What is a Smart Home and What are its Benefits

Smart Thermostat Features and Capabilities

Programmable thermostats are not a new concept. However, the new smart thermostats are more advanced and offer for more than just programming the temperature. Here are a few of the more common advanced features.

• Home Away Function or Geofencing – Geofencing technology uses smartphone GPS and the thermostat’s app to create a virtual boundary, or geofence, which then communicates with the thermostat to turn on or off once that perimeter is breached by the smartphone. This feature will automatically adjust the temperature based on the homeowner’s location.
• Smartphone Alerts– Every homeowner would love to act before a catastrophe occurs. This is especially true for an expensive repair or replacement of an HVAC system. These alerts include humidity levels, heating and cooling fluctuations during cycles, and equipment failure. Alerts like these allow homeowners to resolve issues before it’s too late
• Touch Display – Most smart thermostats include a touchscreen display. Thermostat display screens come in different colors, sizes, shapes, and designs. Some touchscreens are intuitive and easier to read than others and all thermostats should at least display the time, date and temperature.
• Sensors/Motion Detection – The best connected thermostats usually have built-in proximity and room sensors. Display screens that are lit at all times can be distracting. A proximity sensor will dim or brighten the display screen when motion is detected. Smart thermostats are also able to sense the surrounding temperature and whether the room is occupied. This makes both heating and cooling much more efficient.
• Energy Reports and Tracking – Tracking energy usage is a cost-saving feature. A smart thermostat will monitor which parts of the house are consuming the most energy which allows the homeowner to make energy-efficient adjustments to the schedule.
• Voice Assistant – Smart thermostats integrate with various voice assistants such as Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri. With any of these voice assistants, simply use the voice command feature to adjust the temperature. The best Wi-Fi thermostats will be those that have voice control compatibility.
• Integration – An important aspect of any smart device is the ability to integrate with other smart devices. IFTTT (If This, Then That) is another advanced feature of smart thermostats. IFTTT is an action that causes a reaction which in turn triggers the smart thermostat. This includes many possible scenarios like the furnace activating when the sun sets or the AC increasing along with the outdoor temperature.