A smart thermostat can accomplish which of the following? select all that apply.

When you live in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, you depend on your HVAC system around the clock, no matter the season. For total control over your home comfort, no ordinary manual thermostat will do. Instead, you need a high-tech smart thermostat. From Wi-Fi capability to energy reports, look for these six features in a smart thermostat.

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

Wi-Fi Capability

If you’re upgrading from a manual thermostat to a smart device for the first time, one of the essential features you need is Wi-Fi capability. At Berkeley Heating & Air Conditioning, we recommend models that can easily connect to your home network. Once a smart thermostat is linked with your home Wi-Fi network, you can use your smartphone or tablet to log in and check the thermostat from anywhere in the world.

Just make sure you’ve downloaded the appropriate smart thermostat app to your phone or tablet. Then you can check your home temperature or make adjustments to your household heating and cooling schedule from home, work, or even your vacation home halfway around the globe.

Smart Setback

Smart thermostats are made to be programmed. Our team recommends programming your family’s typical heating and cooling schedule into the device as soon as it’s installed. As a general rule, you’ll want to keep your home comfortable while everyone is around and awake, but you can dial back the HVAC settings when everyone goes to sleep or leaves for the day.

With advanced devices like the Côr Wi-Fi Thermostat, however, you can do even more. This smart thermostat has a smart setback option, which allows the device to understand your HVAC needs and make adjustments accordingly. With smart setback activated, this thermostat will keep your family more comfortable than ever while helping you save on energy costs at the same time.

Energy Reports

When it comes to energy savings, smart thermostats make it easy to cut your household energy usage and costs at the same time. Many smart devices offer energy reports which show you how much energy you’re using throughout the month.

Whether you want to save money on your utility bill or you want to develop more sustainable habits, you can use these energy reports to adjust your typical consumption. Models like the Côr Wi-Fi Thermostat even offer customized tips to help you meet your goals.

Indoor Air Quality Control

Many homes in the Mt. Pleasant area deal with indoor air quality issues like stale air, excess moisture, and airborne pollutants. Our team knows how important it is to ensure that your indoor air is as clean and pure as possible, and smart thermostats can help. Look for a device that controls ventilation systems, whole-home dehumidifiers, and other HVAC add-ons to make improving indoor air quality a breeze.

Zoning Systems

If your home is on the large side or your HVAC system is always struggling to maintain a consistent temperature in every room, a zoning system is often a smart choice. Most zoning systems come with a separate thermostat for each zone so you can control them individually, but thermostats like the Infinity Remote Access Touch Control is ideal for streamlining your HVAC system. This smart thermostat can manage up to eight zones at once, so you can update the heating and cooling schedule or tweak the temperature in your choice of zones from one handy device.

Automatic Software Updates

Our team knows how frustrating it can be to invest in advanced technology only to see it become outdated almost instantly. When it comes to smart thermostats, you can make sure you’re always ahead of the curve by investing in a device that provides automatic software updates. These smart devices simply use your home’s Wi-Fi network to download the latest software so you can rest assured that your smart thermostat has the most current features without any extra work on your part.

Whether you’re looking for the ideal smart thermostat or you could use some advice about optimizing your current device, Berkeley Heating & Air Conditioning is at your service. Call our team at (843) 277-6030 for all of your HVAC needs.

Image provided by Shutterstock

Today's smart thermostats aren't just control panels for your heating and air conditioning. These thermostats are equipped with Wi-Fi, sensors, advanced algorithms and much more. Here's how those new features benefit you as a homeowner, and why you should consider upgrading to a smart thermostat of your own.

Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of time of publication.

1 / 12

Family Handyman

Remote Control from Your Phone

A smart thermostat comes with brand apps that you download onto your mobile devices. As a result, these apps allow you to check the thermostat anywhere you have a data or Wi-Fi connection, and change the temperature if necessary. A wi-fi thermostat is very useful if you need to make changes while at work or on vacation.

