Why a Smart Thermostat Is a Smart New Year Investment
Every new year, people automatically assess the past 365 days to look for areas of improvement. Everyone looks for aspects of their lives to make them better, stronger, or smarter. When it comes to the devices that help achieve those goals, anything “smart” enough to save time, effort, and money should cut the list of New Year’s resolutions.
A smart thermostat is one of these truly wise investments. They perform more sophisticated tasks than a programmable thermostat or the even simpler manual thermostat and also allow for greater flexibility and customizability when it comes to timing and temperature settings.
Understanding What Smart Thermostats Are All About
To understand how smart thermostats can have a huge advantage over programmable or manual thermostats, it pays to understand what they are and how they work. Essentially, a smart thermostat is a thermostat that can be connected via Wi-Fi to any internet-enabled device that can control it remotely. This means that it functions like a manual thermostat does - setting temperatures and giving the current temperature reading, but with more added features.
Because smart thermostats can be controlled by an app on a device such as a smartphone, tablet, or even a speaker, remote access is a welcome convenience. Homeowners don’t have to set or change the temperature physically. Instead, they can do it through their devices, wherever they are, even if they’re at work or out of town for a vacation.
Smart thermostats can collect information about how a particular household uses energy and their heating or cooling patterns and then suggest more energy-efficient operations based on the data collected. This ability to provide insight into how we are heating or cooling our homes creates better energy efficiency and lowers energy bills.
Reasons To Install a Smart Thermostat
Aside from the fact that smart thermostats increase energy efficiency while providing remote accessibility, there are a few other reasons why switching to them can benefit homeowners. For one thing, smart thermostat installation allows homeowners to automate some important tasks they would otherwise be doing manually, such as keeping track of service reminders, battery replacements, calibration, etc. Instead of trying to keep these schedules in mind and then finding out that the thermostat has suddenly run out of battery without warning, smart thermostats alert one beforehand of needing these services.
Smart thermostats also provide energy usage reports that give homeowners information about their energy consumption. This can come in the form of a chart or graph that can be viewed on the app, and the information it contains can help homeowners make smarter decisions about their temperature settings to save energy and money.
Is It Time To Replace Your Smart Thermostat?
While smart thermostats last an average of 10 years, thermostat replacement may be necessary even before that. The technology may become outdated in that period, or the thermostat itself may no longer be working as intended - giving incorrect temperature readings or refusing to set temperatures correctly.
While this can be avoided by regular maintenance such as calibration, software updates, and battery replacement, homeowners should still be on the lookout for warning signs that the existing unit is no longer functioning properly and that a new thermostat installation must be scheduled. If the malfunctioning thermostat is ignored and allowed to keep operating, then HVACs may be given incorrect information about temperature settings, which can wreak havoc not just on energy efficiency but on the integrity of the HVAC system as well.
About Chad’s AC Direct
Chad’s AC Direct is a full-service heating and AC company serving the Montgomery, AL community. Customers can expect personalized and efficient service - from live answering to convenient scheduling and expert installation. Their team of expert technicians provides excellent service at a great value, with no surprise expenses and honest, upfront billing. Call them today for reliable HVAC services in Montgomery, AL.
