Types Of Thermostats That Might Be Installed With AC Repair | Euless, TX
Perfect temperatures are all you need in your home, be it under the scorching sun of Euless, TX, during summers or the chilly winds that come during winters. This is the only way to maintain a comfortable home environment that benefits you and your family. This is where a heating and air conditioning system installation comes in. to create that conducive environment that makes your home comfortable, having an AC repair technician install an HVAC system will go a long way. However, this isn’t enough.
You must also install the right thermostat type to help the HVAC system achieve your preferred temperature settings. A thermostat is like the brain of a heating and air conditioning system. It controls how the unit will cool or heat your home based on programmed settings or sensing indoor and outdoor temperatures. This way, your home will have the desired comfort levels.
With various types of thermostats available in the market, you might wonder, what is the best kind? Which one best fits your unit? If you have been grappling with such questions, you’re at the right place. By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll have learned enough to make a sound decision when you shop for a thermostat that suits your needs best. However, if you have any doubts, contact your AC repair professional. But first;
What’s a Thermostat?
The term thermostat combines two Greek words: thermos (heat) and status (static). Therefore, it can be easily concluded that a thermostat is a unit that helps maintain constant temperatures in any closed setting. A thermostat helps in turning an HVAC system off and on as required. It usually senses the temperatures in the surrounding area. It knows if the HVAC unit should be turned on or off to achieve your preferred temperatures and make your home comfortable. Hence, to ensure the efficient running of your HVAC system, have an AC repair technician install a thermostat at your Euless, TX, home.
How Do Thermostats Work?
How a thermostat works depends on its type. Is it digital or mechanical? On the one hand, mechanical thermostats work by moving a metal piece that interrupts the electrical circuit and stops your HVAC system’s current flow through a bi-metallic strip or coil. This bi-metallic strip expands when the temperatures are higher and will contract whenever the temperatures become lower than the desired setting. The temperature sensitivity of the metal strip allows it to break or make the electrical circuit.
Conversely, digital thermostats don’t need to have bimetallic strip movement. It uses in-built sensors that can detect the surrounding areas’ temperatures and decrease or increase the electrical resistance. At the point by which a specific resistance is reached, the digital thermostat signals the HVAC system to cut power.
If you want your home to look more modern, having an AC repair technician install a digital thermostat is the best option. Mechanical thermostats are used mostly in old houses that haven’t seen substantial upgrades. Digital thermostats also bring about a level of convenience and comfort to your home compared to mechanical ones.
Types of Thermostats
There Are two types of basic thermostats; depending on the voltages they use when running, you can have an AC repair technician installed at your Euless, TX, home. They include:
Line Voltage Thermostat
When referring to electrical appliances, a line voltage thermostat implies that the appliance can be plugged into a socket, and then you use it immediately. Most electrical items may run on 120V or 240V as a standard. This is also called a high-voltage thermostat due to its high voltage usage. Additionally, two varieties of these high voltage thermostats are two-wire and four-wire.
Two-wire higher voltage thermostats are called single-pole thermostats, while the four-wire ones are called double-pole thermostats. Double-pole line voltage thermostats can be turned off, but single-pole line voltage thermostats can only be adjusted to the lowest level. Hence, if you want a plug-and-play thermostat, you should have your AC repair technician install a line voltage thermostat.
Low Voltage Thermostat
Low voltage thermostats run off a transformer which minimizes the line voltage to about 12-24V. It’s a direct wired heater and air conditioning unit control that can control any system, including furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, air conditioning systems, radiant heat, and baseboard heaters. The low voltage thermostats, in most instances, run on a small battery that allows them to recharge or even snap the power from the mains whenever needed in a process called power stealing. Therefore, homeowners that want an energy-efficient thermostat should enlist AC repair technicians to install low-voltage thermostats.
Types of Thermostats with Respect to Features
Have you gone out to shop for a thermostat in the recent past? If you have, then you know there are many options that you could choose from to have the right kind of thermostat for your home. However, you should have a qualified AC repair professional install the thermostat to ensure it can properly serve your Euless, TX, home. Below are some of the thermostats that you could use based on their features:
Manual or Non-Programmable Thermostats
A manual thermostat (often called a non-programmable thermostat) is a traditional option for controlling temperatures in your home. They can be classified into manual and electronic non-programmable thermostats. Manual non-programmable thermostats usually have a dial for changing the temperatures. The electronic non-programmable thermostats feature buttons and, at times, a digital display that lets you change the variable settings. If you still use a manual non-programmable thermostat, having an AC repair technician replace it with a digital one is a sound upgrade. A Non-programmable thermostat is a suitable choice in areas with little variation in the outside temperature because you only need one temperature setting to create a comfortable environment.
