Originally Published: August 14, 2021
Today, you can choose from a wide range of programmable thermostats to balance your home’s temperature for any time of the day and week. If you’re a Tampa homeowner, you’re likely to have higher heating and cooling costs due to Florida’s year-round heat. The good news is that using programmable thermostats is more energy-efficient, saving you money on energy costs.
One of our favorite programmable thermostats, at Action Air Conditioning in Tampa, Florida, is the smart thermostat. It’s smart home device with WIFI technology that connects to your smartphone. This allows you to remotely adjust your temperature settings in real time.
So, what are the benefits of a programmable thermostat, and how do they work? Our experts at Action Air Conditioning will provide you with all the answers.
How Does a Programmable Thermostat Work?
Using a programmable thermostat, you can modify the times you turn on the heating and cooling according to a preset schedule. They can also store and repeat multiple daily settings (i.e., 6 or more temperature settings a day) that you can manually override without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program.
What Are the Benefits of Programmable Thermostats?
When installing a programmable thermostat in your home, learning about their advantages allows you to maximize them.
Here are 6 key benefits of using programmable thermostats:
1. Help Your AC Control Humidity
What’s the point of a programmable thermostat when you can just shut it off when you leave? Believe it or not, shutting off your air conditioning unit completely is bad for your home.
As it turns out, your AC will run at maximum capacity until reaching the desired temperature, shutting off when it becomes too warm. As a result, the humidity will accumulate when you’re away because your AC doesn’t run long enough to remove the moisture. If you turn off your AC when you leave, humidity will build up, affecting any wood, paper, cloth, carpet, and sheetrock in your home. Consequently, the dampness may cause water damage, discoloration, warping, and mildew!
In addition, humid air serves as a breeding ground for mold, viruses, bacteria, and dust mites, reducing your indoor air quality and creating potential health issues. Humidity levels above 60%, lead to mold and bacteria growth. To prevent these issues from occurring, keep your AC and thermostat on. Doing so will help you maintain your indoor comfort.
If you’re uncertain what thermostat settings will help you keep your humidity levels under control, consult AC professionals for guidance.
2. Reduces Refrigerator and Freezer Energy Costs
Turning off your AC makes your house hot and humid. Therefore, your refrigerator and freezer work harder to keep cool. Essentially, these major appliances stress and lead to premature system failure.
More so, your energy bill will be higher because your fridge will push itself to reach the right temperature in the sweltering heat. To combat this problem, avoid shutting off your AC. Instead, use your programmable thermostat to regulate the temperature.
3. Provides Day and Night Scheduling
Your body temperature naturally drops when you are sleeping due to changes in melatonin levels, which is why you reach for a blanket to cover up. Instead of freezing at night in the Summer and cooking in the Winter, give your HVAC and your pocket a break.
According to the EPA, the recommended setting depends on your preferred living temperature. In other words, there is no one specific temperature setting that works for everyone. Based on your preferences, you can set it 4 degrees higher in hot weather and 8 degrees lower during cold weather while you sleep.
Thankfully, you don’t have to be uncomfortable. Programmable thermostats have options for returning to your favorite temperature before you wake up, so you don’t have to remember to adjust it manually.
If you’re a late riser in the sweltering Florida summer, having a programmable thermostat means you can have one setting around 9 am when the temperature rises outdoors and another for later in the day.
4. Offers Work and Home scheduling
If you work long hours, you may find it wasteful to cool a space you aren’t occupying. Using these thermostats, you have the option to make your home’s temperature 7 degrees cooler in hot weather and 8 degrees higher during cooler days.
Since the main goal is to achieve the ultimate indoor comfort, programmable thermostats can save the day. They give you the opportunity to return to your most optimal settings an hour before arriving home from work so that your house always greets you with the perfect temperature.
5. Weekend Schedules Conserve Energy
Not only can you program your thermostat to adapt to your work schedule, but you can also choose when to conserve energy. For instance, you can optimize energy conservation using eco-mode when you’re out with family, friends, or running errands. To utilize the weekend settings, they are often referred to as “5-2 days.”
By making these simple changes to your programmable thermostat, your system is more energy-efficient, which decreases your monthly utility costs. According to the DOE, you can save up to 10% per year on HVAC costs by turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting.
6. The Vacation Setting is Gold!
Being able to customize your thermostat during vacations while preserving your pre-scheduled settings is invaluable. Most thermostats have a feature known as the “vacation setting” that monitors and regulates the temperature in your home when you are gone. This setting also saves energy by minimizing temperature adjustments.
If you’re worried about losing your pre-scheduled settings, don’t worry! The feature does not erase, but temporarily overrides the other set schedules.
Using this setting makes managing your AC more convenient, while also helping you to remain at ease knowing your system is reducing energy usage while you’re away.
Programmable Thermostats in Tampa Bay, Florida
Ultimately, it’s your choice which programmable thermostat you opt for. The only type you should avoid is the manual thermostat. The old-fashioned dials only allow one temperature setting at a time. Unless you plan to remember to turn the dial every time you wake up, go to work, come home, and go to sleep, you’ll waste energy, time, and money.
Programmable thermostats offer plenty of customizable features that help your home remain beautiful, clean, and energy-efficient. Using them keeps your household running optimally and reduces your overall monthly heating and cooling expenses.
If you want to purchase a programmable thermostat but don’t know which one is best for your air conditioning or HVAC unit, call Action Air Conditioning to schedule a FREE estimate. We specialize in selling and installing programmable thermostats that suit your HVAC system’s needs.