Thermostat 101
A thermostat is one of the most recognizable pieces of HVAC equipment because it is likely what you work with the most. It is also one of the most evolving and changing pieces of technology that we see in our industry. In a matter of just a few years the thermostat went from a simple mercury-based instrument to a wifi-enabled, smart phone controllable, completely digital display with changeable backgrounds!
The main function of the thermostat is to control the temperature of your home. It communicates to your furnace and air conditioner whether it’s time to come on or shut off. These heat/cool settings are used with the fan setting to keep your home comfortable at all times. The buttons on each thermostat can be different, affecting the look, but all thermostats will have heat and cool settings and automatic or constant fan settings. Depending on your thermostat, there are many different and additional features that the thermostat can control.
The most common additional feature for a thermostat to have is the option for programming. These thermostats are equipped with the ability to keep the date and time so you can control the temperature different for different days of the week and times of the day. This allows the homeowner to control what the temperature is going to be in their home even when their not there. Programming your thermostat is not only convenient, but can save you in energy costs. The thermostat can be set up to 10 degrees higher when you’re not going to be home and that can save up to hundreds of dollars annually in utilities! There are other things you can do if you are going to be away, check them out here.
The thermostat is a very important part of the comfort level in your home. If you are having issues with your thermostat or would like to talk about an upgrade, give us a call!