This is an excellent option for you if you aren’t a tech-savvy person because it is simpler to regulate the climate in your home as needed. Therefore, if you don’t want a sophisticated thermostat, have your AC repair professional install these devices in your home. Compared to other thermostats, a non-programmable thermostat is less expensive upfront. Although they are less expensive and simpler, repeated temperature adjustments may become uncomfortable. Non-programmable or manual thermostats don’t give energy-efficient temperature settings due to their few functions.
Programmable Thermostat
The other type of thermostat you can have an AC repair technician install at your home is a programmable thermostat. These thermostats allow a homeowner to set schedules for controlling their cooling and heating systems. With a programmable thermostat, you can customize the settings with various temperatures depending on whether you will be at home.
Programmable thermostats are shipped with various features, including touchpad programming, voice-phone programming, air filter status, and vacation settings. These features allow you to select your preferred settings per your standards. The programmable thermostats come in 3 models, including 5-1-1 (a setting for weekdays and different settings for Sundays and Saturdays) and 5-2, a setting for weekends and another for weekdays). They also have 7-day settings that allow you to set a different setting for each day of the week.
The different functionalities of various programmable thermostats are the core reason for the increasing popularity of these thermostats nowadays. You can save a lot of energy and cut your cooling and heating costs by setting the thermostat to different temperatures throughout the day. Hence, if you’re overwhelmed by the heating and cooling expenses, having an AC repair technician install a programmable thermostat could save you a fortune.
For example, if you live where the temperatures plummet during the night, you can use a programmable thermostat to set different temperatures for the night and day. This’s just one of the scenarios. Whenever you need a way out, there is a high chance that a programmable thermostat will offer you a solution.
Having an AC repair technician install a programmable thermostat at your home will help you make automatic adjustments, remotely control and monitor your HVAC, and reduce energy usage. This means one thing, increased comfort. Unfortunately, programmable thermostats have high upfront costs, and their installation might be time-consuming. Additionally, it could take you a while to properly understand its functions.
Smart or Learning Thermostat
Learning thermostats are a kind of programmable thermostats that operate on their own. Over time, they learn your needs, and as you use them, they create routines based on them. Smart thermostats and monthly energy reports include energy-efficient settings that can help lower your cooling and heating expenses. Smart thermostats cannot learn your habits, in contrast to learning thermostats.
You may monitor and operate these thermostats using your tablet, smartphone, or laptop by connecting them to an internet connection. The learning thermostats are the simplest solution for solving the temperatures at your Euless, TX, home. However, should you prefer to keep the control with you, having an AC repair technician install smart thermostats could be a better option. Compared to other types of thermostats, the smart and learning ones provide the best convenience but have a high upfront cost.
Communicating Thermostat
Communicating thermostats don’t need a ton of wiring, unlike non-communicating thermostats. These thermostats communicate with various parts of your cooling and heating system by pairing like two Bluetooth devices. Consequently, the two devices can send signals and make the necessary changes through communication. However, a communicating thermostat only works with a communicating HVAC system.
Unfortunately, these HVAC systems have a very high upfront cost. The good thing is that they save you a fortune in the long run. Similarly, communicating thermostats significantly cut your electric costs as their components can communicate their capabilities. They also can turn off or on accordingly. The communicating thermostats are challenging to install and have costlier AC repairs.
Outlet Thermostat
This kind of thermostat could be used with portable cooling and heating devices. It is best fit in offices and homes that don’t have installed HVAC systems. Outlet thermostats are popular among homeowners with smaller living spaces or those who don’t want to undergo the lengthy installation process. All these homeowners have to do is plug the device in, select their desired temperatures, and the AC unit or heater will turn it off/on automatically and maintain your preferred settings. Outlet thermostats only need periodic maintenance by an AC repair technician.
Data Logging Thermostat
Thermostats with data logging capabilities maintain track of temperature settings over time. Typically, professionals utilize this thermostat to locate any hot or cold zones in a Euless, TX, home. Since the temperature must be continuously maintained to store and keep the items safe from pollutants and bacteria, these thermostats are more usually applied in the food sector. If you have a food processing facility, then it might be time you have an AC repair technician install a data logging thermostat.
Mini-Split Thermostats
Have you installed a ductless mini-split heat pump? Then there is good news. The mini-split air conditioners have a dedicated thermostat called a mini-split thermostat. These thermostat helps make your dumb air conditioner smart. Most mini-split air conditioners feature an infrared remote control whose functionalities are limited.
However, by having an AC repair technician pair your air conditioner with mini-split thermostats, also called smart AC controllers, you can properly condition your home using a smartphone anytime and anywhere. With its many features, such as geofencing, weekly schedules, and comfy mode, you can set the humidity and temperatures using these units to maintain a comfortable indoor climate. Using your infrared remote, you can set up the device and connect it to the air conditioner.
Choose the Right Thermostat
As you can see from the preceding, there are many thermostats that you can choose from to ensure that your Euless, TX, home is properly cooled or heated. Thermostats are critical in ensuring that your home is comfortable. Choosing the right one will go a long way in ensuring that. If you have problems choosing one, contact us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth, your reliable AC repair company.