A Utah Homeowners’ Guide to Smart Thermostats

HVAC technologies have come a long way in recent years. Today’s equipment is better than ever before. For instance, consider the smart thermostat. It is arguably one of the most fascinating HVAC technologies of our time.

Some of our customers already have smart thermostats installed. Most do not. We have put together a Utah homeowner’s guide to smart thermostats designed to help our customers understand the basics before choosing to install one. We think smart thermostats are a great idea. You’ll understand why after reading this post.

What Makes a Thermostat Smart

A smart thermostat represents one of the most effective HVAC upgrades Utah homeowners can invest in. But what is a smart thermostat, exactly? It is a Wi-Fi enabled thermostat that automatically controls heating and cooling with little help needed from the homeowner beyond initial programming.

The programming aspect is one thing it shares with thermostats from previous generations. But it’s nothing to be afraid of. While programming an older thermostat from 20 years ago required quite a bit of savvy, smart thermostats are easy to program. Anyone who can use a smartphone can do it.

What makes today’s smart thermostats so different is their ability to artificially learn a homeowner’s routine and then adjust programming accordingly. The homeowner needs to handle the initial programming at installation. After that, the thermostat takes care of itself.

Key Thermostat Features

Beyond our general description, smart thermostats have a lot to offer. They bring new features to the HVAC world, features that were previously unavailable in an off-the-shelf thermostat. While not every smart thermostat offers every possible feature, here are some of the more common features you will find in the latest models:

• Remote Access – Remote access is a feature of every smart thermostat by definition. Remote access allows making temperature changes and adjusting programming from anywhere. You just need an internet connection and a phone or computer.

• Artificial Learning – Built in algorithms constantly analyze data from a property’s smart home system. The thermostat analyzes the data and uses it to automatically adjust programming.

• Adaptation – Some smart thermostats are able to adapt to seasonal changes and current weather conditions for more efficient HVAC service.

• Geofencing – Geofencing technologies make it possible to link a smart thermostat to a smartphone so that temperature will automatically be adjusted based on the homeowner’s location. Leave the neighborhood in the morning, and the temperature is adjusted to save energy. As you return home at night, your preferred comfort temperature kicks in.

• Energy Use Data – A smart thermostat can provide data offering insights into your home’s energy consumption. The data can be very helpful in the goal of making your home as efficient as possible.

The icing on the cake is the fact that most smart thermostats can be fully integrated with home automation systems from America’s leading brands. For example, most models will fully integrate with smart home systems from Google, Amazon, and Apple.

The Benefits of Installing One

As for the benefits of installing a smart thermostat, they boil down to energy savings and convenience. We all know how dicey Utah weather can be. From the coldest of winter days to the hot and dry days of summer, a smart thermostat makes the most efficient use of your HVAC system.

When it comes to installing a new HVAC system, you should probably consider a smart thermostat to go with it. And even if your current system has many years of life left in it, upgrading to a smart thermostat wouldn’t be a bad idea. Smart thermostats can make any HVAC system run better.