How Learning Thermostats are Different from Programmable Thermostats

December 04, 2018

Your thermostat is a big part of how much you are spending on energy costs. Merely programming your thermostat for periods when you’re sleeping or away can make a large impact without having a negative affect on your comfort levels. Depending on the model of your thermostat, you might benefit from a lot of additional features.

At Contra Costa Heating & AC, we’ve got an array of programmable thermostats to meet your needs—from the most simple models to the most modern learning thermostats. How can you know what will work best for you? First, research the difference between basic programmable thermostats and advanced learning models. Both can help you save energy and money, but you’ll want to determine which features are most important to your home comfort.

The majority of programmable thermostats will allow you to schedule your days to control temperatures when you’re typically there and gone. Depending on the model you pick, you may be able to input one schedule, which you may end up overriding on weekends or other days you’re home. Some models will allow you to program your weekdays on one schedule and your weekends on a different one. You’ll also want to look at the number of periods you can select each day. For instance, will you want the temperature in your house different when you sleep, when you wake up, when you’re at work and when you are home in the evening? Be sure the thermostat you pick can meet your needs.

For some homeowners, being able to arrange a regular schedule (or two) and override it when needed is enough. But if you want added flexibility, it’s probably time to consider a smart thermostat. A smart thermostat will let you completely customize a heating and cooling schedule for every day of the week.

Flexibility isn’t the only benefit that smart thermostats provide, but they’re also Wi-Fi enabled so you can manage your home’s temperature no matter where you are. Some models of smart thermostats take innovation even further—these are called “learning thermostats.” Learning thermostats do everything a regular smart thermostat can do, but they can also learn from your behaviors and monitor your heating and cooling schedules based on the actual activity in your home. Some models don’t even need to be programmed—you just turn them on and they will figure everything out on their own after a short amount of time.

So, no matter what your heating and cooling needs are, Contra Costa Heating & AC will help you find the most appropriate thermostat for your home and budget. You’ll end up with ultimate home comfort with potential energy savings. Call us at 510-343-9841 to hear more, or arrange an appointment with us online.