Smart thermostats are capable of so much more than their old, fully mechanical counterparts. While their core function is essentially the same (turn your HVAC system on or off to adjust the temperature to a set level), how they do this is completely different than it ever was before. A smart thermostat uses the power of the internet and real-time communication to adjust settings, change operating strategies, and even provide you with a greater amount of information that allows you to save money and avoid problems.
Here are three things that a smart thermostat can do that you probably didn’t know about before.
Diagnose Problems
For decades, most people found out about an air conditioning problem when their system stopped working properly. Whether it was a total shutdown, a total lack of cold air, or loud noises, or other malfunctions, your thermostat would continue to try to run the system. As a mechanical device, it had no way of knowing that your system needed to shut off.
However, today’s modern smart thermostats are capable of self-diagnosing issues. By monitoring variables like temperature fluctuations, outdoor temperatures, indoor temperatures, air quality factors, and even communicating with the air conditioner or heater itself, these systems can identify problems when they are minor and help you prevent them from becoming major issues. Most smart thermostats can give you a reminder when it’s time to change your air filter. Some of the more advanced models can actually communicate with wi-fi-equipped air conditioning units to identify operating irregularities and notify you that your system needs service. This can help you avoid a major issue and keep repairs more affordable.
Control Indoor Air Quality
Modern smart thermostats account for more than just your air temperature. Many models can now account for indoor humidity as well. By using advanced algorithms based on previous and predicted indoor air behavior, these thermostats can help you reduce indoor humidity during summer and even help you keep the humidity up during summer.
Some models of smart thermostats are even capable of controlling integrated humidity control equipment, such as humidifiers and dehumidifiers. When your home struggles with improper humidity levels, a smart thermostat can optimize your humidity control equipment so you never have to struggle with a stuffy or insufferably dry indoor environment ever again. You’ll notice the difference almost immediately, particularly during some of the most extreme seasons of the year.
Get Temperatures from Multiple Rooms
Modern smart thermostats can sometimes be paired with peripheral equipment that allows you to gather temperature information from multiple zones around your home. Old mechanical thermostats would only be able to tell the temperature in their immediate vicinity, and this meant that they often wouldn’t tell the whole story for the rest of your home. Rooms in particularly sunny areas of your home would be largely ignored during summer, resulting in their constantly feeling insufferably hot. Other rooms at the end of ductwork runs would feel brutally cold or warm, depending on the season.
Today, smart thermostats can take these areas of your home into account when running your HVAC system. By gathering data from various points around your home, these systems can often run in a way that tries to average the temperature across your home for a more comfortable feeling across the board. And the best part is they can do this without having your air conditioner configured for multiple zones. Should you have multiple zones configured, a smart thermostat can offer total control over these zones for greater energy savings, independent operation, and so many other benefits as well.
Find out more about installing a smart thermostat system in your home by calling the pros at AAA Service Plumbing, Heating & Electric at (303) 313-3333 today!
