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Want peace of mind your Cincinnati home is comfortable for any occupant and all occasions – make smart thermostat adjustments. Whether waking in the morning, on your way home from work, or on vacation, your home is the proper temperature. Learn how to make smart thermostat adjustments so your system is ready to handle time changes.

Smart Thermostat Clarifications

First, let’s confirm we’re on the same page. With the increase in popularity of modern thermostats, consumers often use the terms interchangeably.

Manual Thermostats

This kind usually has an on/off switch and a dial to adjust the temperature.

Programmable Thermostats

This was the generation after the dial thermostats. It might have a digital readout with buttons to adjust the temperature and program heating and cooling schedules based on weekdays, weekends or vacation, depending on the model.

Wi-Fi Thermostats

These are similar to programmable thermostats with the addition of internet connectivity. As long as you are connected to the internet, you could adjust your thermostat using an app on a smartphone, tablet or another device.

Smart Thermostats

Properly programmed, a smart thermostat, such as the popular Nest suite of products, run your home for you. With the ability to program normal schedules, a smart thermostat is almost “set and forget.” It’s important to manually program them for a couple weeks so they “learn” your schedule.

Wake up at 6 am? Make sure your house warms back up from the cool temperature you sleep in when you make your coffee. With room sensors, some smart thermostats follow you around your home to ensure every room is comfortable when occupied.

Time Changes Shouldn’t Require Manual Smart Thermostat Adjustments

Smart thermostat adjustments may be a non-issue for certain models, as it pertains to national events like time changes.  Because they’re connected through WiFi, they always know the correct time, in or out of daylight savings time.

Be advised, however, they only help once programmed. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, or EIA, only 12 percent of owners of a smart thermostat program them.

With the proper programming and feature use, your home stays more comfortable, and a smart thermostat brings noticeable energy savings as major names are ENERGY STAR certified.

Setup and Programming Do Require Smart Thermostat Adjustments…At First

Setting up new smart thermostats is easy. While some models tout easy installation for homeowners, it’s best to have your new smart thermostat installed by an HVAC professional.

Your HVAC technician ensures proper installation and walks you through the features and programming so you know your thermostat is working correctly. This way you get the most out of the device. It would be a shame to invest in it and only feel comfortable with 10 percent of its features.

It’s important to your heating and cooling system your thermostat is properly installed and calibrated. The thermostat sends crucial information to the air conditioner, furnace or heat pump so the thermostat must be correct.

Programming is as easy as making a schedule. When are occupants awake? What time is the house empty? When do they go to bed? These are all questions to help your home stay properly climate-controlled. When on vacation and there are no occupants, smart thermostat adjustments slip it into “vacation mode” and modify the temperature accordingly.

Control

Smart thermostat adjustments are controllable from your smartphone or the device so you enjoy the most comfort. Wake up in the middle of the night a bit cold? Turn up the heat without leaving the comfort of your bed. Kids waking up for school soon and need showers? Give them a little heat so they do not freeze when stepping out.

Most smart thermostats learn your preferences over time. Even if you do not have a schedule set, they know when you like your home warm or cool.

Some thermostats even have hands-free control through a geofencing feature. This feature uses a global positioning system (GPS) to connect through your phone. This allows programming to tell the thermostat to activate your HVAC system when you are getting close to home, all without having to do it manually. Therefore, if you are outside of your normal schedule, your system still works to save you money.

Ready To Start Saving? Upgrade Your Cincinnati Home

Our HVAC professionals are happy to recommend and install products based on your family’s needs. If you have questions about whether you need to make smart thermostat adjustments, we’re glad to assist. We serve communities throughout Cincinnati, including Mack, Saylor Park, Bridgetown, Covedale, Delhi, Indian Hill, Madeira, Terrace Park and Camp Denison.  

Call us today to schedule a free estimate or service call if you live in or around the cities listed or areas such as Hyde Park, Oakley, Norwood, Mt. Lookout, Fairfax and Mariemont.