Thermostats have evolved into being not just a way to adjust temperature, but they are now available as programmable control centers featuring contemporary mounting, while some even boast additional features like storing digital photos.
Did we mention these things have become fancy?
Below we'll start with basic information you need to know about thermostat types, and then we'll talk about some advanced features that you might find very cool. Read on...
Single-Stage, Multi-Stage - what?
When you're choosing a thermostat, one of the first things you need to decide is what do you need to control. Do you have an air conditioner and furnace or a heat pump and air handler? Radiant heat?
- Single-stage: homes that have a gas/electric furnace and an air conditioner (not a heat pump).
- Line voltage: for homes using alternative heating like radiant heat.
- Multi-stage: a multi-stage thermostat is used when you have multiple heating and cooling sources that overlap. Example: homes that have a heatpump and a furnace. This setup is known as "hybrid heating" because the heat pump and the furnace share the heating load based on outside temperature, and that is controlled by the thermostat.
- Heat Pump: if you one have a heatpump and air handler, this is the one.
Type Of Power
You'll need to know whether you have electricity run for the thermostat, or if it needs to have battery power for operation.
Feature Sets
Once you determine power and the items you have to control, you can get into other cool features that will increase your comfort, save energy and more.
- Programmable: Ever rush out the door for a game and forget to turn down the A/C? A programmable thermostat will save you money and keep your home more comfortable over the year. 7-day models let you schedule out the entire week for your normal air conditioning and heating requirements.
- Auto Heat/Cool: This feature allows a thermostat to automatically switch between heating or cooling mode. This is different than just programming. Some thermostats might be programmable, but only for heating or cooling.
- Adjustable Temp Range: You might hear this called "adjustable differential" and it simply means you can control how far the temperature can deviate before your system kicks back on.
- Programmable Fan Mode: This allows you to have your fan kick on to move stale air. This is ideal for variable speed fans, and for home using indoor air quality components like advanced air cleaners, ventilators and humidifiers.
- Vacation Mode: This feature allows for additional programming so that your system knows when to turn on before you arrive back home.
- Remote Access: Ever wish you could turn the A/C on before you got home on a hot summer day? A remote access equipped thermostat allows you to tap into your HVAC system via a phone or the web!
- Touch Screen: Touch screen models are just easier to use, and look cool. Like the Venstar® model featured on the right - this one has multiple styles of frames, can cycle through family photos.
As you can see, thermostats are more than they used to be, and they have price tags to match the feature sets. If you load one up with remote access and all the desired programming features, it could ding you over $600. However the majority of high quality thermostats like the Venstar® ColorTouch to the right will provide you with all the features you need, some bells and whistles and still come in under $200.
We also cannot stress enough the importance of hiring a Los Angeles air conditioning contractor who knows what they are doing. You'd be surprised at how many HVAC contractors install components the wrong way. What does that mean for you? Loss of energy savings and even equipment malfunction.
See our list for dealers you can trust:
Los Angeles Air Conditioning Contractors