Programmable Thermostats
Traditional thermostats are designed to keep an area the same constant temperature around the clock. This would be fine if it were necessary, but there are times when you don’t need your house as warm or as cool because of the time of day or kind of activity that is taking place within the building. Energy becomes wasted and this translates into higher heating and cooling costs.
Programmable thermostats are set up much like alarm clocks that can be set for various alarms at once. For example, in the summer, they can be programmed to keep your home warmer during the day, when everyone has gone to work or school. They can then be set to start the cooling process at, for example, an hour before everyone is to arrive home allowing you to enter a comfortably cool home. Come night, when the air is normally cooler, they can be pre-programmed to increase the air conditioner temperature. This all works in reverse for winter. The programming only needs to be done once unless you want to stick to the routine of changing it. This eliminates having to remember to change it constantly.
Holds
Programmable thermostats are not completely dependent upon what has been programmed into them. These settings can be manually overridden. You can place a temporary hold on the thermostat if, for example, someone is ill and needs to be home during the day. The current programmed setting will be suspended and you can set the temperature where it is comfortable. The thermostat will resume pre-programmed settings at the next setting point.
Vacation holds are longer. If you are going on vacation, you don’t need to have the temperature changing at different times of the day. By using the vacation hold feature, you can suspend the scheduled changes and manually set the temperature you prefer to have your home while away. You can then have it resume normal operations shortly before arriving home from vacation so that you arrive in a comfortable home.
The vacation hold is very important where it comes to saving money. Your home can stay warm enough to prevent things like water pipe breaks or other frozen maladies, yet you can arrive home to a livable temperature. The vacation hold is one of your best friends at vacation time.
HVAC Zoning System
An HVAC zoning system is yet another way to save money, especially when paired with a programmable thermostat. There are certain areas of your home that you don’t always need to have as warm or cool as the rest, such as rarely used guest bedrooms. By utilizing a zoning system, your program dampers to various locations. These dampers are controlled by the thermostat and allow you to reduce or add heat or cooling to various locations at will. In this way, you can save both energy and money by keeping those unused areas at a safe temperature but not necessarily a cool one. When the time comes for them to be put to use, a simple adjustment on a thermostat will open the damper and allow for the room to become a comfortable temperature. This works by means of individual thermostats in these areas.
Questions?
Snyder Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electric has been serving the Jacksonville, FL area since 1973. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff can help answer all your questions, especially those concerning HVAC zoning systems and programmable thermostats. Visit our website and see how we can help you save money and return from any vacation happy.
