Older thermostats have many weaknesses like slow response time and lack control over your home’s temperatures. However, with technological advancements, we now have digital thermostats.
What are digital AC thermostats, and do you need one?
To help you determine whether you should invest in AC digital thermostats for your home, we will cover the following:
- What they are
- How they work
- Benefits of using them
Keep reading to learn more.
What Are Digital AC Thermostats?
Digital AC thermostats give homeowners and renters a digital display (instead of an analog one). They allow you to create programmable schedules on when you want to heat or cool your home.
When searching for digital thermostats, you’ll see two types: Programmable and Smart thermostats. The former allows you to schedule when you want your HVAC to run. Meanwhile, the latter gives you more granular control.
Smart thermostats also offer features like:
- Proximity sensors
- Humidity control
- Energy usage tracking
- Wi-Fi capabilities: connect it to your smart home ecosystem
Let’s dive into how these devices work.
How Do Digital AC Thermostats Work?
Digital AC thermostats use a thermistor' device to measure temperature changes in your home. These devices create electrical resistances when temperatures change. From there, they measure the resistance and convert them to temperature readings.
Many digital thermostats include built-in clocks (for scheduling).
Some have proximity sensors or utilize geofencing. Geofencing uses RFID or GPS technology to create a virtual boundary around an area. This feature helps detect when a homeowner leaves their home.
Smart thermostats use features to detect when a homeowner leaves their house and adjusts the temperature accordingly.
3 Benefits of Using Digital AC Thermostats in Your Home
Throughout this next section, we will cover the benefits that come with using a programmable thermostat. These advantages include:
- Saving money
- Manage your home’s humidity
- Get complete control over the temperature in your home
Let’s dive into these benefits.
1. Saves Money on Energy Bills
A digital thermostat can save homeowners and renters money because they allow you to schedule when your heating or cooling turns on.
Imagine accidentally leaving your air conditioning on overnight. Many air conditioners cost around $0.88 per hour. Sleeping 8 hours means you’ll spend a little over $7.00.
These mistakes add up. Especially if you have multiple air conditioners in your home.
Using a digital AC controller makes it so this accident doesn’t occur. Thus, potentially saving you a significant amount of money. Regarding up front costs, these devices pay themselves off.
Let’s take a Nest smart thermostat, for example. On average, a $250 device would pay itself off in a couple of years. The time it takes to recuperate your savings depends on your energy usage, whether you get the device on sale, and other factors.
2. Keeps Humidity Under Control
Some digital AC thermostats have sensors that can detect your home’s humidity levels. From there, it can control your humidity to ideal levels.
Mississippi has some of the highest relative humidity in the nation (around 73%). And because of this, humidity over 60% can damage your home’s furniture, brickwork, flooring, and other parts.
It can also lead to mold. These microbes can lead to health issues.
Some studies suggest keeping your home between 40% to 60% relative humidity. While others suggest 30-50%. Either way, some programmable thermostats enable you to select an ideal humidity level.
Then it will trigger your HVAC system to manage your home’s humidity throughout the day.
Humidity control is also ideal for:
- Vacation homes
- Storage
- Rooms with servers
- Garages
If any of these rooms or house types have humidity issues, you may want to consider a smart thermostat to keep your relative humidity levels consistent.
3. Gives You Full Control Over Your Home’s Temperatures
You can pinpoint exact temperatures that you feel comfortable with when using digital AC thermostats. Meanwhile, this hardware will keep your home at that consistent temperature, optimize your home’s HVAC system, and improve its energy efficiency.
You can also optimize your home’s HVAC system with regular maintenance. And if you’re in Shreveport, Bossier City, Haughton, or surrounding areas, AccuTemp Cooling and Heating can help. We are available 24/7. Contact us today online or at (318) 861-2255 to learn how we can help.
