Should I Upgrade My Thermostat?
Many homes in Houston, TX, still have old thermostats. If you use a dial-style or analog thermostat, you’re missing out on a lot of convenient and money-saving features that new thermostats have to offer. When it comes to installing a new thermostat, you have two options. The first is a programmable thermostat. These have touchscreens and can save your temperature settings. Smart thermostats also have these features, but they offer even more. Smart thermostats connect to your home’s Wi-Fi and include an app for your phone. This allows you to use your smartphone to communicate with the thermostat when you’re away from home or if you’re at home and on bed rest. Consider these 10 reasons to upgrade your thermostat today.
1. Precision Control of Your Home’s Temperature
Analog thermostats don’t offer precise temperature control. When you set one of these thermostats, it’s difficult to tell whether you’ve set the temperature at 70 or 72 degrees. With a programmable or smart thermostat, the digital interface allows you to tap on an up or down arrow to set the exact temperature you want. You can do this at different times of the day and days of the week. All programmable thermostats have scheduling options for morning, daytime, evening, and overnight hours. You can program the same schedule for every day of the week if you work from home. If you work outside the home or have an irregular schedule, you can program the thermostat for different temperatures on different days of the week. They also have vacation settings that reduce the number of heating or cooling cycles when you’re not at home for several days in a row.
2. Save Money on Air Conditioning Costs
In the summertime, air conditioning will account for about 50% or more of your electricity bills each month. With a new thermostat, you can reduce how much electricity your home uses. To do this, program the thermostat to automatically raise the temperature when you are gone for more than a few hours. By increasing your home’s temperature by eight degrees for eight hours or more, you could shave 10% off your monthly electricity bills. This won’t impact your comfort.
3. Lower Your Wintertime Heating Expenses
Although Houston’s winters are mild, temperatures do drop below freezing for a few nights every year. Snow and ice storms can also happen, so you’ll need an efficient heating system. A new thermostat could lower your wintertime heating expenses. Much like raising the temperature reduces your summertime air conditioning costs, you can lower your home’s temperature in the winter. A temperature setback of eight to 10 degrees for eight to 10 hours per day could lower your winter heating bills by 10% or more. Because Houston homes are built to release heat rather than retain it, you could save a lot of money on heating costs by making a small investment in a new programmable or smart thermostat.
4. Set Up a Zoned Climate Control System
Zoned climate control systems, which are also called mini-split ductless systems or mini-splits, allow you to set up different temperature control zones in your home. You’ll need a smart thermostat for this type of setup. You can also choose to have one programmable thermostat in each zone. These systems allow you to set up three or more zones in your home, and each zone can have its own temperature setting. Zoned climate control is an energy-efficient option if you don’t use several rooms in your home. They’re also a good choice if different household members like different temperatures while they sleep at night.
5. Lower Your Home’s Carbon Footprint
New thermostats reduce how many heating and cooling cycles your home’s HVAC system performs. Fewer heating and cooling cycles mean less energy use. A smaller carbon footprint could be a good selling point for your home. You can also feel confident that you’re helping with the conservation of resources.
6. Reduce Wear and Tear on your Heating and Cooling System
Your home’s heating and cooling system performs thousands of cycles every year. Temperature setbacks for your heating system reduce the number of heating cycles. Automatically raising the temperature in the summer lowers the number of cooling cycles. Fewer cycles mean less wear and tear on the HVAC system. Less wear and tear leads to fewer malfunctions and worn-out parts.
7. Extend the Heating and Cooling System’s Lifespan
When your heating and cooling system doesn’t have to perform as many cycles, it will last longer. The startup of each cycle causes a lot of stress on key parts, such as capacitors and motors. By extending the heating and cooling system’s lifespan and not having to prematurely replace parts or equipment, you could save thousands of dollars. Smart thermostats can even remind you when it’s time for a maintenance visit. Keeping up with preventive maintenance also extends the system’s lifespan.
8. Adjust Your Home’s Temperature With Your Smartphone
If you’re stuck at work for another hour or a traffic jam has delayed your return home, you can adjust your home’s temperature through an app on your smartphone. The smartphone communicates to your home’s smart thermostat through a secure online connection. This allows you to adjust the timing of temperature changes. Some smartphones have geofencing. With geofencing, the thermostat pings your phone in order to determine its location. Its algorithms allow it to start running heating or cooling cycles when you’re within one to five miles of home. This ensures that your home will be at the desired temperature upon your return, and it minimizes energy use when you’re not inside the house.
9. Monitor Your Heating and Cooling System’s Performance
Smart thermostats give you access to real-time reports about the status of your heating or cooling system. If a system malfunction occurs, the app will report it to you. This allows you to schedule a repair as quickly as possible. You can also use the app to track the system’s energy use. On an extremely hot day, you might choose to increase the temperature by 10 degrees while you’re away from home. This reduces the workload on your cooling system and lowers your electricity bill.
10. Maintain Good Airflow
Programmable and smart thermostats have a fan-only setting. When the temperature of your home is comfortable, you can select this option. The fan circulates the air. As the air passes through the filter, debris is removed. Your home’s air will be fresher and cleaner. The fan-only function uses less electricity than heating or cooling functions. If you use the fan-only function a lot, you’ll need to replace your air filter more frequently. Be sure to check the filter for buildup once each month, and replace it as soon as it’s dirty.
Custom Comfort Air is the trusted installer of smart thermostats. We’re also ready to provide you with top-notch heating and air conditioning maintenance, repair, installation, and replacement services. Our indoor air quality solutions help you breathe easier all year long. To learn more about whether or not you should upgrade your home’s thermostat, get in touch with us at Custom Comfort Air as soon as you can.