How to use a smart thermostat
For those who get heart palpitations each time they open electric and gas bills, saving money on energy usage might be an important goal.
If you don’t want to save money by lowering your heating or cooling and giving up the comfort, installing a smart thermostat might be a good option. A smart thermostat will help your system run more efficiently, reducing energy usage and saving money over time.
You may be skeptical, though, about whether this device actually saves much money. Learning how a smart thermostat works can help you feel comfortable with its benefits.
How a smart thermostat works
A smart thermostat works in a similar manner to a regular thermostat but sets itself apart by connecting to your home’s Wi-Fi system to gain additional automated control features.
Connecting to the heating and cooling system
When installing a smart thermostat, you will hardwire it to the heating and cooling system in the home, just as you would any other kind of thermostat. You will have to mount it to the wall in the same place as your current thermostat.
The smart thermostat hardware includes a temperature sensor. It uses this sensor to determine when to turn on and turn off the air conditioner or the furnace. The thermostat leaves the heating or cooling system on until it measures the temperature entered. Again, this function is similar to any type of thermostat.
Smart thermostat vs regular thermostat
You must change a regular thermostat’s settings at the base unit on the wall, but you can change a smart thermostat’s settings through an app, on the wall-mounted unit or through a voice assistant unit. The smart thermostat connects to the home’s Wi-Fi network, while a traditional thermostat cannot make a Wi-Fi connection.
Smart thermostats save money
A smart thermostat saves money by using data measurements to create energy savings, reducing your energy bills; traditional thermostats can’t do this. Smart thermostats deliver these energy saving features in a variety of ways.
Improves system efficiency
You can set up a programming schedule with the smart thermostat, telling it when to conserve energy, such as during the hours you sleep or are at work.
Many smart thermostats can take this feature a step further, learning what time you typically wake up each day or on weekends and adjusting the system performance accordingly.
Additionally, the majority of smart thermostat systems monitor your home’s energy usage constantly, generating reports about the times of day or times of the year when you are using the most energy, so you can make adjustments to cut back on your heating and cooling bills.
Monitors your location
Some smart thermostats can monitor the location of your smartphone, determining whether you are at home or not, and adjust temperature settings accordingly.
Detects problems early
When your heating and cooling system is malfunctioning, it cannot run efficiently, which wastes money. Some errors in the system could lead to a system breakdown if you don’t catch them early. A smart thermostat’s ability to catch issues before they become serious could save you a big repair bill.
The smart thermostat system’s app may alert you about changing a furnace filter or about performing routine maintenance on the system, for example, taking care of your systems lengthens its lifespan.
Cost of installation
The majority of people can install a smart thermostat on their own, which saves money over having to hire a professional. However, you may need to install an adapter kit with a C-wire (common wire) if your existing thermostat doesn’t have one.
Smart thermostats’ hardware and software
When you have a smart thermostat, you’ll have a hardware piece mounted on the wall and an app you’ll run on a mobile device.
Smart thermostat hardware
Smart thermostats’ physical hardware features a digital thermostat screen. This is similar to a programmable thermostat screen that you would hang on your wall.
If you want to make changes to the settings on a smart thermostat with a touchscreen, you can go to your wall-mounted unit and touch the digital screen to make changes. The Google Nest Learning Thermostat contains a touchscreen feature.
To save some money on the cost of the smart thermostat, stick with a unit that doesn’t have a touchscreen. For example, the Emerson Sensi Smart Thermostat has a display screen, but you’ll press buttons on the unit to make changes to the settings.
Some smart thermostat systems may also include in-room sensors, which will take temperature readings in individual rooms, helping the overall system balance itself better. This feature is especially helpful in homes where a few rooms always seem warmer or cooler than the main parts of the house.
Sometimes the in-room sensors also measure whether people are in the room, adjusting the heating and cooling system’s settings to make the people in the room more comfortable.
Smart thermostat software
The software you use to control a smart thermostat consists of an app that you run on a smartphone or tablet. You can use the app to control the thermostat at home from any location inside, or even outside, your home. The app will be free to download once you purchase the hardware for the smart thermostat.
Because the smart thermostat connects to your home’s Wi-Fi system, you should be able to control it with voice commands and a smart speaker, such as Echo with Alexa or a Nest Mini with Google Assistant.
Depending on the location of your thermostat and your Wi-Fi router, you may find the signal doesn’t quite reach the thermostat. You may need a router with a greater coverage area, such as the TP-Link PC1200 Gigabit Wi-Fi Router.
For those who do not want to swap out the router they currently own, a Wi-Fi signal extender, such as the TP-Link AC2600 Wi-Fi Extender, can boost the original router’s signal, so it will reach the smart thermostat’s location.
Kyle Schurman is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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