Manual vs Programmable vs Smart: Which Thermostat Option is Right for Your Home?

The thermostat is a vital part of your home comfort system. It's tasked with keeping the indoor temperature at your desired level. Thermostat technology has advanced by leaps and bounds. Thermostats now range from manual to programmable to smart. Each type has its own set of advantages. Let's delve deeper into these thermostat options to help you establish the best choice for your needs.

Manual Thermostats

More often than not, these simple devices are found in older homes. They usually have a manual dial that you have to rotate to adjust the desired temperature. Digital manual thermostats have up and down arrows instead of dials.

Programmable Thermostats

These thermostats adjust your home's temperature automatically. For example, in the winter, you can program them to cool your home down a little while you're at work to avoid wasting energy on an empty house and start heating it up before you return. The predetermined schedule you can give these devices to operate by varies from one model to another. Some only allow you to create one schedule whereas others can allow two or more different schedules.

Smart Thermostats

These offer all the benefits of programmable thermostats. Additionally, you can control them with your smartphone, allow them to learn your routines and adapt to them, and even use them to monitor your energy usage.

What's The Best Option For You?

Manual thermostats can be inconvenient and imprecise. Also, they don't offer any energy savings. If you still own one, you should upgrade to a programmable or smart model. If cost is a significant consideration or you just want something to help you program your HVAC system while you're away, you can go for a programmable thermostat. But if you're tech savvy and want maximum control and convenience, a smart thermostat is your best bet.Upgrading your thermostat will help you maximize the efficiency of your heating and cooling system and lower your energy bills. If you need installation, repair, or replacement of any of the above thermostat options in the Broken Arrow area, contact the professionals at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

How To Choose A New Thermostat For Your Home

Selecting a thermostat for your HVAC system can be a simple and very rewarding experience. If you pick the right type, you will enjoy energy savings for years to come. The cost of the new thermostat will more than be made up in the money that you save on your gas and electric bill.The first thing you must do is match your new thermostat to the type of heating and cooling system that you have. Most homes are equipped with a forced-air system that delivers heated or cooled air throughout the house using a series of ducts. The system might be powered by gas or electricity, and the thermostat tells the air handler when to cycle on and off.The best type of thermostats are the ones which give a digital readout of the temperature. They are simple to set and easy to understand. You can choose from a manual unit, which you set yourself, or a programmable one, which controls the temperature in your home for an extended period of time. The manual unit is good for someone who is home all the time, and the programmable one is best for people who work outside the house.A programmable thermostat gives you the option of automatically raising or lowering the temperature when you are not home. Why waste money heating or cooling an empty house? The Department of Energy estimates that you can save at least 10 percent off your energy bills just by switching to a programmable thermostat. The programmable models come in several varieties to match your schedule. There are ones that can be programmed for each day of the week, and others that have one setting for weekdays and another for Saturday and Sunday.Now, what about "High Tech" thermostats?  Did you know they have remote controls now available?  Now, you don't have to get off the couch or out of bed to change the temperature.  And most of those read the temperature from the controller, so wherever you're sitting is the exact temperature you want it!!Or, maybe you want to control your thermostat from your smart phone, tablet, or laptop?  Choose a thermostat in which you can control when out of town by just installing an App!Air Assurance can answer any questions you have about which model is best for your home, and we can ensure that your thermostat is properly installed and working correctly to maximize your energy savings. Contact us today, we have over 30 years experience taking care of the heating and cooling needs of Broken Arrow-area residents just like you.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!