How to Pick the Right Thermostat for Your Home
Your thermostat is an important part of your home’s heating and cooling system, but how do you know if you have the right thermostat for your home? Take a closer look at why smart thermostats are growing in popularity among homeowners and can help you reduce energy costs over time.
Having a responsive smart programmable thermostat gives you connectivity and control over your home’s temperature from virtually anywhere, and conserves energy to reduce your utility costs. Smart thermostats, also known as connected thermostats, make changes for homeowners using artificial intelligence, helping homeowners save on energy costs.
In 2021, smart thermostats were present in around 40 percent of U.S. homes, according to a Cornell University paper 1, and that number continues to rise as homeowners are becoming more familiar with their benefits.
What is a smart thermostat?
A smart thermostat is a Wi-Fi enabled thermostat that allows homeowners to achieve simple, precise temperature control from virtually anywhere with a smartphone, tablet, or computer. By connecting your HVAC system to the internet, smart thermostats allow you to control your home temperature remotely. They sense your home’s current temperature and then send a signal to your heating and cooling system to make the changes according to its pre-set schedule.
Smart thermostats are Wi-Fi enabled and allow homeowners to program heating and cooling settings based on daily schedules and even weather conditions. Eventually, smart thermostats won’t need to be programmed because they learn your heating and cooling patterns and adjust accordingly.
How do smart thermostats work?
You probably know thermostats monitor the temperature in your home and respond to programmed heating and cooling settings. But, how do they work? Essentially, a smart thermostat allows you to control the temperature in your home, and oftentimes other variables like humidity, too, with any web-enabled device.
That means, homeowners can easily manage the temperature in their home via an app on their smartphone, tablet, or computer. Not only is this technology a faster and easier way to indoor comfort, but it can also save you money and energy, too.
5 benefits of a smart thermostat
Here are five benefits of installing a smart thermostat, if you don’t already have one.
1. Smart thermostats allow you to use the heating and cooling functionality when you need it most
Your smart thermostat can be set for home occupancy and some can even learn your home occupancy trends so that it heats or cools depending on when people are in the home, or about to be in the home. This means that you no longer have to worry about the house being at a certain temperature while you are away.
2. Smart thermostats are easy to ‘set and forget’
According to a survey from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 89% of respondents rarely or never used their programmable thermostats to set a weekday or weekend program. Not using the programmable feature on your thermostat can increase energy costs because you may be heating or cooling your home when it is not necessary. Smart thermostats are very easy to program with most featuring digital touch screens that allow you to program the thermostat once and then forget about it. Because of their ‘smart’ technology, smart thermostats can learn your habits, eventually negating the need to program anything at all, while still enjoying the benefits of saving energy, time, and money.
3. Smart thermostats can help you easily track your energy usage
WiFi enabled smart thermostats allow homeowners to track their energy usage with real-time data. Once you have this data, you can create a home energy profile that identifies trends in energy usage, how it changes in each season, and how that affects your present and future energy costs. Having this information can help you adjust heating and cooling preferences to further decrease energy costs.
4. Smart thermostats are good for the environment, and your budget
Because smart thermostats are easy to set and forget, easy to program, and easy to adjust remotely, you can have more control over when your HVAC system runs and for how long. These features allow you to use less energy by heating or cooling your home only when needed, which results in less energy usage and lower monthly bills. Installing a smart thermostat can improve your energy savings, reducing your energy bills by an estimated 10 percent per year depending on manufacturers and usage, resulting in saving hundreds of dollars every year.
5. Smart thermostats are easy to install
After you purchase a smart thermostat, an HVAC technician will come to your house to install it and get it up and running in a few easy steps. Before installing your thermostat, the HVAC technician will cut the power and remove your old thermostat. Then, they’ll connect your home’s wires to your new thermostat and install the new thermostat faceplate. Lastly, they’ll restore power and follow remaining programming instructions. After installation and programming, your technician can give you a brief tutorial on how to work your new system.
How to pick the right thermostat
With the growing popularity of smart thermostats, there is no shortage of options for homeowners looking to purchase a smart thermostat. When it comes to choosing a smart thermostat for your home, you should consider compatibility, cost, and functionality. Your smart thermostat must be compatible with your current heating and cooling system. When considering cost, it is important to note that smart thermostats may be more expensive than standard thermostats up front but can save you money in the long run. If you are unsure which smart thermostat is right for you or would like expert advice, contact your local Trane expert today.
Choosing the right thermostat for your home: Trane’s options
Trane offers several different smart thermostats all compatible with the Trane Home App. Trane Home is a mobile app that allows you to control your home system’s remotely, helping you save money and reduce energy use. The app also allows you to schedule temperature controls and helps save you an estimated 10 percent per year on cooling and heating costs. To use Trane Home, you will need active broadband internet, a sufficient Wi-Fi signal, and one of Trane’s four smart thermostats: Trane ComfortLink® II XL1050 or XL850, the XL824, or the XL 724.
Trane ComfortLink® II XL1050 Thermostat
The Trane ComfortLink® II XL1050 is one of the best smart thermostats on the market specifically designed to control Trane’s top of the line variable speed equipment. It allows you to program temperature settings seven days a week, with up to four schedules per day, which can help you save money and energy in your home. Plus, it’s easy to see what temperature your home is at on this smart thermostat’s 7″ display screen with full color. Control the XL1050 after installation from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
Trane ComfortLink® II XL850 Thermostat
The Trane ComfortLink® II XL850 has all the same great features as the ComfortLink® XL1050, just with a slightly smaller screen. This thermostat’s touch screen size is 4.3″ with full color, so it’s still easy to read and program your thermostat. Enjoy impressive features like Wi-Fi and ethernet connectivity, a built-in bridge for Z-Wave® devices, and control from any web-enabled device.
XL824 Smart Thermostat
If you’re looking for Trane’s best value smart thermostat, look no further than the XL824. With the XL824 comes five heating stages, two speeds, Z-wave technology, a 4.3″ color touchscreen, and programming for seven days a week, four schedules a day, all for a great price. Not to mention, the XL824 is included in Trane Diagnostics. That means, when you opt-in to remote diagnostics, your HVAC dealer can access data about how your smart thermostat is performing, troubleshoot problems remotely, and even help prevent issues before they happen.
XR724 Smart Thermostat
The XR724 is an efficient smart thermostat. Homeowners can enjoy temperature programming for seven days a week, four schedules per day, with any of the four heating stages and two speeds. Easily read your indoor temperature on the 4.3″ black and white touchscreen, and opt-in to Trane Diagnostics to help your local dealer troubleshoot any potential issues. Plus, this thermostat helps you take care of your HVAC system with maintenance alerts and a built-in humidity sensor.
Need more thermostat help from an HVAC professional?
All of Trane’s smart thermostats can help you control your home’s temperature remotely, pre-set a comfort schedule, or adjust the temperature from a mobile device or computer. Contact your local Trane expert to learn which smart thermostat would be the best fit for your home, and to discuss next steps like purchasing and installation.
References
1 Fridlander, Blaine. “Smart thermostats and power grids.” Cornell Chronicle: July 12, 2022.
