Consider the Advantages of a Prograramble Thermostat

If your British Columbia home is more than a couple of decades old, it likely came equipped with a manual thermostat. While manual models help to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, they can be expensive to operate. Upgrading to a programmable thermostat is a simple way to achieve the comfort you need while keeping heating and cooling costs as low as possible. However, you must set the unit correctly and choose the one that best matches your typical schedule.

Types of Programmable Thermostats

If the hours that your family is typically home changes daily, the 7-day model is your best bet. This unit allows you to pre-program a different temperature setting for every day of the week. With some models, you can select up to four different temperatures in a 24-hour period.

When your family's schedule is consistent on weekdays and weekends, choose the 5 + 2 programmable thermostat. You can set one temperature for the week while everyone is at work or school and another on weekends when people tend to be home more often. If your Saturday and Sunday schedules change frequently, choose the 5 + 1 + 1 model.

Advantages and Features

The main advantage of a programmable thermostat is that it automatically adjusts its temperature throughout the day to maximize your energy savings. You can set it at the lowest temperature while you are gone during the day and then program it to start getting warmer an hour or so before you get home. This can save you up to 33 percent on heating costs and up to 25 percent on cooling costs.
The following are just some of the features to consider when you shop for a programmable thermostat:

• A vacation feature that allows you to keep the temperature at one setting for several days at a time.
• Backlit lighting display so you can see what you are doing even at night.
• Remote control programming so you can set the temperature from anywhere in your house.

If you have additional questions about choosing a thermostat, anyone at Complete Heating and Air Conditioning Services can help.