There are a variety of thermostats on the market, and it can be difficult and overwhelming to choose which is right for your home or business.
Choosing the Right Thermostat
If you are purchasing a new HVAC system, you can weigh some of the pros and cons of each thermostat type to find which is best for your needs and budget.
If you are updating or upgrading an older heating system, it’s important to find out which thermostat type is compatible with the existing system components. In this case, we recommend speaking with a Cooper Mechanical Services specialist to pick out components that best work for you.
Selecting the right thermostat first starts with identifying your budget and the features that are important to you. Regardless of the thermostat type, all work with electric, gas, and oil furnaces, and using them wisely can lead to big cost savings on monthly utility bills.
Types of Thermostats
In short, thermostats fall into three general categories:
• Manual Thermostats
• Programmable Thermostats
• Smart Thermostats
Manual Thermostats are the cheapest on the market. The manual thermostat is probably what you remember from your childhood or an older home. They are inexpensive, and the basic controls usually consist of a simple dial or up and down buttons to manually adjust thermostat temperature.
Pros: cheap, easy-to-use, work well if you are around to manually adjust the settings
Cons: Without programming, you may be wasting money heating your home while you are away
Programmable Thermostats offer some key cost-saving benefits over manual thermostats. These options may cost a little more, but programmable settings allow for automatic thermostat adjustment based on your needs. For example, users could program a setting to lower the thermostat setting while out of the house during working hours and to raise the setting one hour before returning home.
Pros: programmable settings can save up to 33% on heating costs, allow multiple settings, digital displays, manual setting override
Cons: slightly more expensive, increased set-up and learning curve time
Smart Thermostats offer the most features and also the biggest long-term cost savings because of their efficiency. Smart thermostats are wi-fi or bluetooth-enabled, allowing users to control thermostat functions from a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Pros: remote use, increased customization, energy savings, analytics
Cons: most expensive, involves more advanced set-up and learning curve
From Selection to Installation
Cooper Mechanical Services has been providing exceptional HVAC service to the Myrtle Beach area since 1989. Whether you are looking for a new heating and air-conditioning system, or looking to repair and upgrade an existing system, our team is here to help.