Learn All About What Makes a Smart Thermostat Do Its Thing

Smart thermostats are continuing to grow in popularity as more homeowners discover the convenience of these devices. Unlike a programmable thermostat, you don’t have to set a complicated schedule for when you want the heating and cooling to come on. You can set and adjust temperature set points through an app on any smart device. You can also control a smart thermostat from anywhere — including from your wall interface or from a smart device when you’re miles away — just as long as you can access the internet.

What Makes a Thermostat Smart?

A Wi-Fi or wireless thermostat will do the same thing, so what makes a thermostat smart? The difference is that a smart thermostat learns from your behavior and runs the heating and cooling accordingly. For instance, it will note that you leave home every day at 8 a.m. and return home every evening at 6 p.m. After a couple of days, your thermostat will learn your behavior and adjust the temperature to save energy during the day and to make it more comfortable when you get home.

How a Smart Thermostat Works

Just like an analog thermostat, smart thermostats connect to the HVAC system’s condenser, blower fan, and furnace through a system of wires. They also connect to the home’s Internet wirelessly for remote control.

Before you buy a smart thermostat, make sure it is compatible with your HVAC system and wiring. You can check online for some smart thermostat models to assess their compatibility with your wiring.

If you’re installing the thermostat yourself, you can follow online instructions, such as these from Consumer Reports. However, if you’re not comfortable messing around with electricity, call an electrician.

Changing the thermostat yourself? Don’t wait until the middle of a snowstorm or a heat wave to do so, in case you mess things up. Also, always save the old thermostat, just in case you need to reinstall it.

To learn more about how a smart thermostat might help you save money on energy bills, contact Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning of Lorain. We provide HVAC maintenance, installations, and repairs.