Utilizing Programmable Thermostats for a Constantly Comfy Florida Home
Many savvy homeowners here in the greater Orlando area get significant energy and cost savings from programmable thermostats. Thinking about joining that group? Programmable units allow you to enjoy these savings while maintaining your desired “indoor climate” 24/7/365.
The typical programmable thermostat offers four different settings per day and extra featuressuch as:
- Digital readouts/displays with backlighting
- Touch-screen programming of time and temperature
- Hold/vacation setting
- Notifications/reminders of when to replace air filters or batteries and malfunction warnings
- Adaptive recovery “smart” features allow some units to reach desired temperatures by the set time by actually calculating/sensing the time needed.
- Remote (voice and/or phone) programming
Scheduling options:
- If your schedule varies daily, the 7-day model is most flexible.
- 5+2-day units use one schedule for the five weekdays and a second schedule, which is the same for both weekend days.
- 5-1-1-day units provide one schedule for weekdays and a unique schedule for each weekend day.
Proper use for energy savings:
- Choose up to four energy-saving set points. Each set point, daytime (for example, when the whole family is out), and night (while all are sleeping) should remain in effect for eight hours or longer.
- Minimize overrides. Programmable units make it possible to temporarily warm or cool a room/area, without erasing your pre-set programs/set points. Override is canceled when your next programmed day-part begins. Don’t use hold/vacation override for day-to-day program changes. Set the vacation period at an energy-efficient temperature, rather than your ideal “comfortable-at-home” setting.
- One thermostat per zone. Homeowners with multiple heating/cooling zones in their house achieve best results using a programmable unit to control each area.
- Don’t push. Setting your thermostat up to 99 degrees won’t warm/cool your house more quickly. Most thermostats are designed to begin heating/cooling a certain set amount of time in advance to reach your programmed set point. Adaptive recovery “smart” thermostats constantly recalculate the time needed to heat/cool to the set point. They can also “sense” what season it is.
- Change batteries yearly or when prompted (if applicable).
Questions about programmable thermostats? Contact the experts at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions. Visit our website for details or call us. We’ve been serving Central Florida since 1969.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about Programmable Thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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