How a Programmable Thermostat Protects Your HVAC System

A Programmable Thermostat is the Best $30 Investment You Can Make in Your Home

When most homeowners ramp up for a cold winter or hot summer for that matter they put their faith in a powerful HVAC system. It’s true that system performance for a high-efficiency air conditioner can make a difference in both room comfort and lower utility bills.  However, without the proper thermostat it’s like having a Shelby GT350 but with no steering wheel. As far as thermostats and the high-efficiency air conditioner goes there really is no substitute for a programmable model. Being able to change settings and have the thermostat kick on automatically is convenient, but also saves money. Check out these six features that make a programmable thermostat a financially sound $30 investment.

Other Resources: How to choose a garage heater

7-Day a Week Programming

A nice feature of programmable thermostats is that they can be set to change temperatures in preparation from when you get home from work, or the kids get home from school. On the weekends, though your schedule changes, high-efficiency air conditioner thermostats have 7-day a week programming. You can set the temperatures and times to account for your days off and different daily work schedules.

Four Daily Programming Periods

Part of that 7-day a week programming also consists of four different temperature zones per day. This means you could: 1) turn down the temperature when you are sleeping; 2) turn it up as you wake up; 3) reduce the temperature when you go to work; and 4) turn it back up when you arrive back home. Programmable thermostats save an incredible amount of money on utility bills over the course of a month.

Phone Programming

For modern  programmable thermostats, you can integrate a high-efficiency air conditioner with smartphones for maximum control. A user can view and change temperature, view humidity levels, control the fan, switch from heat to cool to auto, and adjust ‘on’ temperatures all via a home WiFi connection. The programmable thermostat is the first step in creating a Smart home where you can lock doors, turn off lamps, make sure ovens are off, etc. all via a phone or tablet.

“Learning” Mode

For the technologically challenged who still have a VCR (and it has been blinking “12:00” since 1988), modern thermostats have a learning mode built into them. The thermostat will remember the different times of day that you adjust the thermostat and the hours that people are in a specified room. Each day the thermostat evaluates and updates the logarithm to keep each space at optimum temperature.

Change Filter Reminder

It’s extremely important to change air filters in air conditioners about every one to three months, but that can be hard to remember. The result is poor air quality and higher utility bills, but a programmable thermostat can log a furnace or air conditioner run time and flash a change filter indicator when the time comes.

Malfunction Indicators

If the air flow is noticeably different or a thermostat isn’t producing air temperatures, the programmable thermostat will flash a malfunction indicator that lets the homeowner know that they should call a service technician. Such reminders can save enormous wear and tear on the high-efficient HVAC System over time.

Purchasing a programmable thermostat may seem like wasted overhead but it is the engine that drives your high-efficiency air conditioner.