A programmable thermostat provides numerous benefits to homeowners in the Toronto area. One of the primary reasons for this is the local climate, which consists of relatively few days that do not require neither heat nor air conditioning due to its humid summers and frigid winters; the more days that require the services of heating or cooling, the more significant each of these benefits become.
Decreased Usage and Resulting Financial Savings
The most significant benefit of utilising a programmable thermostat is being able to use your heating and cooling systems less often.
Are you and others you live with away from home during the day from Monday to Friday? During summer months, you would likely set your programmable thermostat at warmer temperatures when people are away and have it start cooling your home prior to them returning so that it has already reverted to your preferred temperature before the door opens. Of course, the reverse is true in the winter.
As a result, you will also save from a financial perspective. Although the exact savings as compared to your pre-programmable thermostat days will depend on a number of factors, many homeowners report it exceeding $200 a year.
Increased Convenience
Setting your ideal temperature for certain times of the day and week saves you from needing to constantly turn your device up and down as the outdoor temperatures fluctuate similarly. You can simply relax.
Many programmable thermostats are also connected with the internet, meaning that you are able to program and adjust it remotely.
Perhaps you unexpectedly need to cut your workday short and will be heading home through a snowstorm at lunchtime. Before you leave the office, go online and change the timing of it heating your home so that it will be nice and warm after you have driven and walked through the snow en route there.
Another option for enjoying the convenience that this offers you is to essentially set it and forget it. In other words, simply set it at whatever temperature that you are most comfortable at, and do not touch it again. This is a significant benefit for those who view convenience as its most valuable feature.
Ability to Fine-Tune Your Temperatures
Not only can you set your programmable thermostat for simple temperature adjustments for the extended periods of time when you know that people will or will not be home, including if you will be on vacation for a couple of weeks, but you can also make it as detailed as you would like.
This can include ensuring that it makes adjustments throughout the day. For example, perhaps you are home all day, but you would like it to be slightly warmer when you wake up, cooler in the middle of the day and warmer again at bedtime.
Humidity Control
In many cases, you can use your programmable thermostat to control the humidity in your house. You do not want your home to be too dry or too humid for a myriad of reasons, both personal and related to its infrastructure. Therefore, you should keep your humidity levels at around 40%, give or take 10%.
Zonal Heating and Cooling
Another benefit that many programmable thermostats offer is the ability to engage in zonal heating and cooling. This means that certain rooms and areas of your house have different temperature settings than others.
A perfect example of where this can really prove helpful is if you have a spare bedroom that you only use when guests visit or a seldomly visited basement or attic; you can turn off the heating and cooling there for those periods of time when those areas are empty.
Also take into account that this feature can have an especially profound impact on your financial savings.
Motion Detectors
Some programmable thermostats have built-in motion sensors. These can automatically lower the temperature in the winter or increase it in the summer if no motion has been detected in your home for an extended time period, and they can do the opposite when motion has been unexpectedly detected.
Warning Notifications
Many programmable thermostats also monitor their own efficiencies. For example, they would notify you if something has happened that is negatively impacting its ability to be as efficient as it was designed to be.
Some examples include dirty or blocked air filters or especially high humidity levels. These warning notifications can also inform you if the programmable thermostat itself needs checking. That will result in significant savings as it is best to fix this issue when it occurs, not after it worsens.
Decreased Stress on Your HVAC
This benefit is especially significant if you have an aging HVAC system. Carefully programming how it will be used, decreasing how often it inefficiently runs, will help extend its lifespan, and, once it does end, your programmable thermostat can be easily transferred to your new HVAC system.
Locking Your Settings
You could lock your settings in, ensuring that others in your home cannot manually override them. That level of protection will help keep your energy levels and costs as low as possible.
Tips
If you decide to get a programmable thermostat, you should ensure that you make the most of it.
For example, make sure to place where it records current conditions inside your home away from sunlight or regular drafts or especially airflow-restricted areas, such as behind furniture, so that it will provide an accurate read of the temperature at all times.
If it is connected to the internet, ensure that your connection is strong. Also change its batteries when needed.