{"id":1814,"date":"2012-10-19T11:00:52","date_gmt":"2012-10-19T15:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/?p=1814"},"modified":"2012-10-24T17:03:25","modified_gmt":"2012-10-24T21:03:25","slug":"programmable-thermostats-choose-one-thats-compatible-with-your-lifestyle-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/programmable-thermostats-choose-one-thats-compatible-with-your-lifestyle-part-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Programmable Thermostats: Choose One that\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s Compatible with Your Lifestyle (Part 3)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many of today\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s programmable thermostats are so incredibly multi-functional, they\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2ve aptly been labeled \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201csmart.\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 But do you really need all of that functionality?\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Your best bet is to choose a programmable thermostat<\/a> that\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s easy to use and fits your family\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s lifestyle.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Here are three popular features found in most smart programmable thermostats.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Review them carefully and decide which features you want and choose the thermostat that makes the most sense for you.\"Your<\/a><\/p>\n

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Program-it-Yourself or Auto-Programming (\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201cLearning\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d)<\/h3>\n

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Most programmable thermostats allow you to program up to 4 periods of temperature changes a day for each of 7 days.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 7-day programming is ideal for people with varying work and school schedules.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Some thermostats have 5\/2 day programming, which allows you to set separate schedules for weekdays and weekend.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 A \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201clearning\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d thermostat is another type of programmable thermostat that does auto-programming<\/em> and then creates a temperature schedule for you, based on the data it collects through its built-in occupancy sensor.<\/p>\n

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\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00ba TIP:\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 <\/strong>Auto-programming works well if your family\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s schedule is consistent from day-to-day and week-to-week, but it may not allow for the reality of unexpected schedule changes.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Also, because a \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201clearning\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d thermostat\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s temperature schedule is based on movement, it may not be accurate if it\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s located in a remote place.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Another consideration is that it won\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t pre-heat the house in the morning or pre-cool in the evening.<\/p>\n

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\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00ba TIP:<\/strong> \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Advanced program-it-yourself thermostats, like the Venstar ColorTouch<\/a>, are easy to use and make programming fast and simple.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Many homeowners who want to customize and fine-tune their temperature schedule prefer program-it-yourself thermostats\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0over \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201clearning\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d thermostats.<\/p>\n

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Remote Temperature Control (Phone, Internet or WiFi)<\/h3>\n

\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Having the ability to adjust the temperature in your home from anywhere\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0can be a useful feature.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 If remote temperature control is something you want, you\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2ll need to ensure that the programmable thermostat you select is compatible with the communications setup in your home<\/a>.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 The choices are: landline phone, high-speed Internet via a router cable, or high-speed Internet via a wireless connection.<\/p>\n

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\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00ba TIP:<\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Be sure to consider which communications method is easiest for you to use.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 For instance, if you don\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t have a smartphone or sit in front of a computer most of the day, a phone-enabled programmable thermostat<\/a> will probably work better for you than an Internet thermostat.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Energy Usage Information\"Venstar<\/a><\/h3>\n

\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0
\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you love graphs and charts, then the energy usage information you get from many of today\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s smart programmable thermostats is for you!\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 You\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2ll be able to login to a special web portal and see how much energy has been used to heat and cool your house.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 You also get runtime graphs that can help you evaluate different options for conserving energy.<\/p>\n

\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00ba TIP:<\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Some programmable thermostats (like the Venstar ColorTouch<\/a>) can show energy usage right on the display<\/em>, so you don\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t have to go through the extra step of connecting to a computer or smartphone to view the data.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00ba TIP:<\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 If you have a vacation house, a smart thermostat like the BAYWeb Internet thermostat<\/a> can be set up to alert you through your PC, smart phone or tablet device if the energy usage ever exceeds a specified threshold.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Summary<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

A programmable thermostat can be a worthwhile investment for any home if it\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s properly installed and programmed, saving you about $180 a year if correctly set, according to energystar.gov<\/a>.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Be sure to choose a model that fits your lifestyle and is easy to use.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 You can also save hundreds of dollars by buying your programmable thermostat directly<\/a> and installing it yourself. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0However, if DIY installation is beyond your expertise, it\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s best to call in a professional HVAC contractor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many of today\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s programmable thermostats are so incredibly multi-functional, they\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2ve aptly been labeled \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201csmart.\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 But do you really need all of that functionality?\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Your best bet is to choose a programmable thermostat that\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s easy to use and fits your family\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s lifestyle.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Here are three popular… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1826,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[165,8,155,157,197],"class_list":["post-1814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-internet-thermostats","tag-digital-programmable-thermostat","tag-internet-thermostat","tag-phone-thermostat","tag-programmable-thermostat","tag-wifi-thermostat","clearfix"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1814"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1840,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1814\/revisions\/1840"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}