With today’s advanced technology, a manual thermostat is more than just a piece of outdated technology. It could be costing you a lot of money on your electric bill. After all, your thermostat is the control center for your home’s heating and cooling needs. The best programmable thermostat will excel at adjusting to your needs when it comes to scheduling, comfort, and climate. So, shouldn’t your thermostat be doing the heavy lifting of helping you save energy?
But which programmable thermostat is best for you? There are many thermostat options to choose from. Additionally, depending on your HVAC system, you may need more than just a thermostat replacement to maximize your energy savings.
Save money, time, and energy by following the three steps below so that you purchase a programmable thermostat best-suited for your home. You can also reach out to one of the heating & air conditioning professionals at Galmiche & Sons in St. Louis if you have questions about your unit or would like help choosing which thermostat is right for you!
3 Steps for Shopping for the Best Programmable Thermostats
Step 1: Considering Compatiblity
There are many good options on the market for decent programmable thermostats, but before you fall in love with a model filled with all sorts of fancy features, stop to check your current heating and air conditioning unit.
The brand and model of your heater and air conditioner needs to work with whatever thermostat you choose. This will also help narrow down the search to only compatible brands.
Step 2: Scheduling Your Programmable Thermostat for Your Lifestyle
The best way to save money is to have a programmable thermostat best-suited to your schedule so it’s not heating or cooling your home when you’re not there to enjoy it. Another consideration could be how often you and your family are out of the house during the work and school week. Perhaps you are out and about on the weekends too. Good programmable thermostats are great at saving money and energy, especially for those with an active lifestyle.
The key is to use programmable thermostats that allow you to customize your HVAC system to your schedule. This can mean automatically reducing the heating and cooling in your home when you don’t need it as much.
The best programmable thermostats come in three different models, based on how often your heating and cooling must change to fit your schedule.
- 5+2-day models mean you can have one schedule for the week days and a different program for your weekend.
- 5-1-1 models mean that for 5 days it will keep the same schedule (perhaps during the work week), followed by another schedule for Saturday, and yet a different one for Sunday.
- 7-day models are best suited if your schedule fluctuates day to day, allowing you the flexibility of setting up to four different temperature periods a day.
Step 3: Shopping for the Best Programmable Thermostat Features
With the thermostat basics out of the way, here comes the fun part – discovering the new kinds of features that great programmable thermostats can add to your home. From connected devices to touch screens, here are some of the common features offered by the best programmable thermostats:
- Vacation Mode is a smart way to maximize energy and save money while you are away having fun – all at the push of a button.
- Battery Operation and Backup is great for older homes that don’t have in-wall wiring for thermostats. For newer, wired homes, a battery backup ensures that you will not lose your thermostat program after a power failure.
- Indicator Alerts will let you know if you need to change the thermostat’s battery or it is time for air filter replacement.
- Touch Screen Controls make programming your system easy and intuitive.
- Keyboard Lock helps make sure no one else changes the settings on you.
- Remote Programming and Controls let homeowners adjust the heat or cooling from anywhere in their home, even from the couch! Some models include smartphone connectivity, so even while you are away you can make sure your home is the perfect temperature. This is important to avoid busted pipes during our cold St. Louis winters!
A Final Tip for Homeowners in Their Search for the Best Programmable Thermostat
To get the best programmable thermostat truly working in your home, make sure your new purchase is properly installed. In the greater St. Louis area, one of our certified HVAC technicians from Galmiche & Sons is here to handle the installation! We can also help maximize the efficiency of your new system.
For homeowners in the St. Louis area, Galmiche & Sons is ready to upgrade your old manual thermostat to the best fitting programmable thermostat unit for your home. Contact our heating & air conditioning company for a free quote today.
