Programmable Thermostats

You may have seen commercials or advertisements for programmable thermostats recently and wondered what difference they could make in your home. Do programmable thermostats save energy? Save money? Extend the life of your HVAC system? The answer to all of these questions is yes. According to Energy Star, the average household will spend roughly $2,200 a year on energy bills, half of which goes towards cooling or heating an empty house or an unused area of your home. If your energy bills are getting out of hand, a simple programmable thermostat may save you thousands of dollars over the lifespan of your heating and cooling system. And there is more to these devices than just saving money. They make it easy to preset the best temperature for you when you sleep, wake up, go to work, come home or go on vacation. Optimizing your energy usage helps lower your utility bills and helps the environment. So what should you look for in your search for a programmable thermostat? The latest and greatest products on the market offer a variety of options and are technologically smart. Really smart. The top-ranked thermostats will gradually adjust the temperature in your home to use energy as efficiently as possible. Instead of cooling or heating your house at a rapid pace before you get home from work, your programmable thermostat gradually heats or cools your home to optimize energy usage. Here are a few things to consider when finding the programmable thermostat which best fits your situation: 1. Product Features. All programmable thermostats will come with a variety of options for setting your schedule during the week or over the weekend. The default settings are designed to deliver savings without sacrificing comfort, but these settings might not meet your needs. Consider if you need a thermostat which can be programmed for every day of the week or if you would be better off with a “5-1-1” scheduling program or a “5-2” program. These options allow for programming specifically for weekdays and a separate schedule on Saturday and/or Sundays. Many devices will also feature displays which tell you the temperature and humidity inside and outside the house. Others will have Wi-Fi capability, which will link the external weather services and send schedule information to your online account. As the homeowner, you would be able to utilize this information to program the temperature in your house from your mobile device. 2. Ease of Use. Most programmable thermostats are very user-friendly and make setting the temperature in your house simple. However, some units offer additional settings and extras that can make life easier, such as: a child lock to prevent a change in programming, instant information about optimal temperatures and energy savings or Wi-Fi enabled features to control your temperature from anywhere. 3. Help and Support. The majority of thermostats come with a programming manual for easy setup and warranties that last for up to 10 years. If you choose a thermostat which offers Wi-Fi capability or other advanced settings, check to see what level of support is offered by the manufacturer so that you can get the most out of your purchase. A programmable thermostat can save you money and help extend the life of your heating and air conditioning unit, all while providing additional comfort and convenience for your family. Call Spencer Air Conditioning and Heating today at (972) 446- COOL (2665) or find out more at spencerairconditioning.com.