If you’ve never owned a programmable thermostat, now’s the time to really consider one. If you have one, you might want to upgrade. The new generation of “smart” programmable thermostats is far more advanced and energy efficient than any previous models.

Interactive benefits
The newer programmable thermostats can communicate with other thermostats, your heating and cooling equipment, your utility company or you. Through an Internet connection, your thermostat can check gas or electricity prices and adjust your equipment settings accordingly. It can send you an alert when a problem occurs, and can even operate other home appliances.

Time-of-use pricing
Experiments with programmable thermostats are currently being conducted in Washington, Florida, New York and California. Electric companies are asking homeowners to allow their thermostats to “talk” to the power company’s equipment. During peak electrical-use periods, with the homeowner’s permission, the power company can instruct these new thermostats to reduce power usage by adjusting HVAC settings. In some cases, the thermostats can even stop pool pumps and water heaters from consuming electrical energy at peak hours. In exchange for this ability, the power company gives sharply reduced rates for off-peak usage. The power company benefits, the homeowner’s costs are reduced and it’s all performed through these new programmable thermostats.

Other benefits 
These new smart thermostats have other benefits as well:

• Easier setup
• Larger displays
• More options for each day of the week
• Keeping up with time changes
• “Learn” how to provide cooling and heating more efficiently

For expert advice on finding the perfect programmable thermostat for your Southern California or Nevada home, contact one of the contractors in the AC Pro network.

Our goal is to help inform our customers 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.

Good idea image via Shutterstock

AC Pro Home Comfort Blog

Have you ever arrived home to realize that you forgot to turn the heat or air off before you left for work? The house is warm and toasty or cool and comfortable. But you cringe at the thought of your next bill. On the other hand, if you do remember to turn off the system, your home is often either too cool or too warm when you get home.

Here’s where a programmable thermostat comes in. Programmable thermostats let you preset your home’s temperature adjustments according to your family’s daily or weekly schedule. For instance, you can program it to set back the temperature shortly after you leave for work every day and to return your home to a comfortable level shortly before you usually arrive home.

The results are significant: Families can cut their annual heating and cooling bills by one-tenth just by setting back their thermostat 10 percent to 15 percent for eight hours a day, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Savers program.

Some tips for getting the most out of a programmable thermostat:

• Use it to save money at night, too, by setting back the temperature when everyone’s sleeping and returning to a comfortable temperature just before everyone wakes up. A typical family’s thermostat might be set like this during weekdays in the summer: 75 degrees from 6:30 to 9 a.m.; 80 degrees from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 75 degrees from 5 to 11 p.m.; and back to 80 degrees from 11 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
• Once you find a comfortable temperature, experiment by going 1 or 2 degrees above or below. Maybe your family is comfortable at night at 82 degrees. Each degree makes a difference on your utility bill.
• Programmable thermostats should be installed out of direct sunlight and away from drafts — away from anything that might give it a false temperature reading.

Not all programmable thermostats work with all systems. Ask a certified heating and cooling contractor to help you find one that works for you. Contact AC Pro today to get started. Serving the Southern California and Nevada areas, we’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help inform our customers 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.

Programmable thermostat image via Shutterstock

AC Pro Home Comfort Blog

Is your family using a programmable thermostat? You probably should be. Programmable thermostats offer Southern California and Las Vegas (Nevada) homeowners one of the simplest, most effective ways to control comfort and save energy.

You probably don’t need your house kept at 68 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Actually, maintaining the same comfort levels around the clock can waste a lot of energy. Programmable thermostats let you plug in different temperature settings for different times of the day and different days of the week. If you’d like to change the temperature for any reason, just hit the manual override button and adjust the comfort to your needs at the moment. Manual overrides won’t affect your programmed settings.

Programmable thermostats help you save energy when the house is empty, such as when all members of the household are at work or school. Energy-saving settings work well overnight, too. You can program a more comfortable setting for when people usually arrive home or wake up.

How much should you adjust the temperature for savings while you’re out of the house or asleep? That depends on your preferences. However, here are a few general guidelines:

• During the cooling season, an 80-degree setting can save energy. It’s warm, but not so warm that it will jeopardize your belongings, plants or pets.
• During the heating season, try 60 degrees for your energy-saving setting. Your comfort should not be affected, and you won’t have to worry about frozen pipes.

How much could you save? That depends on several factors, such as your settings, the weather and the efficiency of your HVAC system. But the U.S. Department of Energy estimates you can save 10 percent  a year by turning your thermostat 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours.

Before installing one, talk to your technician. Programmable thermostats may seem simple, but they’re delicate pieces of equipment. And if you have a heat pump, you’ll need a heat-pump-specific unit. Contact a contractor in the AC Pro network, and we’ll help you install the perfect thermostat for your home.

