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Smart thermostats: everything you need to know

ByRonnie Belanger

Oct 12, 2021

Off late, more people are opting to choose smart thermostats to adjust the cooling and heating of their homes from remote locations. Not only do these smart thermostats look more sophisticated and elegant and their non-smart ancestors, but they also have much more to offer in terms of convenience, features, and efficiency. The best part, smart thermostats can help you save a lot on heating and cooling costs.

What is a smart thermostat?

A smart thermostat can be referred to as a thermostat that is controlled by a tablet, smart speaker, phone, laptop, or any other Internet-based device. Smart thermostats have the option where you can pre-schedule your desired temperature, as well as incorporate the thermostat along with the home automation systems.

Apart from regulating the temperature, what else can a smart thermostat do?

The accessory features of smart thermostats primarily depend on the model and the specifications you have chosen. However, smart thermostats like Google’s Nest learning thermostats can self-learn your cooling and heating preferences and automatically keep adjusting themselves based on the patterns they have learned. A lot of these smart thermostats also have diagnostic features which allow them to detect if there is any issue with the HVAC or ducting system. Whenever it is time for system maintenance or to change the air filter, your smartphone will receive a reminder. Your smartphone will also receive details regarding electricity consumption by the thermostat.

If you have opted for a smart thermostat that integrates with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or any other such voice assistants, you do not have to purchase a separate speaker for the thermostat. A lot of these smart thermostats also come with room sensors that can measure the temperature of the room or the area of the house and heat the region or cool it, depending on your preference. Some smart thermostats also have geofencing features. They can recognize when you enter your home and start adjusting the cooling or heating temperatures depending on your preference. They will also stop the heating and cooling facilities once you are away from your home, thus helping you reduce your electricity expense.

Smart thermostat functionality

To understand how your smart thermostat works, you will have to first understand how a basic thermostat works. A basic thermostat checks the temperature of the surroundings to determine when the fan or the AC needs to be switched on or off. A thermostat can be seen as a light switch that works with the temperature.

A smart thermostat has a common wire, a hot wire, wires which connect to your HVAC system, the wire which connects to the fan blower for the purposes of heating or cooling. On the basis of the thermostat model you have chosen, it may have additional wires for emergency heat, stage cooling, or providing auxiliary heat. If you set a specific temperature on your thermostat, once the temperature is achieved, the heating or cooling is stopped till the temperature of the room either falls or increases above the preset range.

How do smart thermostats help customers save money?

Smart thermostats recognize when you are at home and when you are not. When you are at home, the thermostat will be functional. When there is no one at home, the thermostat will cease to function, thus helping you save more money.

User-friendliness

Unlike the older versions of thermostats where you had to physically go and set the temperature, in the case of smart thermostats, you can set the temperature from your mobile, laptop, tablet, or phone as long as it has an active internet connection. You can also set the temperature of a thermostat remotely, switch it on or off, check or modify the temperature settings et cetera. The smart thermostat gets integrated with your home automation system and can use Amazon Alexa as well as Google home to send you notifications. The best feature of these thermostats is that they have a self-learning feature, so over time, they will learn your patterns and work accordingly.

If you are in the market for a cheap smart thermostat, you should definitely go for the smart thermostat Alexa. Smart thermostat Alexa comes for $60 and is giving its counterpart Google Nest a run for Money. At the moment, the smart thermostat Alexa is pretty basic compare to the other thermostats available in the market. It lacks the self-learning feature which is present in the other or more advanced thermostat versions available in the market. However, this is just the first thermostat released by Amazon. Hopefully, the other versions of Smart thermostats which Amazon releases, will have self-learning features and will adapt and adjust to the customer’s needs and preferences over time.

Remember to check your systems compatibility before you purchase a smart thermostat to avoid any hassles later.