New types of thermostats are easier to use and enhance the efficiency of your heating and cooling system

How much energy are you wasting from day to day? If your family is like most, probably quite a bit. By setting back the thermostat before you leave for work and before you head off to bed, you can save as much as 30 percent annually on your heating and cooling bills. Sounds simple, right? Well, as many homeowners will admit, it's not the task of adjusting a thermostat that's difficult; it's actually remembering to do it. Thank goodness you can buy a unit that sets itself automatically. Smart thermostats are a great investment for any home. Based on conditions you prescribe, they can adjust to save energy and make the house feel more comfortable. Those conditions might be the time of day or the status of your home's security system. When you leave for work at 7 a.m., for example, the thermostat could lower itself to 65 degrees. Then, when it notices that the security system is disarmed (a sign that you're home), it could go back to a comfy 72-degree setting.

Using a home control system to operate a smart thermostat offers even more possibilities. For example, you might use the home control system's screen-based keypad to view the current temperature of each zone and make changes if necessary. You might also use the keypad to create a unique schedule for each thermostat that fits your daily routine. Holidays, vacations, snow days, parties and other special events can be worked into the schedule as well.

The Right Stat

Manufacturers of smart thermostats design their products to work with particular types of heating and cooling systems. For example, thermostat A may work only with electric and gas systems, while thermostat B might also cover heat pumps. Naturally, you'll want to find a unit that's compatible with the type of heating and cooling system you have chosen for your home.

There are two types of smart thermostats: programmable and communicating. A programmable thermostat lets you create setback schedules based on your family's routine. These settings vary by product. One brand might let you create two different temperature schedules -- one for weekdays and one for weekends -- while another might let you establish a special setting for both Saturday and Sunday.

Communicating thermostats are also programmable, but they have the added feature of being able to react to other systems in your home. For example, the status of the security system (whether it's armed or disarmed) could trigger the thermostat to adjust. Communicating thermostats come in two varieties: setback or single-setpoint. A setback thermostat lets you create one temperature setting for when the house is occupied and another for when the house is vacant. These options can be programmed into the thermostat's memory directly at the thermostat. A single-setpoint thermostat, meanwhile, lets you establish one temperature setting for when the house is being heated and another setting for when the house is being cooled.

The Right Amount

If you have decided to zone your home's heating and cooling system (see the "Zoning" section on page 122 for more information), you will need more than one thermostat, since each zone requires its own unit. So if your home will be divided into four zones, it will need four thermostats. Each thermostat can be set at a different temperature and can be programmed to respond to different signals. For example, the thermostat in the bedroom might reset itself depending on the time of day, while the thermostat in the main living area adjusts whenever the security system is armed or disarmed.

Control for Multiple Stats

The PC you already own can be used to consolidate and streamline the control of multiple thermostats. This arrangement is, of course, more economical than paying to have either a security system or a home control system installed into your home. All you'll need to purchase is the thermostats, a small interface and software to load onto your computer. Your computer delivers its commands directly to the thermostats over Category 5–type cabling (this wiring will need to be routed behind the walls while the house is under construction). Thereafter, establishing schedules and changing setpoints is a snap.

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