Have you read about or seen these new “smart” thermostats? You may think they are just like the programmable thermostats that have been around for a while. But, they can do so much more to help improve your comfort and save on your utility bills. Today’s article will help you understand how smart thermostats work with central air conditioning.
First, what makes these thermostats so smart? The idea of a thermostat being smart comes from a concept called the “Internet of Things”. Today, there is an ever-growing list of physical objects and devices that are connected to the internet. Washing machines can send you a smartphone notification when your clothes are done. Your refrigerator can inform you when your milk is running low. So, a smart thermostat is connected to the internet, and can communicate with you using a smartphone app or another device.
However, smart thermostats have many more features than sending notifications to an app. They can allow you to control your central air conditioning remotely, but they also will learn from your behavior. For instance, if every time the outdoor temperature reaches 98 degrees, you turn the indoor temperature down to 65 degrees, some smart thermostats will start to anticipate your needs and make adjustments automatically. Moreover, some can communicate with your smartphone to know that you are coming home from work early, also adjusting the temperature in preparation.
But, the features do not stop there. Many smart thermostats can connect to Amazon Echo or Google Home, giving you voice control over your central air conditioning. Simply say, “Alexa, turn the thermostat to 70 degrees.” Using your home’s WiFi network, the Amazon Echo or Google Home will send a signal to your smart thermostat. You can ask these voice command devices to change the temperature up or down, what the current setting is, and control different zoned areas of your home.
What you can do with smart thermostats does not stop there. Free websites, like IFTTT.com, empower you to create “recipes” that will trigger different actions when an event occurs. You can set it up that you receive a mobile notification anytime your smart thermostat is set to Away Mode or if the temperature rises past a certain point. Or, you can track high temperatures by having IFTTT.com automatically log them to a Google Spreadsheet. You can also automatically switch the temperature back if someone changes the setting too high or too low. Ultimately, a smart thermostat will give you ultimate control of your central air conditioner.
What haven’t we covered yet that is important to you? If you would like to talk about how smart thermostats work with central air conditioning, or a related topic, please contact us.