How Learning Thermostats are Different from Programmable Thermostats

December 04, 2018

Your thermostat is key to how much you’re paying on your utility bills. Simply programming your thermostat for periods when you’re sleeping or away can make a great impact without negatively affecting your comfort levels. Depending on the model of your thermostat, you might benefit from a lot of additional features.

At J.L. Brady Company LLC, we’ve got several programmable thermostats to meet your needs—from the most uncomplicated models to the newest learning thermostats. How can you know what you need in your home? First, take the time to understand the difference between basic programmable thermostats and advanced learning models. Either of these can help you save energy and money, but you’ll need to select which features are most important to your home comfort.

The majority of programmable thermostats will let you schedule your days to control temperatures when you’re routinely there and away. Depending on the model you choose, you could be able to record one schedule, which you may end up overriding on weekends or other days you’re home. Some models will let you program your weekdays on one schedule and your weekends on a different one. You’ll also want to look at the number of periods during each day you can set up. For instance, will you want the temps different when you sleep, when you wake up, when you’re at work and when you are home in the evening? Check that the thermostat you select can adapt to your needs.

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

Not only are smart thermostats more flexible, but they’re also Wi-Fi enabled so you can control your home’s temperature from anywhere. 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 your household’s activity throughout the day. Some models don’t even need to be programmed—you just turn them on and give them time to figure everything out on their own over the span of a few days.

So, no matter what your heating and cooling wants are, J.L. Brady Company LLC 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. Contact us at 309-517-7511 to learn more, or schedule an appointment with us online.