Programmable thermostats pack a powerful energy-saving punch. Use these six tips for optimal heating and cooling performance while maintaining home comfort:
- Programmable thermostats are available with an array of features and options to fit any lifestyle. For best results, and ease of use, select a thermostat that complements your schedule. For instance, if you have a conventional five-day workweek, you may select the 5+2-day thermostat, which offers one workweek program and one weekend program. If the daily schedules of your household occupants varies from one day to the next, select the 7-day thermostat that offers a separate program for each day of the week.
- Most programmable thermostats may be programmed for six temperature changes per 24-hour period. This feature allows you to make slight temperature changes to optimize comfort, while maintaining your energy-saving goals. For instance, you may prefer to increase early morning temperatures (heating months) a few degrees before leaving for work, and return the temperature to energy-saving settings while you're out for the day. When the thermostat is implemented with a zoning system, you may adjust temperatures for specific areas of your home.
- Use the “Hold” feature to make temporary changes in temperature without deleting set programs. Temperatures will return to programmed settings at the next event change.
- Intelligent recovery thermostats track heating and cooling characteristics of your heating/cooling systems to calculate the most efficient means to bring your home to programmed temperature. These thermostats are particularly helpful for households with heat pumps or radiant panel heating.
- Programmable thermostats may offer reminders to change the air filter, change the batteries or schedule maintenance, or receive alerts for system malfunctions.
- If you're upgrading your heating and cooling systems, you may consider programmable thermostats with “smart” features that communicate and control compatible comfort systems (e.g. whole-house dehumidification, ventilation and zoning), and may be monitored and updated via smartphone app and online computer. If your schedule changes, log-in and change your programmed settings to save energy.
For more information about programmable thermostats, please contact us at Hartman Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning. We’ve been serving homeowners in the Fort Wayne area for nearly 50 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in New Haven, Indiana and surrounding Fort Wayne area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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