Are you thinking about upgrading your home’s HVAC system? As you make your plans, you might want to consider some cool new features that you can use to update both your HVAC and your home. Smart features can save energy, improve convenience, and even increase your home’s value. But what the hottest features you can add in 2018?
Smart Thermostats
Perhaps one of the simplest upgrades to your HVAC system you can implement is a thermostat. At its most basic, a smart thermostat will schedule your heating and cooling to keep your home comfortable when you’re inside. During the night or when you’re at work, your HVAC system will reduce the amount of energy it uses; after all, you don’t need your home cozy and comfortable when everyone is out.
In addition to that, the smart thermostat will learn. It will look at your energy use and your heating and cooling settings and analyze the best schedule for you.
For instance, the thermostat may find that leaving heating and cooling on during certain times is more effective than turning it off and on again within the same amount of time. This ability to learn will eventually pay for itself in terms of energy usage.
Zone Control
Smart zone control can heat and cool separate areas of your home. You might want the second floor of your home a little cooler than the bottom, or you might have certain areas of your home that you use frequently (like the living room) while other areas that you only use at certain times (the office).
Zone control cuts back on the amount of energy you waste, as you can easily shut your doors, turn off some areas, and reduce the amount of energy you use. Zone control also helps regulate the areas that you’re actively using. If you have pets, you can use zone control to limit your heating and cooling to areas that contain pets when you’re out.
Smart Vent Systems
If you frequently notice that areas in your home seem to be different temperatures entirely, you may need a smart vent system. Smart vent systems are a relatively new development that allows for the control of your vents individually. Smart vents can improve the comfort and convenience of a home by automatically reacting to the temperature within each room and equalizing it.
A smart vent system operates much like zone control, but rather than forcing air into specific areas of the home, it instead opens and closes vents. This control can be more economical in the long term because your HVAC system isn’t producing any additional heat or cooling; it’s simply directing heated or cooled air in the most efficient way possible.
Fresh Air Systems
New, smart fresh air systems can report back on the freshness of your air and can import outside air as needed. Your HVAC system may be circulating your air, but the air can also become very stale if it’s only circulating inside of your home. Stale air can have a number of allergens in it, which can ultimately lead to health problems such as asthma. A fresh air system can also control the humidity within the home.
Many of these systems can be controlled via a smartphone. Advanced filters can be used to further improve the cleanliness of the air.
Smart HVAC systems can provide better levels of comfort, reduce the amount of energy you use, and improve your overall property values. If you’re interested in upgrading your HVAC system, you may want to consider the addition of some of these popular and sought-after new features. For more information, contact the HVAC experts at Custom Comfort Plumbing, Heating, & Cooling LLC.