(Updated May 2021) -- Your air conditioner relies on prompting from a thermostat to know when to cool your home and when to shut off for energy conservation. Thus, an accurate and easy-to-use thermostat is the key to getting the best possible performance from your cooling system. Modern thermostats are available in a variety of models with features that are specifically designed to help you maximize home comfort and minimize your monthly heating and cooling bills.
The most powerful, sophisticated HVAC equipment in the world is only as useful as the thermostat that controls it. You might need to consider replacing your thermostat if...
1. It's not programmable
Programmable thermostats offer you an additional way to save money and improve your air conditioner’s performance. By allowing you to create and set programs, these thermostats make it simple to cool your home only when you need it while reducing the load on your air conditioner when you are away. Creating programs lets you save time and prevents you from accidentally forgetting to change your thermostat daily for improved convenience and consistent temperature regulation for the greatest energy savings and HVAC system longevity.
A programmable thermostat is an inexpensive way to control your heating and cooling costs without sacrificing personal comfort. Just set it a few degrees warmer or cooler while you're asleep or away from home, and start saving energy!
2. It's not digital
Analog thermostats were once the best technology your HVAC expert had to offer. However, digital thermostats are now becoming the norm for many reasons. Analog thermostats typically display the temperature using a mechanical slider, which can be difficult to read, especially at a glance. Similarly, the dial or lever you use to adjust your home’s temperature can be hard to position accurately. Both of these factors combine to cause difficulty when reading or setting the temperature accurately, which can lead to frustration and higher energy bills when you inadvertently set your thermostat to cool your home to a lower temperature than necessary. Digital displays take all the guesswork out of setting a temperature for your cooling system to maintain, making it much easier to enjoy both home comfort and lower energy bills.
3. It doesn't have the features you want
Even if you have a digital, programmable thermostat, you may be interested in a model with a greater range of features:
- Program flexibility – Some thermostats allow you to set a different heating and cooling schedule for each day of the week; others only allow you to set one schedule for weekdays and another for weekends. Hold and vacation features are also available for added control.
- Modern display & controls – Large backlit displays and intuitive touchpad or touchscreen controls make it easier for you to see and adjust your thermostat settings. Select models also offer voice activation and control.
- Wi-Fi access – WiFi-enabled thermostats allow you to access your air conditioner even when you can’t access your thermostat. By connecting with your home’s wireless router, internet connectivity means you can monitor and change the temperature or cooling program in your home via any connected computer or web-enabled mobile device at any time. You can instantly turn the temperature up and down to accommodate changes in your own plans or the weather to ensure your home is always comfortable without using unnecessary energy when you won’t be present.
- Maintenance alerts – Filter-change reminders, system status information and other alerts help you keep your HVAC system running efficiently.
- Memory save – Memory backup keeps you from losing your programs in a power outage.
- Adaptive recovery features – New “learning” thermostats take the programmable thermostat one step further. These devices include compiles learning algorithms that note every change you make to your thermostat and, over time, develops a cooling program for your home based on your typical daily activities. These thermostats can help you cool your home even more efficiently by continually monitoring the temperature and your activity level and adjusting the temperature automatically, so you don’t have to put any thought into maintaining the environment you want in your home at the lowest possible energy cost. All Energy Star-qualified thermostats should have this functionality.
4. You're upgrading your HVAC system
Any time you make significant changes to your HVAC equipment, it's worthwhile to evaluate your thermostat to see if it is right for your new system. If you're installing a multi-zone system, for example, you'll need to have a thermostat that's compatible.
5. It doesn't work properly
If your home isn't staying as warm or as cool as you'd like—and you're sure you've set your thermostat properly—the problem could be a faulty thermostat. Call an ARS®/Rescue Rooter® technician or book an appointment online to see if that's the case. He or she should be able to diagnose the issue and give you replacement options to fit your individual needs.
