How to use smart thermostat
Imagine coming home from an exhausting grocery run to find your home perfectly chilled or heated. Or leaving your house in a hurry and having your air conditioning turn off automatically. This can only be possible with the use of a smart thermostat. I believe you must be wondering how this could be possible. Just take a chill pill as we walk you through this process.
What is smart thermostat?
A smart thermostat is a technology used for home automation that allows you to control the temperature of your home remotely using a smart device. Smart thermostats give you access to your home’s heating and/or cooling system and let you set the temperature of your home to change automatically at certain times of the day. This makes your home as comfortable as possible throughout the day and night.
Smart thermostats connect your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to the internet, so you can use your phone to change the temperature of your home from anywhere. It works by sensing the ambient temperature in your home and then sending a signal to your heating and cooling systems.
You can customize the temperature and humidity level, create a schedule, view usage history, and much more. When you use a mobile app to change a setting, the data is sent over your Wi-Fi network to the thermostat, which then sends the signal to your HVAC system. These intelligent climate control devices have a powerful processor that handles all input commands and a memory board that stores the data. They also have an antenna for wireless communication. Many models include a lithium-ion battery in addition to a wired connection to keep your thermostat running in the event of a power outage.
Features of Smart Thermostat
Smart thermostats give you more control over your home’s climate and help you save energy by using features like scheduling, tracking usage, and more.
Scheduling
Smart home thermostats allow you to program daily or weekly schedules based on your routine and weather forecasts. For example, in the summer, you can set a lower daytime temperature and raise it at night when it gets a little cooler.
Geofencing
When you enter or leave your predefined location, the geofencing mode on a smart thermostat can turn on or off your air conditioning. When you move a certain distance away from your set parameters, this feature will turn your AC off and turn it back on. This way, you’ll never return home to a burning house on a hot day, and your HVAC unit won’t be running while you’re gone.
Monitoring Energy Consumption
A smart thermostat tracks your energy consumption and compiles the data into a report that you can access via your mobile app. This allows you to make the necessary changes while saving money. Some smart thermostat models also provide information on why your energy consumption may have increased or decreased during a given time period.
Temperatures of Safety
This feature can help protect your home during periods of extreme heat. In the summer, if the temperature in your home exceeds the set limit, the cool mode will automatically make adjustments to prevent overheating. This mode will keep your pipes from freezing over in the winter by running in heat mode while consuming the least amount of power.
Integration of Smart Homes
Most smart thermostats work with voice-controlled personal assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. This lets you change the temperature without touching the thermostat.
Reminders for Maintenance
A smart thermostat monitors the usage of your AC filter and notifies you via phone when it needs to be cleaned.
Classification of Smart Thermostats
There are various types of smart thermostats on the market, each with their own set of features. The following are some examples of smart thermostats:
Learning Thermostats
Learning thermostats are smart thermostats that can learn when the house is likely to be occupied and when it will be left empty based on the occupants’ or users’ usual schedule and behavior. Learning thermostats can then pre-heat or pre-cool the house to ensure that the occupants are comfortable when they arrive. These smart thermostats can gradually adjust to the residents’ changing schedules and lifestyles, ensuring comfort and energy savings.
Connected Thermostats
Connected thermostats are a type of smart thermostat that can be managed and programmed remotely via a WiFi or internet connection. Users can change the heating and cooling settings from other internet-connected smart devices. This type of smart thermostat does not typically provide analytic data.
Zoned Systems
Instead of controlling the temperature of the entire house, zoned systems can control the temperature in individual rooms. Because you can only turn on the heating or cooling system of an occupied room, excluding other areas that are empty during a specific time of the day, this can increase customization and energy savings.
Learning Zoned Systems
The most advanced smart thermostats are learning zoned systems, which combine the capabilities of a learning thermostat and a zoned system. Learning zoned systems can learn when each room in a house is normally occupied and then automatically schedule heating or cooling for that room based on the preferences of the usual occupant.
How to Install a Smart Thermostat
Installing a smart thermostat may appear difficult. However, by following the manual instructions, you can easily run the process.
- Switch off the circuit breaker.
- Remove the old thermostat’s faceplate.
- Take pictures of the wiring system inside the old thermostat with your phone. Check to see if the wires are correctly labeled. A green wire, for example, will have a G label.
- Then, unscrew the back plate and replace the thermostat plate.
- After that, begin connecting the wires to their respective labels. If your wires aren’t labeled, pull out your phone and look through the photos you took earlier to match the color of each wire to its correct tab.
- Set the smart thermostat faceplate in place.
- Turn on the thermostat and follow the on-screen instructions. After the initial setup, you’ll be able to enjoy automated climate control in no time!
HOW A SMART THERMOSTAT WORKS
A basic smart thermostat, like most smart technologies used to automate a smart home, operates via WiFi. It enables you to easily adjust the temperature of any room in your home. Unlike a traditional room thermostat, which uses a dial or remote to control the temperature of the room, a smart thermostat allows you to access and manage the temperature of your entire house from anywhere using your smart device.
Depending on your personal preference and lifestyle, this provides a more efficient, accessible, and user-friendly approach to keeping your home’s temperature comfortable even while you’re away. The smart thermostat communicates with your heating system’s boiler, the thermostat’s main control, and an app installed on your smart device. This app allows you to change the temperature while you’re away.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Smart Thermostat?
The following are the top three advantages of installing a smart thermostat in your home.
Reduce Your Energy Bills
Smart thermostats provide monthly energy reports to assist you in better understanding your energy consumption. The report will also compare your usage to previous months and what factors influenced the changes if you use your smart thermostat continuously. Another way smart thermostats save energy is by sensing when you are at home and when you are away and then changing the mode automatically.
AC Control from a Distance
The ability to remotely control your air conditioner can significantly improve your comfort. For example, if you are arriving home earlier than expected, you can simply use your phone to turn on your AC while driving and arrive at a perfectly chilled home.
Conclusion
Smart thermostats regulate your home’s temperature and let you control your air conditioning settings from your phone. They work by optimizing the climate in your home based on your preferences, location, and schedule. They not only improve the comfort of your home, but they also help you save money in the long run. A smart thermostat is definitely worth considering if you want to make your home more efficient.
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