A Programmable Thermostat Is a Simple Way to Get Optimal Temperature Control

With the ever-changing weather in our area, Chicagoland homeowners must balance indoor air comfort with utility costs. Programmable thermostats provide a way to optimize your home’s comfort level while controlling costs. There are several types of programmable thermostats available. Understanding how they work can help you make an informed decision on the right programmable thermostat for you.

What Are Programmable Thermostats?

With a traditional thermostat, once a temperature is set, it remains that way until someone changes it manually. If a homeowner wishes to save energy, he or she can set the home’s temperature to be hotter or colder when the home is unoccupied. Unfortunately, with this manual method, homeowners must alter the temperature setting once they return to the residence and then wait for the change to take hold. And, that’s if they remembered to adjust the thing in the first place. Programmable thermostats offer more convenience, energy efficiency and indoor comfort.

Programmable thermostats are available with many options, including:

• Digital displays that use back lighting for ease of reading
• Touchpad and keypad entry
• Voice response and programming
• Vacation programming to hold or maintain a predetermined temperature level, as well as desired adjustments
• Indicators that provide status on air filters
• Indicators on system status that can alert homeowners to potential issues
• Adaptive, also known as smart, recovery that allows the system to anticipate the amount of time needed to reach the requested level based on the actual conditions inside the home.

What Is the Most Efficient Way to Use a Programmable Thermostat?

In order to generate the highest level of energy savings, programmable thermostats must be used correctly. Keep the following in mind when programming your thermostat:

• Use the program to raise or lower the temperature during times when the home is not occupied or when you’re asleep at night.
• In the event of a special circumstance, it’s possible to override the existing program to achieve a particular temperature. Usually, the override is temporary, and the system will return to the program when it next changes.
• Many units have the ability to hold a temperature outside of the normal program. This can be useful during vacations.
• Setting the temperature extremely high or extremely low does not increase the speed with which your system can modify the temperature of the home. Just set it where you want it to be.
• Be sure to change the batteries in your programmable thermostats as needed.
• If your home has multiple zones for heating and/or cooling, you will need to install a separate thermostat for each zone.

What Are the Different Programmable Thermostat Models?

There are three distinct types of programmable thermostats. Take care to choose the type of thermostat that works best with your family’s needs.

• 7-Day Models – 7-day models provide the most flexibility, allowing each day of the week to be programmed separately. Further, each day is typically able to be programmed with up to four different temperature changes in order to provide a schedule that adequately adjusts for the unique needs of your home. This type of thermostat would be ideal for a family that has different schedules each day of the week.
• 5+1+1 Day Models – These programmable thermostat models have the ability to run three different programs. The first controls Monday through Friday with every day having the same schedule. Next, a separate schedule is set for Saturday and another for Sunday. These types of thermostats are good when the same schedule is followed Monday through Friday, but differs between weekend days.
• 5+2 Day Models – These models have the ability to run different programs based on the time of week. Monday through Friday has one program that is followed all five days. The weekends have a separate program that runs on Saturday and Sunday. This model would be a good fit for families that generally have the same schedule on weekdays and another for weekends.

To learn more about how programmable thermostats can increase your home’s indoor air comfort and energy efficiency, please contact us at Climate Master Mechanical Contractors, Inc. We proudly service the Chicagoland area and suburbs, including Mokena, Frankfort, New Lenox, Naperville, Orland Park and Tinley Park.

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