How Smart is Your Home Comfort? 4 Tech Updates to Get the Grade

Technology continues to progress at a rapid rate. The trickle-down of modern tech advancements create accessibility and affordability for homeowners. Smart home technology can now be utilized in the average American household to create an automated and optimized home comfort experience.

Home Automation

Home automation is the wireless control of electronic devices. These devices can include lights, appliances, doors, HVAC systems, security systems, and more. This allows homeowners the ability to optimize their home’s performance from a smartphone, tablet, or another smart device.

Home automation enables your home to operate seamlessly. Whether an appliance is no longer in use or you’re just entering your home, connected electronic devices can intuitively operate your home to simultaneously maximize energy efficiency and home comfort.

Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats allow for the automation of the home’s HVAC system. A wi-fi thermostat has much more capability than a simple programmable thermostat. They can be conveniently controlled from a smart device and have several unique features that greatly improve home comfort and efficiency.

• Vacation settings – Take advantage of intuitive and convenient vacation settings that are built into your smart thermostat. You can save time and money by choosing energy-efficient settings for your HVAC system while you are away on vacation.
• Auto changeover between cooling and heating – Old, manual thermostats required users to switch from cooling to heating at night when the temps drop. There are many days where both hot and cold are required, so an auto changeover allows for homeowners to comfortably and unnoticeably experience outdoor temperature fluctuation.
• Humidity level identification – High amounts of moisture in the air can make you feel cooler when it’s cold and hotter when it’s hot. It can also compromise the integrity of your home. Identifying humidity levels allows homeowners to deploy humidifiers and dehumidifiers when necessary to create optimum levels of comfort.
• Dirty filter detection – It can be easy to forget to change a filter. This simple task can, unfortunately, lead to big consequences as it can compromise your HVAC system’s performance. Smart thermostats can let you know when your filter needs to be cleaned or replaced to maximize your system’s efficiency.
• System maintenance reminders – If you have a smart thermostat, your HVAC system will run like a dream. That can make it easy to forget that it still needs to be regularly cleaned and maintained. Your smart thermostat can be scheduled to alert you when it’s time for its annual, or bi-annual maintenance visit.
• Integration with home automation devices – If you’ve got your hands full or don’t want to forget to schedule something on your smart thermostat, tell your Alexa or Google Home to change your thermostat’s settings or schedule a vacation.
• Real-time energy use tracking – How energy efficient is your home? Before, you would just have to wait for your monthly energy bill. Now, you can eliminate the surprise and make improvements to your energy consumption throughout the month to reduce your energy costs.
• Occupancy sensing and automatic energy savings/comfort setting transitioning – Whether you’re leaving or entering your home, your smart thermostat will register this difference and automatically change to either an energy efficient or comfort setting.
• Local weather forecasting – Another feature to make setting your HVAC system at its optimal temp is a built-in local weather forecast. Take a look at the next week and plan your heating and cooling around it.
• Remote access and control from smart devices – Take complete control of your home’s HVAC from the office or on the road. Smart technology is always with you so that you can always make the necessary changes to your HVAC system to ensure the best efficiency and comfort.

IAQ Products

Beyond temperature control, advancements in tech allow HVAC systems to provide further home comfort through improved indoor air quality. IAQ products can help clear the air, eliminating dust, allergens, bacteria, and mold from the air that can harm you and your family’s health. Utilize these IAQ products to give your home comfort a boost:

Beyond temperature control, advancements in tech allow HVAC systems to provide further home comfort through improved indoor air quality. IAQ products can help clear the air, eliminating dust, allergens, bacteria, and mold from the air that can harm you and your family’s health. Utilize these IAQ products to give your home comfort a boost:

• Air purifiers
• Humidifiers
• Dehumidifiers
• UV germicidal lights

Smart Security

Another important factor of home comfort is the safety and security of your home. A smart security system can provide peace of mind in terms of preventing break-ins and theft. Utilizing smart technology, homeowners are enabled to control the safety and security of their homes anytime, anywhere.

Whether you’re sitting on the couch or in the office, you can check who’s at your door or whether or not your home is locked and secure.

Security systems are extremely convenient, allow for total awareness of the goings on around your home and property and reduce your home insurance payment.

Smart home comfort tech can provide immense boosts to your peace of mind, productivity and energy savings. Get the most out of your home by contacting Sheldon's Heating & Air Conditioning today!