The How and Why of Smart Thermostats in Satellite Beach, FL

There’s a lot of talk among homeowners around Satellite Beach, FL about smart technology like thermostats. However, there’s a lack of clarity about what exactly makes a smart thermostat smart and why they’re beneficial. Use this guide to learn more about the how and why of smart thermostats for modern homes.

What Makes a Smart Thermostat Smart?

Some people think that Wi-Fi-enabled and smart thermostats are the same thing, which isn’t necessarily the case. Wi-Fi-enabled thermostats connect to an internet network, allowing the user to access them from a phone or tablet, either on the same internet network or remotely, depending on the model.

Smart thermostats provide more intelligent options, automatically creating programs to meet the home’s needs. Additionally, smart thermostats can provide real-time insights into your energy consumption.

How They Work

Smart thermostats build temperature programs based on factors they can register and store, especially over the first few days of learning. These factors may include your daily usage habits, outside temperature, and even home occupancy for some models.

The thermostat runs this data through an internal algorithm to build a program that matches your home’s needs. However, you always have the option to adjust the settings. These thermostats make it easy to enjoy the following benefits.

Reduced Heating and Cooling Costs

Reducing heating and cooling costs is one of the primary benefits homeowners seek from installing a smart thermostat. This is especially true for anyone running standard-efficiency gas furnaces and central air conditioners. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), using thermostat programs to turn your temperature setting back by 7-10 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours a day can reduce your annual heating costs by up to 10%.

Achieving these savings also helps reduce the strain on your system and the work it has to do. Needing fewer furnace or heat pump repairs is an added benefit.

The only caveat is for heat pumps, which generally achieve higher efficiency when left at a set temperature. Rather than frequently raising or lowering the temperature, heat pumps maintain the set temperature, especially for high-efficiency models.

Better Energy Consumption Tracking

Tracking your energy consumption can help you identify problems within your system and poor usage habits. The data from the power company looks at all energy consumed in your home for a month at a time. This can make it challenging to identify problems specifically with your HVAC system.

Smart thermostats, on the other hand, can track the power consumption of the HVAC system alone. Depending on the specific model, it may automatically correlate energy consumption with outside weather, making the data even more valuable. When used frequently, it can help you identify more efficient ways to use your system and provide early problem detection.

Easier Scheduling

One of the complaints about digital thermostats has been the difficulty in setting up usage programs. Using the automatic programming feature allows you to simply change the temperature when it’s time. The thermostat will quickly learn when you want it warmer or cooler and will build programs to meet your needs.

Additionally, it’ll account for the other factors it tracks to make the needed adjustments. Further, smart thermostats automatically account for variations like daylight saving and the varying length of days.

Integration With Other Smart Devices

Smart devices are making their way throughout homes nationwide, far beyond just thermostats. Getting a smart thermostat that integrates with your smart home platform makes integration and streamlining easy. However, it’s important to check that the devices are compatible before choosing your new thermostat.

For instance, having a thermostat that works with the same platform as a whole-home dehumidifier or air purifier allows them to easily integrate. It also simplifies their control by allowing you to manage multiple devices from the same app.

Help your home’s HVAC system operate more efficiently by leveraging this innovative technology. To find out more about  smart thermostats, call to schedule a consultation with one of the  experts at Anna’s Air and Heat.

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