How Does a Smart Thermostat Work?

You spend a lot of time adjusting your home’s thermostat, depending on what time of year it is. Unfortunately, not every relationship between homeowner and thermostat is a positive one. Maybe your system is outdated, or perhaps you want to upgrade to the next generation of temperature control, but you’re not sure where to start.

Smart thermostat installation is becoming the norm in modern homes. These devices are more efficient and tech-forward than old systems across the board. Despite that, many still consider them a fledgling technology, and some don’t know exactly how they function. If that’s the case for you, keep reading!

What Is a Smart Thermostat?

smart thermostatSmart thermostats are only one of a growing range of “smart” devices. You probably have a smartphone, and you might even have a smartwatch. There are also smart vehicles, smart doorbells, and even smart refrigerators that can keep track of the items inside and their expiration dates.

All of these products work by connecting to mobile or internet-based devices. In the case of a smart thermostat, it allows you to control and regulate your home’s temperature from virtually anywhere with WiFi. With a smart thermostat installation, you can take better control over your home’s climate and save a lot of energy in the process.

But How Does It Work?

Though it may seem daunting, a smart thermostat installation is actually relatively simple. First, you connect the smart thermostat to your existing HVAC system. That way, it can communicate remotely to your central control panel. Finally, you download the app. Then, you can use the app to control the system remotely.

That’s basically the process to set up your average, run-of-the-mill smart thermostat. The more advanced models come with more moving parts that allow for features like smartphone tracking, which automatically adjusts your home’s temperature as you approach. Regardless of what model you choose, you’ll have the power to control your home’s climate from virtually anywhere with an internet connection.

Smart thermostats will also learn as you use them. After enough time, they’ll know when  (during the day) you like things warmer and when you’d prefer them colder. And at the end of every month, your thermostat will send you a virtual report showing you how much energy you’ve used and what you can do to be more efficient.

Comparing a Smart Thermostat Installation to Old Models

Thermostat technology has come a long way since its inception. So how does a smart thermostat installation hold up compared to all the technology that came before it?

Consider the oldest choice, an analog thermostat. Way back in the day, homeowners could only control their temperature from within the confines of their house. And even when they raised or lowered the temperature, the readings would be notoriously inaccurate, draining seven more energy and increasing the energy bill.

Soon after that were digital thermostats. These devices had more accurate readings than analog devices. Also, this model was able to turn off your HVAC system once it reached the desired temperature. A big step forward, but there was still a long way to go.

Then came the programmable thermostats! These appliances allow you to pre-set your home’s temperature according to your schedule. With a programmable thermostat, you can program your home’s climate ahead of time, depending on your lifestyle. Some options covered a five-day workweek, a two-day weekend, a five-day model with alternate weekends, or else every day of the week.

Do you see the pain point here? Programmable thermostats have the potential to save up to 20% of your regular energy usage. However, that only applies if you take the time to regularly program and reprogram your thermostat as needed. And with all the mathematics and work involved, this proves to be a problem for many programmable thermostat owners.

Smart Thermostats are fully capable of saving you 20% on heating and cooling costs, and you don’t have to program anything to see those results. The remote programming smart thermostats offer is far beyond the scope of previous versions, and you can even control them through virtual assistants like Alexa or Google Home. With Smart Learning incorporated into their technology, these tech-forward thermostats essentially take care of themselves without a need for much user input.

Finding the Best “Electrician Near Me”

How can you tell if a smart thermostat installation is the right choice for you? Maybe you find yourself driving home from work in the brutal cold of winter, wishing you could walk into an already warm and welcoming home. Or it could be that you don’t want to waste energy and money heating or cooling an empty home. Either way, MZ Electric is the best option for your smart thermostat installation.

From Dever to Arapahoe County, MZ Electric has specialized in electrical installation and repair as well as home remodeling and energy-saving services. We’ve worked like this since 2009, bringing integrity, creativity, and experience to homes across Colorado. So if you want to join the cutting edge of home technology, call us today!