Your thermostat is your best friend when it comes to keeping your house at the perfect temperature. Just like you know what you want in a best friend, you should know what you want out of your thermostat. Before going out and looking for the perfect thermostat, you must first decide if you will go with a programmable or a non-programmable thermostat. The difference between the two revolves around functionality and usability. So what exactly are programmable and non-programmable thermostats? A programmable thermostat allows you to give your thermostat a schedule to function off of. There are several types of programmable thermostats:
Programmable Thermostats
- 5-2 Models allow you to set temperatures for Monday through Friday and a separate temperature for Saturday and Sunday.
- 5-1-1 Models allow you to set temperatures for Monday through Friday and separate temperatures for each Saturday and Sunday.
- 7 Day Models are the most flexible allowing you to set different temperatures each day of the week.
Pros
● Can save you up to 33% on heating and cooling costs
● Allows flexibility for homeowners to match users with their lifestyle
● You don’t need to adjust the temperature setting when you leave the house or at night
● They do not come on when you are not home resulting in energy savings
Cons
● More expensive than non-programmable thermostats
● You may be limited by the number of set temperature periods a day depending on which model you purchase.
● Complicated interfaces
Non-Programmable Thermostats
A non-programmable thermostat is the most basic thermostat you can get. You determine how hot or cool you want your indoor space to be by rotating a dial or more commonly by pushing up and down arrows to set your desired temperature.
Pros
● Simple to use interface
● Less expensive than programmable thermostats
● Allows you to have strict control of your home’s temperature
Cons
● Not as energy-efficient as programmable thermostats
● Must be manually switched from heat to cool
● Will stay at the same temperature 24 hours a day unless adjusted
Regardless of which thermostat you choose, do your research to make sure it will fit your goals, budget, and lifestyle.