2 / 12

Syda Productions/Shutterstock

Smart Thermostat App-Based Scheduling

In addition to long-distance control, smart thermostats also allow you to create heating/cooling schedules directly from the app. Not only is this easier than pushing buttons on a control panel, but it also allows for more in-depth temperature management from week to week. That’s why a smart thermostat makes for an extremely useful gift for new homeowners, too.

3 / 12

REDPIXEL.PL/Shutterstock

Saving Money on Energy Bills

A smart thermostat is accurate and informative. Using the manual and the energy-saving tips that smart thermostats provide, you can more accurately zero in on the correct temperature zones to save you money on energy bills. The Nest Thermostat predicts you will save 10-12% on heating costs and 15% on cooling costs. Ecobee says you’ll save around 23% on both heating and cooling. Other smart home thermostats have similar projections.

4 / 12

Family Handyman

If you’re enjoying this content, sign up for our new homeowner newsletter where we’ll guide you through the exciting journey of what to do before you purchase your dream house as well as give you expert tips and projects to help you make that new house a true home.

5 / 12

Olivier Le Moal/Shutterstock

Movement Sensors

Some smart thermostats come equipped with movement sensors that detect when people are up and active in the house. This allows them to note the times when you and your family are in the house (mornings, evenings, etc.) and when you are gone, which helps with scheduling.

6 / 12

Family Handyman

Long-Term Learning

Thermostats like the Nest smart thermostat have built-in learning functions. In combination with their sensors, they can “learn” when people are active and when heating/cooling needs to be on, then change their own schedules accordingly.

7 / 12

Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock

Tracking Energy Use

A smart thermostat also provides energy reports about how much power you are using. Also, they show how your energy use has changed over time, and how much this is likely to cost you. As a result, these reports are typically bundled with tips on how to adjust temperatures to save money as well.

8 / 12

Family Handyman

Better Temperature Visibility and Controls

Take a look at the design of smart thermostats and you’ll notice large, clearly stylized temperature indicators and simple interfaces that you can read at a glance. That means no more squinting at small numbers on poorly lit screens or puzzling over which buttons to press to access different menus.

9 / 12

Alexander Kirch/Shutterstock

Compatibility with Other Smart Devices

Smart device platforms continue to grow in terms of compatibility. That means your smart thermostat can link up and exchange information with a growing number of other home devices. Smart humidifiers and air purifiers, for example, can be controlled with the thermostat if they are on compatible platforms.

10 / 12

arsten Neglia/Shutterstock

Voice Commands

Thanks to compatibility with voice command technology like Amazon’s Alexa, a smart thermostat can also be controlled with your voice. Simple commands like, “Alexa, lower the temperature to 68 degrees” allow you to conveniently make changes on the spot.

11 / 12

pandpstock001/Shutterstock

Energy Profiles

An energy profile is a profile of your house based on multiple factors including size, location, and methods of heating/cooling. A smart thermostat can be programmed with these details for energy efficiency and use that information to set up an automated process that makes HVAC management a little easier.

12 / 12

Tracking the Weather

Seasonal changes aren’t the only time you have to adjust your thermostats. Thermostats like the latest from Ecobee can track the latest local weather reports and make suitable changes in the temperature if the heat is picking up or a cold front is coming in.

Originally Published: May 24, 2019

What are the benefits of a smart thermostat?

The advantage of a smart thermostat is its ability to learn a household's patterns and adjust heating and cooling according to when a home is occupied or is about to be occupied. This reduces the use of heating and cooling systems when nobody is home for significant periods of time.

What is a smart thermostat and how does it work?

Smart thermostats connect your HVAC system to the internet, allowing you to control your home temperature remotely using your phone. Smart thermostats work by sensing your home's ambient temperature and then sending a signal to your heating and cooling system to make the changes according to your pre-set schedule.

What should I look for in a smart thermostat?

While often overlooked, intuitive controls and a backlit display should be top considerations when researching smart thermostats. These features make setting up the device and adjusting settings easier. A clear, backlit screen and an intuitive interface also present essential HVAC information in an easy-to-read format.