Where It Pays to Have a Wi-Fi Thermostat

Thermostats have come a long way in the last few years. They've progressed from manual to programmable, and now Wi-Fi enabled devices. With the ability to connect to a home's wireless internet connection and remotely change the temperature, a Wi-Fi thermostat can do a lot for your homes – especially vacation and second homes.Let's take a look at how this thermostat can benefit you:

Comfortable Home Upon Arrival

A vacation home that hasn't been used for months will have stagnant, stale air. Walking into such a home can quickly dampen your spirits. A Wi-Fi enabled thermostat offers the convenience of adjusting your vacation home's temperature from wherever you are. You can turn on your heating or cooling system using your phone or tablet just before you arrive, and the home will welcome you and your family with the pleasant ambiance you desire.

Peace of Mind for the Traveling Homeowner

If you travel frequently, you should get a Wi-Fi thermostat to keep tabs on your home. You can monitor your home's environmental conditions and change the settings from anywhere as long as you have Internet access. In the winter, you'll be able to control your furnace to prevent issues like frozen pipes and water damage. You'll have peace of mind while you're away, knowing you won't come home to a disaster.

Planning Assistance

The mobile app of many Wi-Fi thermostats provides the latest local weather information. You can easily view the current temperature of where you're going to and get a good idea of what to carry with you to your vacation home.

More Savings

A Wi-Fi thermostat allows you to easily change the temperature settings of your second home when it's not in use. That saves you money not only on energy bills but also on expensive maintenance fees because it reduces the wear and tear on your HVAC system.

Upgrading to a Wi-Fi thermostat helps you gain more control over your home than ever before. For more information on Wi-Fi thermostats, please contact us at Air Assurance. We've been proudly serving the Broken Arrow area since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about wi-fi thermostats and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

New Furnace? What Else Should You Include With Your Installation?

When you reached the decision to replace that ailing furnace, it may have seemed you’d done all the work expected of a homeowner. Surely, now it’s all up to your trusted installer to get the project under way? Not entirely. There are a number of possible additional features you might want to consider with your new furnace installation, to further upgrade your northeastern Oklahoma home. What else should you include?

Chimney Liner

If your new furnace is more than 80 percent efficient -- as most modern appliances are -- the manufacturer may well mandate that your contractor install a chimney liner. Venting through an improperly prepared chimney can pose serious health risks.

Humidifiers

Moist air allows the body’s natural defenses to more effectively block viruses and bacteria. It also keeps nasal passages and lungs better lubricated, which often alleviates allergy symptoms. Consider the installation of a whole-house humidifier along with your new furnace.

Filtration

Regular fiberglass mat or pleated paper filters serve to extend furnace life by protecting the air mover (blower) from abrasive material. There are, however, several enhanced filtration options available to you. These require special housings to accommodate them, so it’s cost-effective to have them installed when the other work is being done. Consider:

• Deep-pleated conventional filters, which work far more effectively than the typical, inch-thick units.

• Electronic air cleaners, which use advanced technology to remove a wider range of contaminants.

Thermostats

Thermostat technology has come a long way in recent years.

• Programmable thermostats allow your system to react to usage patterns, only heating the home when it’s occupied.

• Zoned thermostats keep empty living space cooler than the rooms you most often use.

• Wi-fi thermostats allow you to alter settings from remote locations, and can even react to local weather bulletins without your input.

Supplemental furnace equipment can increase both fuel efficiency and safety of system operation. To ensure you get the best from an appliance that may well be heating your home for decades, discuss your requirements in detail with a tech from Air Assurance Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We serve the entire greater Tulsa metropolitan area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Image courtesy of Shutterstock