Smart Thermostats: Check Out the Benefits of Going High Tech
With the advent of iPhones, tablets and advanced medical equipment, it stands to reason that HVAC systems would be getting smart too. Heating and cooling equipment on the market today is far more sophisticated and advanced than systems that were available 20 years ago. Thermostats, meanwhile, have kept pace. A new generation -- the smart thermostat -- has arrived. What can one of these neat little devices do for you in your greater Tulsa home? To put it simply: a lot.The development of programmable thermostatsFor decades, the thermostat was a simple, relatively uncomplicated device. It was a manually controlled box attached to the HVAC system that a homeowner used to change temperature settings and turn heating and cooling equipment on and off. Then programmable thermostats came along. These advanced devices offered customized heating and cooling, along with advanced digital displays. A homeowner could program different settings for certain times of the day and different days of the week. This gave gave the homeowner enhanced comfort and energy savings.Introducing the smart thermostatAs programmable thermostats have become invaluable to many homeowners, even greater advancements have been made possible. Today's smart thermostats offer all the bells and whistles of the programmable thermostat and then some. Among the sophisticated features available on today's smart thermostats:
Greater accessibility: The standard programmable thermostat can be adjusted only when you're at home. The smart thermostat can be monitored and adjusted from anywhere that has a WiFi connection. Say you're at the coffee shop, and you realize you'll be home later than usual. From your laptop or smartphone you can send your thermostat the message to turn the air conditioner down or the heat up -- depending on the season -- shortly before your new arrival time. You can do the same if you're on vacation, and you'll be arriving home sooner or later than expected. In addition, the smart thermostat will alert you to any dramatic change that needs your attention -- if a system fails, for example.
The capability to monitor your systems: The smart thermostat has the capability to track your home's energy usage, allowing you to have greater control over your energy costs. Some smart thermostats can even monitor energy prices and alert you to changes.
Ability to learn your schedule -- In addition to allowing you to make changes yourself, smart thermostats can learn your daily patterns and adapt to them.
You've seen how smartphones and tablets can enhance your life. Why not upgrade to a programmable thermostat? To learn more about what they can do for you, contact the professionals at Air Assurance. We have been serving the HVAC needs of homeowners in Broken Arrow and greater Tulsa 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). Image courtesy of Shutterstock