A programmable thermostat is a valuable tool that can cut your energy bills and improve your comfort levels at the same time. Just like any tool, the more you know about operating it, the better the results will be.
Types of Programmable Thermostats
First you will need to determine the best type of programmable thermostat for your home and lifestyle. There are four types of thermostats to select from:
- 7-day – Allows different settings for each day of the week.
- 5-1-1 – Sets one schedule for the work week and one each for Saturday and Sunday.
- 5-2 – Sets one schedule for the work week and one for the weekend.
- 1-week – Sets one schedule for the entire week.
Thermostat Settings
Once installed, remember to keep your set-points at a minimum of eight-hour intervals, i.e. morning, day and evening. This is gentler on your HVAC system and creates a more even climate. It also ensures that you’re not wasting energy by shifting the temperature more than necessary.
Further, try and avoid using the override option. While the override will cancel at the beginning of the next program period, you’ll end up using more energy by using it. If you discover that you’re consistently overriding settings during a specific time, simply change your programming to reflect your needs.
It’s also advisable to avoid extremes on your settings. Setting it at 32 degrees Celsius for those cold winter days, or all the way down to 15 on those blistery summer days won’t achieve your preferred climate any faster. Furthermore, if you have a “learning” thermostat, it will adapt and calculate these settings into its programming.
Consider Zoning
To achieve even more savings, it’s a wise idea to structure your system into multiple heating and cooling zones. This allows you to avoid wasting energy within rooms you rarely use such as dining rooms, spare bedrooms and basements. Programmable thermostats can be used to manage these zones and can be easily adjusted as required.
We invite you to contact Arpis Industries, Ltd. for more information about programmable thermostats and the ways we recommend using them to maximize your comfort and energy savings in Calgary.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “lucadp/Shutterstock”
