There are so many great programmable thermostats on the market today that choosing the best one can often be mind-bogglingly difficult. Selecting the best programmable thermostat for your home will be based on your individual needs: whether that’s self-learning, remote energy management or standard is entirely dependent on your preferences, schedule, and budget. The options, however, are endless.
Programmable Thermostat Benefits
Optimize Your Home Comfort – Comfort is obviously number one here – and for good reason. With a programmable thermostat, you can program your coming and going habits as well as your desired comfort levels into the thermostat itself, and it will bring your home down to your specified comfort level by the time you get home.
Increased Energy Savings – Did you know that heating and cooling accounts for more than half of your home’s energy use? Programmable thermostats can trim up to $180 annually from those costs. A programmable thermostat can be set to adjust the temperature of a home according to your schedule.
User Controlled Flexibility – Programmable thermostats are a desirable alternative to traditional thermostats, because they allow you to heat and cool your home, based on your specific schedule. These thermostats are perfect for large families, with deferring comfort levels, and those always on the go.
Less Wear and Tear on Your HVAC System – With a programmable thermostat, your HVAC system won’t be required to circulate air throughout your entire home continuously, thus receiving less wear and tear. The end result? A longer life expectancy and fewer repair costs.
Available Features
Most of the models available on the market today have four set points, which allow you to set different temperatures for morning, daytime, evening and overnight. Depending on the model you choose, some thermostats also offer additional features, such as those listed below:
• Digital, backlit displays
• Touch pad screen programming
• Smartphone programming and monitoring
• Hold/vacation features
• Indicators that alert you to change air filters
• Indicators that alert you of system malfunctions
Which Model is Best for Me?
As mentioned previously, selecting the best programmable thermostat for your home will be based on your individual needs, as well as your schedule. Think about your schedule and how often you find yourself away from home for regular periods of time and then choose the model that best fits your needs.
7-day models provide the most flexibility as they allow you to program different temperatures for different days of the week. They also typically allow you to set four temperature periods per day – morning, afternoon, evening, and overnight. 7-day models are best for households with fluctuating schedules.
5+2-day models don’t offer much in the way of flexibility as they use the same schedule every weekday, and another for weekends. They do allow you to four temperatures per day. 5+2-day models are best for households with set schedules both on during the week and on the weekends.
5-1-1 models, like 5+2-day models, don’t offer much in the way of flexibility. These thermostats are best if you tend to keep one schedule Monday through Friday, and another schedule on Saturdays, and Sundays.