What Apps Are the Most Popular for Controlling Your HVAC System?

HVAC apps make it easy to keep your home comfortable no matter what northeastern Oklahoma's weather throws at you. There are dozens of apps out there, but a few have earned exceptional reputations.

Nest

Developed for the popular Nest smart thermostat and home-security products, this app lets you set heating and cooling schedules, adjust temperatures and fan settings, select your target temperature, review your energy use, and receive alerts when temperatures in your home are too high or too low. The app also warns you when your system's performance is faltering so you can look into the issue before it gets serious. If you use several Nest devices, this app lets you manage them all in one place.

Ecobee

Another one of the best-known HVAC apps, this software works with Ecobee's line of thermostats and other smart-home devices. Not only can you schedule and adjust temperatures with it, you can control your lighting too. It alerts you when your indoor temperature or humidity level is out of your preferred range, and it offers several humidity-control options that make this app ideal if you struggle with dry or damp air. The filter-change and maintenance reminders are also helpful.

Nexia

The Nexia smart home automation app is compatible with Trane and American Standard HVAC equipment and controls far more than just your heating and cooling. It uses open-source Z-Wave technology to communicate with all your Nexia-compatible devices. Program, control, and monitor your thermostat temperatures and fan speed through a user-friendly interface. Nexia also includes a sophisticated diagnostics system few other HVAC apps can match. Nexia can be connected with your HVAC service technician, and when something goes wrong, the app can search for issues and relay information to your service tech.

Other trusted HVAC apps include Tado, which works with most HVAC systems, and AirPatrol, designed for infrared remote control ACs and heat pumps.

For tips on which of these HVAC apps is right for your home, contact us at Air Assurance from anywhere in Broken Arrow.

Smart HVAC: System Automation

In upgrading your HVAC system, you have a lot of different choices. One increasingly popular option is automation. It can be a bit pricey, but there are a number of benefits. Here's a brief guide to help you determine if a smart HVAC system is right for you.

What Is Smart HVAC?

A smart system learns your household's heating and cooling preferences over time and adjusts to them automatically, to provide enough air to keep you comfortable, without wasting energy. They also factor in outdoor temperature when setting the indoor temperature. A variable-speed air handler can provide more air on hotter days, or less air on milder ones.

The system learns your habits, too: whether you like things a little warmer in the morning or a little cooler at night, etc. Some systems even have sensors to detect when someone enters or leaves a room, so that air isn't sent to unoccupied areas.

And in addition to learning your preferences, the system also connects to your phone or other mobile device via an app. This way, you can remotely control the temperature, and even the vents, closing one and opening another as needed.

Benefits of a Smart System

An automated HVAC system is more expensive than your standard model, but it's an investment. It can cut your energy bill by around 20 percent, paying for itself over time. It also ensures you're always comfortable, learning and automatically adjusting to your preferences, rather than making you set and reset the thermostat throughout the day.

Is HVAC automation right for you? To find out, have a professional conduct an energy audit of your home and determine where you're wasting energy. They can also examine your current HVAC equipment, to see if it meets your needs, or what upgrades might be beneficial to you. Then, they can help you choose the smart features that will best benefit your home, and set them up for optimal comfort and energy savings.

To learn more about smart HVAC systems, contact us at Air Assurance today. Broken Arrow trusts us for all its heating and cooling needs.