Our goal is to help inform our customers 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.

AC PRO services the Southwestern United States including Southern California and Nevada.  Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

AC Pro Home Comfort Blog

If you have forced heating and air conditioning in your home, a system that heats and cools through a system of ductwork, a programmable thermostat could help you reduce your energy use — and your energy bills.

Here’s how they work. Programmable thermostats let you preset temperatures to reduce energy use while you’re away or sleeping — and make sure your home’s comfortable while you’re there. Many programmable thermostats can store six or more programmable settings per day of the week. You can set a different schedule for each day, if that’s what your family’s schedule requires, or you could create one program for weekdays and another for weekends.

For example, perhaps every resident of your home is at school or work on weekdays for six to eight hours. That’s the perfect time to program a temperature setback for Monday through Friday. There’s always the option to manually override your current temperature without affecting other programmed times.

The big benefit: Programmable thermostats save energy. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save an average of 10 percent on your heating and cooling costs annually by programming the thermostat to set back the temperature 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day. With a programmable thermostat, your home will be back to a comfortable temperature by the time your family gets home.

The longer your home remains at a lower temperature, the more energy savings you can appreciate. If you’re gone for an hour, there’s little purpose in utilizing the programmable function on your thermostat, because one or two hours will not be long enough to see energy savings. Six- or eight-hour increments when the temperature can be raised or lowered, depending on the season, will provide you with the savings you’re looking for.

Considering your thermostat options? For more information or to ask questions, please consult a contractor in the AC Pro network. We’re the experts on indoor air quality in California and Nevada.

Our goal is to help inform our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AC PRO services the Southwestern United States including Southern California and Nevada.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

AC Pro Home Comfort Blog

Here in the southwestern United States, with our warm days but chilly nights, we see some of the greatest temperature fluctuations. By constantly powering off and on your central heating/air conditioning to compensate for the temperature you can place undue strain upon your systems and hurt your pocketbook with a high energy bill. 

The U.S. Dept. of Energy states that by “simply turning your thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees for 8 hours,” there are potential savings of up to 15 percent. Programmable thermostats are one of the simplest and most cost efficient ways to lower your energy bill. By programming when to warm or cool your home depending on the weather or your schedule, you can maintain the comfort of your home as well as use energy efficiently.

Digital and “electromechanical” are the main types of programmable thermostats out on the market. Electromechanical is a term that refers to a thermostat that is controlled either by buttons or sliding bars, will sometimes have a digital readout and is relatively simple to use. A digital thermostat will have more feature options such as:

• A touch pad for easy programming, with a back-lit digital screen
• “Hold” (maintaining a certain temperature) or vacation features (energy conservation modes)
• Indicators that show when filters need  to be changed on the central heating/cooling system
• Adaptive recovery/smart recovery: a feature that will consider the amount of time it will take to reach the desired temperature and will commence when appropriate

Most programmable thermostats also have settings that are pre-programmed that give you the ability to select either a five- or seven-day program, depending on your needs. Maintaining a comfortable temperature in your home has never been so easy and the savings in your energy bill will be worth it.

Replacing an old thermostat with one of the new programmable thermostats is considered a low voltage wiring job that should only be done once all the directions have been read and you have met all safety precautions. The professionals in the AC Pro network can help you narrow down the choice with expert advice. Call on one of our pros today if we can help.

AC PRO services the Southwestern United States including Southern California and Nevada.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

AC Pro Home Comfort Blog

Many homeowners now purchase programmable thermostats for a good reason—they work at saving them energy and lowering their energy bills. Indeed, research has shown that by turning your thermostat back 10-15 degrees for a long period of time (approximately 8 hours) you can reduce your energy bills by up to 10 percent.

But to capitalize on the cost saving benefits of these thermostats, you must know how to operate them properly.

Saving Energy with a Programmable Thermostat

Saving energy (and money) with a programmable thermostat is simple. But before you buy and install one, you need to analyze your family’s energy usage. Are their periods of time during the day or night that you can lower the heating or cooling system without sacrificing comfort?

For instance, is your house empty for 8 hours during the day while everyone is at work or at school? In the summer, are there days or nights when you can turn off the air conditioning and open the window instead? During cold winter nights, while your family is sleeping, can you turn down the heat and throw extra blankets on the beds?

Don’t ignore this analysis of your family’s energy needs. Remember, for ultimate energy savings, you need to adjust your thermostat down (or up) for approximately 8 hours at a time.

Now that you are finished with your analysis, it’s time to shop for a programmable thermostat.

