Your thermostat is like your home’s brain: it tells your heating when and how to heat and your cooling when and how to cool. It helps you stay comfortable year round, season after season. Suffice it to say: thermostats are important. 

If you’re looking to replace or upgrade your existing thermostat, maybe you’re thinking of a WiFi thermostat or just a manual option, you might not know exactly where to look. That’s okay! That’s what this post is for: we’ll cover what you need to know in order to successfully purchase the right thermostat for your home and its unique needs. 

What varieties of thermostat can I choose from?

There are three main types of thermostat you can choose from when deciding on your device. These types include: manual thermostats, programmable thermostats, and smart thermostats. Let’s take a close look at each option:

• Manual thermostats are your traditional, no frills thermostat. They’re also referred to as mechanical, or non-programmable thermostats. They’re basic, without added features, but are capable of being used to manually adjust your home’s HVAC system’s temperature or turn it on and off. There are digital ones, with arrow buttons used to control the temp, and analog ones, where a dial is twisted to accomplish the same thing. These are the most affordable and least precise of all three options.
• Programmable thermostats are, as their name suggests, programmable. This is a step up from the basic operation of the manual thermostat because it gives you the ability to select certain temperature parameters for certain times of day or days of the week. This is a boon to homeowners who want to save money on power costs or implement specific heating or cooling plans in their home.
• Smart thermostats are similar to programmable thermostats, except they have more features. Smart thermostats offer similar customization options as programmable thermostats but that comes with extended connectivity capabilities. A smart thermostat can be adjusted from your phone or computer. Other potential benefits of these technologically advanced thermostats include touch screens, air quality alerts, voice control, programmable schedules, and AI-backed learning capabilities.

What do I need to know about my home before choosing a thermostat?

There are a few pieces of information you’ll need before choosing your thermostat. Things like:

• Your HVAC system’s voltage. Your home will either have a low voltage, millivolt, or high voltage system. Low voltage systems are the most common, and it’s more likely than not that that’s what you have in your home. If you want to double check, you can find out by contacting the company that installed your HVAC system originally.
• If your new thermostat will fit where your old one was located. Your thermostat will have to be in the same place unless you want to deal with the complex and potentially expensive task of rewiring your home. 
• How many heating and cooling stages your HVAC system has. The stages your HVAC system has refer to the number of speeds your AC and heat can run. There are three categories: 1-stage, 2-stage, or variable. You want to make sure your thermostat is compatible with whatever stage system your HVAC has.

What do I do next?

Once you’ve reviewed the different types of thermostat and gathered the necessary information you’ll need pre-installation, it’s time for the next step. 

The next step in question is getting in touch with a professional to set up installation. The average homeowner can’t install their own thermostat, since it involves electrical work and your HVAC system. A professional installation will help you avoid malfunctions and repairs down the line.

Choosing the right thermostat for your home is all about balancing your priorities to find a match. Once you’ve weighed what you want against what you need and can afford, it’s time to call a professional about getting it installed. The team at Welter Heating is always ready and willing to help set up your next appointment.