What Is a Wifi Thermostat?
The term “wifi thermostat” causes those of us who are above a certain age stop and think. We just got used to the idea of wifi (sort of), and now everyone is talking about the benefits of wifi thermostats.
A wifi thermostat is a thermostat that can connect to the internet without a wired connection. It is a programmable thermostat that is controlled via the internet using your laptop or desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone. In simple terms, a wifi thermostat lets you access and control your heating and cooling system through the internet.
So what is the advantage of a wifi thermostat over a standard programmable thermostat? According to the EPA’s Energy Star program, homeowners can save up to $180 annually by installing an internet-connected thermostat. Here are some of the most popular benefits that wifi thermostats offer:
Benefits of a Wifi Thermostat
Operating and maintaining your HVAC system is likely one of your biggest household expense items. A wifi thermostat can reduce those costs by what it can do for your system. Here are six of the top benefits:
1. Change the temperature in your home remotely. With an internet connection, a wifi thermostat allows you to alter the temperature in your home. With this kind of control, you can change the temperature at home even when nobody is there. You can also control the fans by turning them off or on remotely. This remote control means your HVAC system runs less often, saving you money on your energy bills and prolonging the life of your system.
2. Become aware of problems in your HVAC system when you are not home. The remote control ability helps you become aware of a malfunction in your HVAC system even when you are not there. You can prevent problems from getting worse and arrange for service without having to be home.
3. Smart wifi thermostats don’t even need to be programmed. A “smart” wifi thermostat does not need you to program it. It keeps track of your preferred settings and learns from them. It will automatically set the temperature controls based on that information. Even better, it collects your usage data over a period of time, and then creates a schedule indicating when it is time to adjust the temperature based on the owner’s preferences. You do not even need to take time to program your thermostat yourself.
4. Data collection that helps you monitor your energy usage and system maintenance. Most wifi thermostats can analyze your energy usage and HVAC operating data and send you service reminders. They can tell you when it is time to check and change your filters based on energy usage. Reminding you to change filters is just one way to prolong the life of the system while ensuring optimal operating efficiency. They can provide detailed information about your HVAC energy usage, which may enable you to take other cost-saving, energy-saving measures.
5. Manage multiple devices from a single remote location. By installing wifi thermostats in all of the properties you own or manage, you can control each of them as if you were on-site, as well as collect data about their use and the health of the HVAC system each controls. This is great for a multi-property owner or property manager because wifi thermostats let you manage each and every one of your HVAC systems remotely. These thermostats offer you both the convenience and peace of mind concerning the operating condition of every one of your HVAC systems.
6. Receive alerts from your thermostat. Another way wifi thermostats help you monitor your HVAC system is they can send you alerts when your HVAC system is failing, or when your home is too hot or too cold. These alerts are sent through the wifi thermostat’s companion app. The app enables you to set alerts, so you can be notified, for example, if your home gets too hot or cold. These alerts are sent either to your phone as a text, or in an email.
A very popular alert favored by owners of wifi thermostats is weather alert information sent right to their email whenever there is a weather event forecasted near their property. This weather alert feature lets you can change the internal temperature of your home in advance in anticipation of the expected weather changes while maintaining optimum operating efficiency.
These alerts are especially helpful if you have multiple properties. For example, you may own a beach house that is rarely used in the winter because of frigid temperatures. Because the house is vacant for most of the winter, you don’t need to heat it as if people are there. However, when the temperatures approach freezing you need to protect your water pipes. You can then increase the temperature in the house to a level necessary to protect the pipes. Once the danger is past, you can then lower the temperature if you wish. And you can do this from anywhere on any device that has an internet connection.
These alerts can help you save on your energy bills, and they can preserve the life of your HVAC system by reducing its total running time. The alerts help keep you from operating your system when it is not needed. Likewise, if you receive an alert that the system is malfunctioning, you can arrange a service as necessary before the problem becomes an expensive repair.
Contact a Reputable HVAC Contractor for More Information
A wifi thermostat can make your life easier, prolong the life of your HVAC system, enhance your energy use efficiency, and save you money on your energy bills. However, a wifi thermostat should be installed by a professional HVAC technician to ensure it is connected properly. If you want more information about the right wifi thermostat for your home, consult an experienced HVAC contractor to get a free estimate and schedule an installation.