Five Benefits of Smart Thermostats

Posted on April 2, 2024 by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

Spring has begun, and it won’t be long before the summer heat has your air conditioning working overtime to keep you cool. You may be dreading those summer energy bills, but what if there was a way to lower your energy bills and keep you comfortable all year long? A smart thermostat can do that and more. Keep reading to learn five benefits of smart thermostats.

Smart thermostats adjust automatically.

Perhaps the greatest functionality of smart thermostats is their ability to adjust temperature and settings based on your routine and other factors. You’ll need to adjust the settings manually for the first week or so, but it will quickly learn what temperature you prefer your home to be at certain times of the day. Some models have motion sensors and can detect when you leave the house and when you return. These models can even adjust temperatures in certain rooms by detecting which rooms you spend time in and when.

Smart thermostats will also account for outside temperature and the size of your home. But you can always program a heating and cooling schedule yourself and adjust the temperature at any time if you prefer. The result is a home that’s always optimized for comfort and energy use at any point in the day.

Control your settings remotely.

With a smart thermostat, you never have to worry about your settings while you’re away from home. Most smart thermostats can be controlled by an accompanying app on your smartphone, meaning you can check and change the temperature from anywhere. This can come in handy if your schedule unexpectedly changes or you forgot to adjust the settings before leaving on a trip. Perhaps you’ve come home from a trip to find that your house sitter turned the A/C or heat up dramatically, leaving you with an abnormally high energy bill. With a smart thermostat, you can always keep an eye on your settings and change them whenever you need to.

Receive important notifications.

Smart thermostats keep you informed by sending alerts and reminders directly to your smartphone or email inbox. Receive alerts when it’s time to change your air filters or batteries, so you’re never caught off guard by a maintenance issue. Many smart thermostats will also notify you of power outages and extreme temperatures inside your home. You can even track your home’s energy use and patterns, helping you find more ways to increase efficiency and comfort.

Improve air quality.

Maintenance reminders like air filter alerts help keep your HVAC system in perfect working condition, ensuring your air stays clean by reducing the risk of harmful pollutants. In addition to tracking temperature and energy use, smart thermostats can monitor indoor humidity and make necessary adjustments. Some models, like the VisionPRO® 8000 from Honeywell®, can even control a humidifier or dehumidifier to keep the air quality and moisture at just the right levels.

Lower your energy bills.

We’ve seen how the benefits of smart thermostats will increase energy efficiency, optimize comfort levels, and give you complete control over the temperature in your home. All these factors work together to help you save money on your energy bills, no matter the season. Smart thermostats won’t waste energy on heating or cooling your home while you’re away, they can automatically adjust based on which rooms are occupied, and you can always adjust the settings remotely if your schedule changes. Smart thermostats afford you more comfort and more savings.

Take control of your home with a smart thermostat from WestAIR.

The benefits of smart thermostats go far beyond what we’ve discussed here. If you’re ready to take your home’s energy efficiency and comfort to the next level, contact WestAIR. We offer a wide range of Honeywell® advanced T-Series and VisionPro® units to put you in control of your home’s temperature and energy costs. Contact us today to learn more.

This entry was posted in Air Conditioning,Energy Savings,Heating,Thermostats and tagged Energy savings, Smart Thermostats, WestAIR Heating & Cooling

Recommended Thermostat Settings for Winter and Summer

Posted on August 31, 2022 by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

It’s that time of year again where the weather can’t decide what temperature it wants to be. It can go from 80 degrees in the afternoon and drop down to 62 degrees at night. With all this weather confusion, it may be hard to figure out what your ideal in-home temperature should be. You want to be comfortable in your own home, but you also want to save money. WestAIR Heating & Cooling is here to tell you about the best recommended thermostat settings for winter and summer.

Summer Thermostat Settings

We may all be in denial that summer is almost over, but the last day is in fact September 22. According to AccuWeather, most September days will be warmer than 70 degrees. So don’t worry about the snow and cold yet! We have some summer cooling tips for you to use. For a normal thermostat setting, the universal guideline is 78 degrees. This will keep your home nice and cold, and it will keep your energy bill down. This temperature is recommended for only the times that you are home. When you aren’t home, you should turn your thermostat up about 10 degrees warmer than your normal cooling setting. This will help save energy.

