Things to consider when buying a thermostat for your home

A home thermostat controls the heating and/or cooling system by switching on and off with changes temperatures thus keeping the rooms or the house at constant temperature.

It plays an important role in our lives because it affects our energy bills and comfort. A significant number of buyers think that procuring a new thermostat is as simple as selecting their favorite brand that has all features they need and looks elegant when mounted on their wall.

However, the truth of the matter is that there is more to that; you need to purchase the right thermostat that suits your specific needs, otherwise you are likely to end up with one that falls short of your needs, has high overhead costs or even might have problems operating it or integrating it with your current heating and cooling systems. Here are some basics and options to buy thermostat for your home.

Match the Thermostat to the Equipment used at your home

You will need to first identify the type of heating and cooling system used at your home, so that you can purchase a thermostat that is compatible with your system. Focus is on the equipment that the thermostat is meant to control; some control devices operate in multiple stages while others only control a heat pump, an air conditioner or a furnace.

Multiple stages refer to the number of cooling or heating sources that are controlled by a single thermostat which facilitates more efficiency and smoother operation. For instance if you have a multiple stages heating and cooling system such as a furnace with two sets of burners, a dual-speed air conditioner or a heat pump, you need to purchase a thermostat that can handle the multi-use function.

There are other types of thermostats that allow you to configure them to suit your system; thus they have a wide range of applications.

Features of the Thermostat: Look for the Features that suits your needs

1.  Basic t-stats: They are simple affordable easy to use thermostat suitable for rental homes to facilitate basic heating and cooling. Their features include:
   ? Are non-programmable
   ? easy-to-use
   ? are not digital
   ? Is compatible with the most heating systems
2. Programmable Types
   These thermostats offer options for customization enabling the most effective use of your system by automatically regulating heat through¬out. You only need to set up the temperature preference at different times once and the thermostat will adjust the temperatures accordingly. Its features include:

• Multiple program options, for different days.
•  Has adjustable programming that facilitates full time comfort and energy-saving efficiency
• Is compatible with the cooling and heating including heat pumps.
• The only problem is that you might need a qualified technician to set it up and it might take time to learn how to use it effectively.
• Cheaper than the smart option.

3. The Smart of Wifi Thermostat

Just as the name suggests, this type of thermostat is smart and can be remotely controlled. The smart aspect means that it monitors your habits such as, your preferred room temperature, when you leave the house and other aspects of your life so that it can adjust accordingly to your needs automatically (intuitively) without need for manual setup.

Further, you can control the thermostat remotely from your smartphone, computer or tablet. It is the most efficient energy saver; however, this type of thermostat is expensive and features extensive technical aspects that prove to be a challenge for users initially.

Eric Gichuru

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Eric Gichuru