The Key Differences Between Wireless and "Smart" Thermostats

Are you a bit foggy on the difference between wireless vs. smart thermostats? Join the club. It's not uncommon that homeowners experience a little confusion when it comes to describing what makes a smart thermostat smart when compared with a mere wireless model. That's because a smart thermostat is indeed a wireless (aka Wi-Fi) thermostat, while a wireless or Wi-Fi thermostat isn't necessarily a smart one. Read on to learn which type — wireless vs. smart — might work best for you.

Wireless vs. Smart: The Difference

Why would you want to upgrade from your old analog or programmable thermostat? Mainly because of the convenience that wireless technology offers. You can change the temperature in your house from anywhere. Just access your home's HVAC system through an app on your phone, speaker, or tablet, and voila! Adjust the temperature.

Want to set a program from afar, to cut back on heating while the sun's shining? You can do so with wireless from near or far. And, they are a lot easier to program than the programmable models.

What Makes a Thermostat Smart?

What else should you know about wireless vs. smart thermostats? Smart thermostats can be set just as described above, but they also have the ability to learn your habits and adjust the temperature themselves. For instance, a learning system will note that you leave the house and arrive home at a certain time every day and adjust the temperature as needed, warming up or cooling down the home in anticipation of your arrival. 

Smart thermostats are incorporated into the home's automation system. They send a signal through the Wi-Fi system to the thermostat, and that signal is then sent to the blower and the HVAC.

Some of the smart features you can opt for:

• Geofencing, which detects when you're getting close to home and adjusts the temperature to a comfortable setting.

• Detect and diagnose HVAC problems.

• Remind the homeowner when it's time for maintenance.

• Analyze energy use.

For more on wireless vs. smart thermostats, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.

Programmable Thermostats Can Save Your More Than Money

The primary reason that most homeowners buy a programmable thermostat is to save money on their energy bills. This is a great reason and is why programmable thermostats often pay for themselves relatively quickly. However, there are also some other ways that this type of thermostat can benefit you that you should consider.

How Programmable Thermostats Save You Money

A programmable thermostat allows you to schedule changes in thermostat settings ahead of time. For example, you can have the temperature setting rise during the day when you are out so that you aren’t wasting energy to cool a house when nobody’s there. Programming your thermostat for the main periods of the day will result in large savings over the course of the summer, and will be equally important during the winter.

How Programmable Thermostats Give You More Than Savings

There are multiple ways that programmable units are better than their traditional counterparts. Consider that once you program your thermostat, you typically don’t have to adjust it often. Instead of having to constantly tweak your thermostat back and forth, it will do it automatically for you, the ultimate convenience.

Secondly, programmable thermostats allow you to achieve those aforementioned savings without interrupting your comfort. With a traditional thermostat, if you want to come home to a cooled and comfortable home, you would need to keep the temperature down all day. With a programmable unit you can have it set to lower the temperature of your home 30 minutes to an hour before you arrive so you walk in to a comfortable home.

If you’re looking for even more benefits from your thermostat, you could consider upgrading another step to a WiFi thermostat. A WiFi thermostat is a programmable thermostat that allows you to connect and change its settings remotely.

If you have any questions on what type of thermostat is best for your Broken Arrow home, please contact the experienced professionals at Air Assurance.

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). 

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