Choosing the Correct Model

There are several different models of programmable thermostats. You should choose the one that more closely fits your schedule.

• 7-day models allow you to set a different heating and cooling schedule for each day of the week.
• 5 + 2 day models allow you to set the same heating and cooling schedule for five days in a row and then set another schedule for the following 2-days.
• 5-1-1 day models allow you to set the schedule for 5 days in a row and then a different schedule for each of the 2 following days.

Operating a Programmable Thermostat

Most programmable thermostats have four periods of the day available for programming. Simply set the thermostat to raise or lower the temperature at times that your family has less need for the energy. (You can always manually override any setting).  Always read the owner’s manual for specific operating instructions.

Programmable thermostats are a great way to save money on your energy bills!

For more information on programmable thermostats, contact an AC Pro near you!

Our goal is to help inform our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AC PRO services the Southwestern United States including Southern California and Nevada.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

AC Pro Home Comfort Blog

We’ve been talking about programmable thermostats, and how they can help you save money on your energy costs.  In order to get the greatest energy savings from your programmable units, however, you need to know how to choose the right one and how to operate it correctly.

Homeowners can potentially get not only savings but increased comfort with their programmable thermostats.   For more information, check out our Home Comfort Solutions Guide to learn more about programmable units.

Programming your Thermostat
When programming your thermostat, think about your daily and weekly routine.  For example, if you prefer to sleep at a cooler temperature during the winter, you might want to start the temperature setback ahead of the time you actually go to bed.  That way, the home will be at the designated temperature by the time you’re ready to sleep.  Also consider the schedules of everyone in the household.  Is there a time during the day when the house is unoccupied for four hours or more?  If so, it makes sense to adjust the temperature during those periods.

In winter, you can easily save energy by setting the thermostat to 68°F while you’re awake and setting it lower while you’re asleep or away from home.  Simply by turning your thermostat back 10°–15° for 8 hours, you can save about 5%–15% a year on your heating bill!  This means savings of as much as 1% for each degree if the setback period is eight hours long.

Will your furnace have to work harder than normal to warm the house back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back?   No need to worry!  This misconception has been dispelled by years of research and numerous studies.  You still get savings by setting back your temperature, mainly because the fuel required to reheat a building to a comfortable temperature is roughly equal to the fuel saved as the building drops to the lower temperature.  You save fuel between the time that the temperature stabilizes at the lower level and the next time heat is needed.  So, the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save.

In the summer, you can follow the same strategy with central air conditioning.  As a guideline, you should keep your house warmer than normal when you are away, and lower the thermostat setting to 78°F (26°C) only when you are at home and need cool air.  Programmable thermostats eliminate the need to remember to adjust the temperature, as they automatically keep the air comfortable based on your schedule.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about how to use programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AC PRO services the Southwestern United States including Southern California and Nevada.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

AC Pro Home Comfort Blog

If you’re like most homeowners, you’re always on the lookout for simple ways to reduce your rising energy bills.   One way to do this is with programmable thermostats.  Most people don’t realize how much they can save just by setting a thermostat in advance, to heat and cool their homes according to a set schedule.

The fact is, simply by installing these units in your home, you can realize savings of up to 10% per year off of your heating and cooling costs!  In the next few posts, we’ll go over programmable thermostats, how they increase the energy efficiency of your HVAC system and make it easy to maintain ideal home comfort.

If you live in an older home, most likely you use manual thermostats.  Manual units work fine, but they have a major drawback.  In order to realize energy savings from a manual unit, you have to remember to adjust the temperature yourself, according to your family’s schedule.  This could occur several times a day.  If you forget, you may end up heating or cooling your home when you’re away, which wastes energy, or you may end up waking up to cold or hot rooms.

Since they operate automatically, programmable thermostats eliminate the hassle of having to manually change temperature settings.  They’re a convenient way to save significantly on your energy costs without sacrificing comfort.

Programmable units are a good investment in your home, because they save you money over time.  Simply by setting your thermostat to maintain the desired temperature for four or five hours a day instead of 24 hours, it will pay for itself in energy savings within about four years.  To get these savings, you put the thermostat on a pre-set schedule. In most cases, you can create several schedules or even a schedule for each day.  This type of thermostat can store and repeat multiple daily settings, which means that you can program it to maintain several different temperatures during the day, as well.

You may get even greater energy savings if you install Energy Star qualified models.  These units adhere to stricter standards regarding energy efficiency.    Our qualified HVAC contractors can tell you if one of these units is a good option for you.

Join us next time when we talk more about how to program and operate your programmable thermostats in order to maximize energy savings.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about the advantages of programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AC PRO services the Southwestern United States including Southern California and Nevada.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

AC Pro Home Comfort Blog