3 Reasons to Use a Programmable Thermostat

If you're like most people, chances are one of the last things on your daily to-do list is checking your air conditioner's thermostat. While it's simply easier to set it on the fly and forget about it, this might be costing you not only money spent on unnecessary cooling, but also comfort.

A programmable thermostat gives you better control while enabling you to create regular settings you can put into place without having to worry about making constant adjustments. Here are three reasons why upgrading to a programmable model makes sense:

Convenience

Following a system of recommended setting changes can provide better energy efficiency, but remembering to make these changes manually can be very inconvenient. A programmable system is easily set so you can enjoy excellent comfort management. This energy efficient technology takes care of the changes for you at the preset times, and temporary adjustments only remain in place for a short period. This set-it-and-forget-it approach can make a dramatic difference in home comfort levels without demanding more than a few moments of your time.

Customized Consistency

Your schedule may vary dramatically from day to day, or you may have a consistent schedule throughout the entire week. Programmable thermostats are available in different schedule configurations to address your unique needs. The most common models available include:

• 5-2 programming – Select a unit with independent weekday and weekend programming options.
• 5-1-1 programming – Select a unit that addresses different Saturday and Sunday programming needs.
• Full week programming – Select a unit that allows you to use the same settings every day, excellent if your schedule doesn’t vary greatly.
• 7-day programming – Select a unit that allows you to customize programming for each day independently of the others, ideal if your schedule varies dramatically.

You can also consider wireless thermostats for even more access and comfort customization. In addition to being able to program according to your needs, you can check in on your system from remote locations. Make adjustments from the comfort of your couch, or verify settings and energy usage from your vacation location. Some wireless thermostats also allow you to generate usage reports and remind you of needed maintenance such as filter changes.

Cost Control

The energy efficient technology of a programmable unit can help you to keep your home comfort costs down. It is important to understand how adjustments affect your energy usage so that you program your unit appropriately. Making a change of 1 degree can result in approximately 1 percent of savings in energy usage when that change is stable for at least eight hours. Energy experts recommend beginning each day at a comfortable setpoint with increases and decreases based on your household activities. A sample adjustment schedule from ENERGY STAR is as follows:

• 6 a.m. waking setpoint – ENERGY STAR uses 78 and 70 respectively as cooling and heating setpoints.
• 8 a.m. daytime changes – Increase cooling settings or decrease heating settings.
• 6 p.m. evening settings – Revert to waking setpoint.
• 10 p.m. nighttime settings – Increase cooling settings or decrease heating settings.

At Tempco Heating & Air Conditioning, we are available to provide you with thermostat options that will coordinate well with your existing HVAC equipment. We also offer maintenance service to optimize the heating and cooling in your Crystal Lake, IL, home. Call our customer service team for an appointment.