Many of us are feeling overwhelmed by the speed of technological advances. A great example is what used to be the mechanical thermostat on the wall for your heating and cooling systems. It has been replaced by electrical thermostats, programmable thermostats, and now smart thermostats. Depend on Kotz Heating, Cooling & Plumbing to help sort things out for you.

Manual thermostats

With rare exceptions these are no longer mechanical devices. Even manual thermostats are electrical with digital displays. Here’s what you need to know about this type of thermostat:

• Manual thermostats are being installed in fewer and fewer homes
• They are affordable and easy to operate with a single temperature setting
• This type of thermostat does not save energy UNLESS you are diligent about changing the temperature setting at night or when you leave to go to work

Programmable thermostats

These allow you to set up a heating and cooling schedule. Once the thermostat is programmed, based on your schedule, it will adjust the temperature setting on its own. This gives you significant advantages over a manual thermostat.

• It can turn the temperature up or down when you leave for work in the morning
• The schedule can be set to change temperature before you come back home to make the house comfortable when you arrive
• Most can switch automatically between heating & cooling
• Used correctly, programmable thermostats can cut energy usage significantly

Wi-Fi or smart thermostats

You get all the benefits of a programmable thermostat with one big addition. These can be connected to your home Wi-Fi network meaning you can control your heating and cooling systems from literally anywhere using your mobile device.

• If the kids get out of school early for a snow day, use your smartphone to change the setting so the house is comfortable when they get home
• If you leave for vacation and forget to change the temperature you can fix the problem while lounging at the pool or playing a round of golf
• When storms hit a Wi-Fi thermostat allows you to check on the status of the HVAC system(s) in your Waterford, MI home

The latest wrinkle in the technology is the Wi-Fi thermostat with smart technology. The thermostat “learns” things based on your schedule and your environment. Smart thermostats can factor in the local weather forecast and use sensors to learn your temperature preferences. As it gathers information the thermostat uses computer algorithms to create a heating and cooling schedule. In short, the smart thermostat programs itself. As an added bonus, many smart thermostats can be paired with Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, and other home automation systems.

Determine what’s best for you

Call on Kotz Heating, Cooling & plumbing to end the confusion for you by helping determine what is the right thermostat to help you save money and make your home more comfortable. We’re proud to feature models by Honeywell and Emerson—including its Sensi smart thermostat. Whatever brand you choose, there are multiple choices to fit every system and every budget.