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How Do Smart Thermostats Work?

Are you wondering if installing a smart thermostat in your home is worth it? A smart thermostat can undoubtedly make your life more convenient, help keep your home more comfortable, and allow you to save on your energy bills. However, it’s important to understand that not all smart thermostats are the same, so you will want to think carefully about which type and model you choose. To make this easier, we will explain the two different types of smart thermostats, how they work, and what features they can have.

Standard Smart Thermostats

Standard smart thermostats aren’t all that much different from any other type of programmable thermostat. The main difference is that a smart thermostat connects to your Wi-Fi network so that you can control it from your phone or tablet using an app. This is definitely an advantage since you can turn your heating or AC back up before leaving if you happen to get off work early. If you have to work later than usual, you can use the app and program it so that your heating or AC won’t turn up until later to save on energy costs.

The other difference is that most smart thermostat apps also have other useful features such as energy monitoring, maintenance reminders, and shutdown alerts. The energy monitoring feature can be helpful for keeping your energy costs lower. It also makes it easy to see if your heating or AC is still working as effectively as it should. If you notice that your system is suddenly using more energy than normal, it tells you that the system isn’t working as effectively and you should have it inspected and repaired or serviced.

Maintenance alerts are also useful for ensuring your HVAC system continues working energy efficiently and heating or cooling effectively. The smart thermostat app lets you program reminders so you always remember when you need to replace or wash the air filter or when it’s time to schedule an annual heating or AC maintenance service.

A smart thermostat will also always monitor your HVAC system whenever it runs. If your furnace, AC, or heat pump ever has any issues that cause it to shut down, such as a safety switch that triggers, the thermostat will automatically send a notification to your phone. This way you will immediately know if any issues arise so that you can call for an inspection.

Smart “Learning” Thermostats

More advanced smart thermostats are so-called “learning” models. A learning thermostat is even more convenient and makes it even easier to save money on heating and cooling your home. Learning thermostats rely on other types of smart home technology like motion sensors and door sensors or doorbell cameras. This enables them to learn from your behavior and then use an algorithm to automatically adjust their programming.

A learning thermostat will quickly determine your typical weekday and weekend routines. It will learn when you go to bed and wake up and also when everyone in your household leaves and gets back home. The thermostat will then use this information to program your HVAC system based on your desired temperature settings.

If you normally have your AC set to 70 degrees when you’re home, the thermostat will always ensure that your home is at exactly 70 degrees when you get back from work. However, it will turn the temperature up to 75 degrees or whatever temperature you want at whatever time everyone leaves in the morning to save energy. Similarly, if you always set your heating at a lower temperature before going to bed in the winter, the thermostat will automatically raise the temperature so your home is already fully warm when get out of bed.

Learning thermostats can also adjust the temperature settings on the fly based on the weather. On much hotter summer days, the thermostat will turn the temperature back down earlier than normal to make sure your home is fully cool when you arrive back from work. The weather-monitoring function can also help save energy by adjusting the settings so your HVAC system doesn’t run as often on cooler summer or warmer winter days.

Partner With Breeze Air Conditioning for Your Smart Thermostat Needs

For more than 40 years, Breeze Air Conditioning has been helping residents of the Palm Desert area with all of their home comfort needs. We offer professional smart thermostat installation services and can help you decide which type and model best meets your needs. Our certified technicians are also ready to assist with your other heating and air conditioning needs and help ensure your home always stays comfortable. If you have any questions about smart thermostats or want to have one installed in your home, give us a call and we’ll be happy to help however we can.