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The thermostat is the part of your HVAC system you use the most, as it controls your home’s temperature. What if there was a way to make your home even more comfortable by upgrading your thermostat to a programmable one? This article will explore some compelling reasons to switch to a programmable thermostat. It might be the best decision for your home. Take a look!
1. Lower Energy Bills
If you use it properly, a programmable thermostat can save up to 10% of annual heating and cooling costs. That’s because you can set the thermostat to adjust the temperature automatically at certain times, like when no one is home or everyone is sleeping. The savings you enjoy make up for the cost of switching to a programmable thermostat.
A smart thermostat connects to the internet and can take the savings even further. You can take advantage of temperature variations throughout the year when set to your local weather. It can also learn your habits and automatically adjust the temperature for maximum savings.
2. Improved Zoned Temperature Control
Temperature zoning is the ability to control how much heated or cooled air goes into different rooms. A programmable thermostat can make it easier for you to achieve this outcome. A zoned system uses sensors, a thermostat, and a modulating damper to control the temperature in each area.
3. Precise Temperature Control
If you’ve used manual, analog thermostats long enough, you know how difficult it is to set a precise temperature for your home. Sometimes, the variance can be as high as five degrees. That can negatively affect the comfort of your Greenville home and increase the heating and cooling costs. However, you can enjoy precise temperature control with a digital programmable thermostat. While you can expect some variance, it is usually less than half a degree.
4. More Life for your HVAC Equipment
If you have a manual thermostat, you might adjust it when you leave and return. Then, you’ll have to wait a while until the temperature reaches the set level. This can put undue strain on your HVAC system. That can shorten the system’s lifespan, which means that you have to think about installing a new one sooner than expected.
However, you can take the pressure off your heating and cooling system by switching to a programmable thermostat. With a programmable thermostat, you can set the thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature for when you return.
With a smart thermostat, you can enjoy even more comfort. If you need to return before the scheduled time, you can set the thermostat remotely. It can reach the desired temperature before you enter your home.
5. Quick to Adjust
It takes some practice to learn how to set a manual thermostat to different temperatures depending on the time of day. Not to mention that you have to go to the wall unit to make these adjustments. However, with a programmable thermostat, you can set your schedule once every season and forget about it. That leaves you more time to worry about other things around the home.
Choosing the Right Model
The first step towards a successful switch is picking the suitable model. Luckily, you have many choices in the current market. Choose one that best aligns with your needs and schedule. Once you get the right programmable thermostat, our technician will help you change the factory settings. It’s important to sync the settings to your preference.
So, how do you narrow it down to one model? Here are a few things to consider:
Customization Settings
There are four distinct customization settings for programmable thermostats. Below is a breakdown of each:
- 7-day programming: This thermostat is the most flexible option. It lets you program a different heating schedule for each day in the week. This is a good option if you have different hours throughout the week.
- 5-1-1 programming: This type of programmable thermostat breaks the weekdays from the weekends. It allows you to program a heating or cooling schedule for the five weekdays and then different plans for individual weekend days.
- 5-2 programming: This works like the 5-1-1 programming, except the two weekend days have the same heating or cooling schedule.
- 1-week programming: With this one, you can only set a single heating or cooling plan that will apply daily for the entire week.
Compatibility with your HVAC System
If you are installing a new thermostat, the compatibility issue comes into play. Is the new programmable thermostat compatible with your current furnace and air conditioner? You can reach out to Black-Haak, and one of our technicians can help verify the thermostat and your system’s compatibility.
Consider Advanced Features
Some programmable features have advanced features that might come in handy for you. For instance, some have touchscreen displays and adaptive recovery settings. Others have Wi-Fi-control capabilities, making it possible to control the temperature in your home even when you are away.
How to Program your New Thermostat
Once you settle on the best programmable thermostat for your home and schedule, the next thing is programming it. While most people would describe it as daunting, our technicians have the necessary knowledge and experience to do it quickly. Here is what you can expect:
Master your Schedule
The first thing is understanding your schedule. Our technician will ask what time people in the house generally wake up and when they leave. They’ll also factor in what time family members go to bed. This information will help program the thermostat to your particular schedule.
Choose the Temperature Settings
Once our technician has the schedule at hand, the next thing is determining the desired temperatures for different times of the day. We recommend going by the Department of Energy recommendations. They recommend turning the thermostat 7-10 degrees from its normal setting for eight hours daily. During winter, set your thermostat to around 68-70 degrees Fahrenheit when you are awake, and put it lower when you are asleep or away from home.
Build the Schedule on The Thermostat
Now that the technician has identified the ideal temperatures to set your thermostat, the next step is feeding that into the system. Typically, our team will start by selecting the day of the week and inputting the time when you’d like the first period of the day to kick off and the desired temperature. Then they’ll move on to the next period until the day ends. With some models, you can copy the schedule instead of doing it all over again for each day.
Enable the Schedule
Now the final part: enabling the schedule. Our technician will activate the schedule they have set. And voila! You are all set to enjoy the perks of your new programmable thermostat.
Rely on The Experts
Installing a new thermostat requires the knowledge and expertise of professionals. We also offer installation, maintenance, and repair for heating and cooling systems. Turn to us for your plumbing and electrical needs, too.
In Greenville, you can rely on Black-Haak for all your thermostat installation and replacement needs. Contact Black-Haak today to learn more about investing in a programmable thermostat.
