Do You Need a New Thermostat?

Wondering if it's time to get a new thermostat? The answer depends on your budget, objectives and the state of your current thermostat. Here are some points to consider:

1. Malfunctioning Thermostat

If your thermostat isn't working correctly, it may be time to replace it. To determine whether the issues is the thermostat or something else, turn up or down the thermostat depending on the season and see if the heater or AC turns on. If it doesn't, make sure that the lights on the thermostat are on. If the lights are off, turn off the breaker, and pry loose the thermostat from the wall.

If there are any unconnected wires, you can connect them yourself (if you're experienced) or hire an electrician to do it for you. If the lights are on, it means the thermostat isn't communicating with the rest of your heating system properly, indicating you need a new one.

2. Old Thermostat

If your thermostat is old but working well, you may want to replace it due to the money you can potentially save on your energy bill by installing a programmable thermostat. With a programmable thermostat, you can preset the house's temperature to change at different intervals during the day.

Namely, you can set the thermostat to turn down the heat while you are sleeping but increase the heat in the morning. When you go to work, your programmed thermostat is set to decrease the temps once again but increase them later so that your home is warm when you come home from work. These thermostats make it hard to forget to turn down the thermostat, helping to reduce wasted heat and high energy bills.

3. Ready for a Smart Thermostat

In other cases, you may already have a programmable thermostat, but you may be ready to upgrade to a smart thermostat. In addition to being programmable, these high-tech thermostats connect to phone or laptop apps over wifi. As a result, you can adjust the settings remotely.

Additionally, if you have other smart elements in your home, you can connect your new smart thermostat to the rest of your home's smart technology. For example, theoretically, if you push the snooze button on a smart alarm clock in the morning, it will relay a message to the smart thermostat to wait an extra ten minutes or so before turning up the heat. That allows you to sync your life.

If your thermostat is broken or outdated, it may be time to consider a new one. To learn more about the effects of your thermostat on your heating system as a whole, contact a heating specialist.