{"id":4259,"date":"2014-06-06T11:00:12","date_gmt":"2014-06-06T15:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/?p=4259"},"modified":"2015-01-16T16:33:59","modified_gmt":"2015-01-16T21:33:59","slug":"internet-and-wifi-thermostats-control-summer-home-humidity-from-anywhere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/internet-and-wifi-thermostats-control-summer-home-humidity-from-anywhere\/","title":{"rendered":"Internet and WiFi Thermostats: Control Summer Home Humidity from Anywhere"},"content":{"rendered":"

High humidity in your home is not only\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0uncomfortable and unhealthy, \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0it can also do serious damage to your floors and furniture and increase the growth of dangerous molds. Fortunately, summer home humidity can be reduced by running the air conditioning. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0But what if you aren’t around and don’t want your A\/C running unneccesarily? \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0The solution is to replace your old thermostat with a new Internet thermostat\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0or WiFi thermostat<\/a>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0so you can\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0monitor and control home humidity from anywhere<\/em> using your smartphone or laptop. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0If you have a snowbird residence or unoccupied vacation home, you’ll see right away how handy remote home humidity control can be!\"Control<\/a><\/p>\n

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Why Home Humidity is a Problem<\/em><\/h2>\n

Relative humidity (RH) measures the amount of water vapor in the air. Because warmer air can hold more water than cold air, home humidity increases during the warm summer months. If the humidity in your home is too high, you may notice musty smells, condensation on windows, wet stains on walls and ceilings and mold in the bathrooms. Your family may also experience allergic reactions.<\/p>\n

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What You Need for Long Distance Humidity Control<\/em><\/h2>\n

Internet and WiFi thermostats are two types of “remote thermostats.” \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0The primary function of a remote thermostat is to control and monitor temperature from far away, but now there are models that also let you monitor and control humidity<\/strong> levels. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0To control the humidity in your home long distance, you will need:<\/p>\n

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(1) Remote thermostat + (2) Central Air Conditioning System<\/h3>\n

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The various types of remote thermostats<\/a> are differentiated by how they communicate — phone (landline phone or cellular) or Internet. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Theses days, many homeowners prefer\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Internet thermostats<\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0or\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0WiFi thermostats<\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0so they can monitor and control their home’s temperature and humidity from a computer or smartphone. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Both Internet or WiFi thermostats require a a high-speed Internet connection in your home. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0The main difference is how they connect to your Internet router: \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Internet thermostats connect with a cable and WiFi thermostats connect wirelessly.<\/p>\n

In homes that don’t have an Internet connection, a\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0phone-controlled remote thermostat,<\/strong> like the Sensaphone 400 Cottagesitter<\/a> with a humidistat humidity detector<\/a> accessory, is another option for remote humidity detection.<\/p>\n

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\"BAYweb<\/a>Internet Thermostat Recommendation<\/em><\/h2>\n

If you want remote humidity control and prefer a hard-wired Internet connection — either because you like the reliability it provides or you don’t have a WiFi router — the BAYWeb series of Internet thermostats<\/a> are available with a humidity sensing\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0function that allows you to monitor humidity levels and to dehumidify your home through your A\/C system. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to monitoring temperature and humidity, the feature-rich\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0BAYWeb Internet Thermostat Professional<\/a>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0can double as a security system, remotely control lighting and appliances, provide a detailed energy usage info on a personal web portal, and more. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0(See\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/span>“10 Things a BAYweb Professional Internet Thermostat Can Do”<\/a> to read more about it.)<\/p>\n

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\"Venstar<\/a>WiFi Thermostat Recommendation<\/em><\/h2>\n

The decorative\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Venstar ColorTouch High Resolution Color Thermostat w\/ Wifi option and Humidity Control<\/a>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0is our first choice for a WiFi thermostat. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Because it communicates wirelessly, installation is fast and easy. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0In addition to dehumidification, the Venstar ColorTouch has a<\/span>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0multi-functional touch screen with customizable backgrounds, a home temperature scheduler and a security feature to lock thermostat settings.<\/p>\n

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

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Heat Alarms — A Less Expensive Alternative<\/em><\/h2>\n

\"High<\/a>If aren’t ready to upgrade to a remote thermostat but want some way to monitor for high temperature and potential high humidity in your home, a heat alarm<\/a> (also called a temperature alarm) can be used.<\/p>\n