Winter Thermostat Settings

Apples, hot chocolate, and sweater weather are just a few things to look forward to this fall and winter. As summer comes slowly to a close, we must start thinking about winter and how we will stay warm at an affordable price. Winter can be long and, at times, freezing cold. The ideal temperature for your house in the winter is around 68 degrees during the day. On the other hand, when heating your house for the night, you should lower it to 60 degrees. This will save homeowners between 5 and 10% on their utility bills each year.

A Smart Thermostat

Do you ever have that feeling that someone is watching you and taking note of every move you make? A smart thermostat does just that. In the long run, it will help you with energy consumption. Most smart thermostats can track when you are home and when you aren’t. It will kick in the moment it knows you are about to arrive home because it is constantly tracking you. If you forget to adjust your thermostat on your way out the door, it will automatically adapt for you. Some also have sensors that can detect the number of people in the room, the humidity, and much more.  

Settings that are Affordable and Comfortable

The comfortability of your home, in reality, is up to you. Whether you like it hot, cold, or even humid, the temperature you keep it at is what makes you feel most relaxed and at home and won’t hurt your budget.

If you feel like your heating and cooling bills are through the roof, then WestAIR Heating & Cooling knows just how to help you. Your home’s HVAC system is our number one priority. We are dedicated to delivering top-tier service to homes in the Twin Cities. Contact us today for all your air conditioning, heating, and thermostat needs.

This entry was posted in Thermostats and tagged affordable, Comfortable, Cooling, Smart thermostat, Summer settings, Thermostat, winter settings

Get Smart About Your Home Comfort

Posted on March 29, 2022 by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

Your home is your sanctuary, and you want to be as comfortable as possible, right? We understand that, and now is the time to get smart about your home comfort. A programmable thermostat from WestAIR Heating & Cooling allows you to effortlessly stay cool or cozy all year round. Keep reading to learn more about these high-tech, user-friendly tools and how they can benefit your home.

Easy to Use

Maybe one of the biggest benefits of a programmable thermostat is that the device is simple to use, even if you aren’t incredibly tech-savvy. The instruction manual for most models walks you through the features and programming capabilities on the device’s touch screen, so everything is readily available and literally at your fingertips. Once you’ve programmed a setting, time, reminder, or update, you’ll get a recap and verification of the information to be sure what you’ve set is exactly what you want.

And many models are compatible with mobile devices and smart controls like Alexa or Google. You can check, change, set, or reset your thermostat settings on your phone or other gadget from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection. Or you can verbally adjust settings through your home’s network while sitting on the couch or lying in bed.

Enjoy Consistent Comfort

Gone are the days of your home feeling too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer. Better yet, with a programmable thermostat you don’t have to adjust for consistent comfort. You determine the ideal temperature for you and your family, and the smart thermostat does the heavy lifting by providing a steady flow of warm or cool air based on your schedule and needs.

Improve HVAC Efficiency

Installing a smart thermostat with your current HVAC system will help it run more efficiently. The unit will run only when needed based on your programmed settings, helping to reduce the workload and added wear and tear on the system. You’ll save energy while helping to extend the life of your HVAC system.

Energy Savings = Cost Savings

While working with your HVAC system to save energy, a programmable thermostat also saves you money. And with energy bills on the rise, there’s no smarter time to invest in one of these devices. You can set your smart thermostat to fit your home comfort needs based on your schedule. Then, set the temp slightly lower at night or when you’re away. Every degree makes a difference.

Invest in Your Home Comfort

No matter the season, your home comfort matters. Investing in a programmable thermostat is an easy and efficient way to ensure you and your family are comfortable all year long. These smart-yet-simple devices put all the control in your hands while helping you save time, energy, and money. Want to learn more? Our knowledgeable team at WestAIR Heating & Cooling can help. Contact us today to ask about the programmable thermostats we offer and find out how they can benefit your HVAC system and your home.

This entry was posted in Thermostats and tagged home comfort, Programmable thermostat, Smart thermostat, Thermostat