart thermostats also constantly monitor the weather and can make adjustments based on current and predicted temperatures to both improve energy efficiency and ensure your home always stays comfortable.
Automatic HVAC Monitoring
Most smart thermostats also have a built-in monitoring feature that will tell you when your HVAC system needs maintenance. For instance, the thermostat can send an alert to your phone when the air filter is too dirty and needs to be replaced. Smart thermostats will also continually monitor the performance of your heating and cooling. If your HVAC system stops functioning as efficiently or has any major issues, the thermostat will send an alert telling you that you need to have your heating or air conditioning inspected and possibly repaired. This can help to potentially lessen the need for expensive repairs as many HVAC issues will continually worsen over time and can lead to other problems developing.
At Gunthers Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing, our team specializes in all types of HVAC installation, and we can help if you want to upgrade to a smart thermostat or if you need a new furnace, air conditioner, heat pump, or ductless mini-split. We also offer expert heating and cooling repairs and maintenance services, and we work on both residential and commercial HVAC systems in American Fork and the surrounding areas. Contact us today to schedule a service call or if you have any questions.
