Smart homes used to be showcases for tech companies, but not something the average homeowner could hope to have. But with wifi-enabled light bulbs and an array of smartphone apps, everything from your garage door, deadbolt, webcam, lighting, and music system can be affordably integrated and managed whether you’re at home or on the road. It doesn’t stop there, though—even your home’s climate control can now be just as smart with HVAC home automation.
Smart Thermostats
Nest: one of the best-known in the consumer industry, Nest has been a pioneer in HVAC home automation and is a name you’ve likely heard. This learning thermostat can also integrate with other devices, including a security camera and smoke/carbon monoxide detector.
ecobee3: similar to Nest, the ecobee3 smart thermostat learns your habits and preferences and helps maintain comfort levels based on that insight. Beyond a single sensor on the thermostat, the ecobee3 comes with an additional remote sensor and can sync with up to 32 to constantly monitor the temperature throughout a residence or building as well as occupancy.
Honeywell: from one of the best known names in the business, the Lyric series of thermostats is another strong contender in the smart thermostat field.
Other: for higher end installations, many of the companies above offer business versions of their thermostats, and many HVAC companies offer their own built-in automation systems.
System Control
HVAC home automation is more than just being able to change the temperature from your sofa, or even while on vacation.
Air conditioner: a smart thermostat controls your central air conditioner just like your standard thermostat, but it can learn your comfort preferences, whether or not you’re home, and can act proactively off that information. For those times of year when you’re not sure if you’ll need cool or heat today, the system can also be set to automatically switch between the two—without you having to flip a switch. Even the fan can be set to run a few minutes per hour—without the A/C or heat running—to keep air circulated, without running it constantly.
Heating system: smart thermostats are compatible with forced-air furnaces, heat pumps, and boilers (check the manufacturer’s specifications). Seamlessly switch between cool and heat, and maintain access to all the settings in person or remotely.
Accessories: if you’ve added features to your comfort system, you’ll be pleased to find smart thermostats are up to the task of managing these add-ons: humidifiers/dehumidifiers, air purifiers, and UV lamps can all be controlled by these devices (check the manufacturer’s specifications).
Why HVAC Home Automation?
Beyond the “cool factor,” or the excitement of having the best system on the block, automating your HVAC system and integrating smart features offers a number of benefits.
Convenience
A smart thermostat can take a lot of guesswork and manual adjusting out of the equation. The extensive programming of a high-end but limited programmable thermostat is available, but unnecessary. And if something in the schedule (or temperature) changes, it’s easy and fast to override—from the thermostat itself, or via mobile or web app.
Peace of mind
Your smart thermostat does a lot of its own “thinking,” but for those times when the weather has a mind of its own, remote access can be a lifesaver—or at least gives you great peace of mind. Gone for the day, when a cold front comes through and you want to make sure your pets are comfortable until you come home? It’s easy to log in and adjust. Or on vacation and concerned about pipes bursting or coming home to a “greenhouse”? No problem. And you always have instant access to viewing the actual indoor temperature.
Energy savings
If you had all day to sit around and adjust your thermostat manually to get the optimum performance, you might save significant energy and cost—but what else would you accomplish? The smart thermostat system can manage this task for you, and even reports on its progress! Between its own adjustments and the data provided, you can realize real savings on your cooling and heating bills.
Installation
Many of these devices are well-documented and include all the equipment you need. But with specific wiring requirements and the danger of working around high voltage electricity, you may not want to tackle smart thermostat installation yourself. Your HVAC company can help you get set up so you can enjoy the benefits (and technological fun) or HVAC home automation!
