insights

In today’s marketplace, there are so many different types of thermostats with a whole host of features that have absolutely nothing to do with keeping your home warm during the winter and cool during the summer.

There are manufacturers who have incorporated voice commands into the technology of their thermostat. These voice commands are not just aimed at adjusting the temperature either. Many of them enable you to get current weather forecasts, play music, turn other systems in your home, such as lights, on and off (with the appropriate additional components).

The above-referenced type of thermostat is often referred to as a WiFi enabled thermostat. With connectivity of WiFi, the thermostat can utilize your homes wireless network to enable the passage of information through the thermostat. For instance, many of these systems utilize a technology referred to a Geofencing. This feature enables your thermostat to use the geographical position of your smart phone to determine how close you are to your home. Based on a set of criteria that you can adjust, the thermostat will make adjustments to the temperature, lights, close the garage door you may have forgotten to shut on your way out, all aimed at making your home as comfortable, efficient and safe as can be whether you have just left for the day to go to work, are leaving on a week’s vacation, or are returning home from grocery shopping.

This technology is not for everyone. Some people do not like the idea of sharing their every move over a wireless network. Others may find setting up all of the features of this type of thermostat to be just a bit too daunting. Some aren’t willing to pay for all the costly gadgets and accessories that could be required to really harness all that this type of thermostat can do, and therefore the upfront cost of the thermostat itself comes into question if all you plan to do is turn the heating and cooling up and down.

Not to worry. There are still a number of manufacturers who produce good quality, reliable, and easy to use thermostats that will serve the simple purpose of just controlling your home’s temperature based on a very simple to use scheduling system.

For those of you considering multistage or modulating heating and cooling systems, like the ones discussed in our blog “Multi Stage Equipment – What does this mean to me and my comfort?”; you may need to consider a thermostat that is designed to work specifically with your brand of heating and cooling equipment. Especially in the case of modulating equipment, the only way to get all the components of the system to ramp up and down together is to have them communicate with each other, This is generally accomplished through a proprietary control system where the furnace, air conditioner, and controller (another name for a thermostat in this type of system) are connected to a closed network where all the parts of the system talk to each other to determine what needs to happen within each of the individual parts. Many of these “controllers” are also WiFi enabled, so a number of the same benefits discussed in the section describing WiFi enabled thermostats, can be realized with these manufacturers’ specific systems. In fact, most manufacturers who have entered this realm of communicating controllers and systems, also have an App that the user can download to their smartphone and/or tablet, thus enabling the user to make adjustments to the operation of their system from anywhere in the world where they have access to an internet connection.

Taunton Trades has access to product lines that will appeal to every taste in technology there is. Whether you just want the simplest to use a regular thermostat, or you are hungry for the latest and greatest that technology has to offer; we can connect you with the right type of thermostat for your individual needs.

Contact us to learn more about how we can help with your HVAC requirements in Durham Region. We offer a free, no obligation, in home consultation. Book yours today by calling 905.493.4227 or send an email to mail@tauntontrades.com. We look forward to hearing from you.