Programmable thermostats provide homeowners with an excellent way to lower their energy consumption and reduce their monthly utility bills. They are great for anyone who is away from their home for a specific period of time during the week. With a programmable thermostat, you can preset the temperature of your heating and cooling equipment and have your system run only when you need it to.
When selecting programmable thermostats, you should take your weekly schedule into consideration. Generally, there are three different kinds of models that you can choose from:
7-Day Model
7-day models are excellent if you or your family members have schedules that are different on a daily basis. For example, if you work later on Tuesdays, or have children that get home from school early on Fridays, a 7-day model will allow you to program a specific time for each of those days to account for the change in schedule.
5+2-Day Model
5+2-day models are great options for those of you who have a recurring schedule each weekday and have a separate schedule on the weekends. So, if you get home at the same time each day during the week, you can preset your thermostat to turn on your heating or cooling system shortly before your arrival. This model allows you to set one schedule for the week (or a five-day period) and an entirely different schedule for the weekend.
5-1-1 Model
5-1-1 models are very similar to the 5+2-day model, except they allow you to have a different schedule for each weekend day. So, for example, you can have the same schedule set during the week, a different schedule for Saturday and a different schedule for Sunday.
Some additional features that you might want to consider on programmable thermostats, are:
- Touch-pad screen programming
- Voice/phone programming
- Vacation settings
- Dirty air filter alerts
- Equipment malfunction alerts
If used correctly, programmable thermostats will pay for themselves within four years of initial purchase. If you are struggling with what thermostat is right for your home, contact the experts at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric. They are more than happy to assist you in all your home comfort needs.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Hansberger Refrigeration & Electric Co services the Yuma area in Arizona. To get started, check out our website.
