At Home in Berks October 2017 - 18

FEATURES

Today's Thermostats
Use Cutting Edge
Technology
by Robert Newpher, Sales Manager, Comfort Pro, Inc.

Gone are the days of trying to turn an old thermostat to the perfect temperature. Thermostats and
HVAC systems are using cutting edge technology to
make great strides in the industry. One of the latest
strides in the HVAC world are smart thermostats.
Most are Wi-Fi enabled, equipped with user friendly communication capabilities providing a level of
comfort control and customer service homeowners
expect in today's techonology driven world. They
help control energy costs and improve home comfort by precisely controlling things like temperature,
humidity, ventilation, and allergens.

ome of the top smart thermostats right now are Lennox's
iComfort S30, the Ecobee4 and the Lux TX500U. There
are several features highlighting how user friendly these
thermostats are for consumers. All use location services on
the homeowner's phone to detect when they leave and arrive
home, adjusting the temperature accordingly to save energy
while maximizing comfort. They monitor indoor and outdoor
humidity levels, automatically adjusting compressor speeds to
maximize dehumidification performance.

The iComfort S30 offers a Feels Like Temperature feature. Similar to the "feels like" temperature in a weather report, while
using the Feels Like Temperature feature, the homeowner can
set their perfect "feels like" temperature to a certain degree,
and the thermostat will take into account current temperature
and humidity levels to set an exact temperature that will emulate their "feels like" temperature.

AT HOME IN BERKs October 2017

For allergy sufferers, in most smart thermostats, there is an
allergen defender feature, which monitors the air quality
and pollen levels of a homeowner's local zip code and
automatically turns the fan on to clean out the home's air
when outdoor levels are high. Some smart thermostats will
calculate monthly performance levels, which summarize
how many hours of heating and cooling were used. The
iComfort S30, specifically, will provide a month-to-month
comparison to see any changes in months, potentially helping a homeowner save money and energy. Smart thermostats are capable of many other helpful features for homeowners like room sensors in the Ecobee4 that help manage
hot and cold spots in homes as well as a built-in Alexa
Voice Service. Not only are there user friendly features for
homeowners, but there are also helpful features for HVAC
technicians. For instance, for most smart thermostats,
installation time is reduced due to automatic system setup.
As an extra bonus, while using the iComfort Mobile Setup
App with the iComfort S30, technicians can adjust settings
and run diagnostic tests all from their phone, eliminating
trips between the thermostat itself and the indoor/outdoor
unit.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of At Home in Berks October 2017