Smart homes have been around for 20 years, but recent developments in technology have greatly improved them. Remote devices now control more than lights and thermostats. Now it’s easy to watch and control smart devices on your smartphone or tablet. That means you’re in charge even when you’re away from the house — which comes
The beginning of February is the time when you begin to reevaluate your new year’s resolutions. What were they again? While you may have made promises to yourself that this year will be different, you’re probably beginning to feel guilty that your life hasn’t changed much and you have the same old habits as last year. Well,
How long has that same thermostat on the wall of your home stared out at you? “It was here when I moved in.” “I think it was here when I moved in.” “Uhm, I don’t know. A long time, I guess. Does it really matter?” If your answer is a variant of those above, then you need
When it’s time to replace your thermostat, there are many new and exciting options in thermostat technology to choose from. You can upgrade to a programmable or smart thermostat and really customize your comfort. Manual thermostats still have their benefits, but smart thermostats are the wave of the future. In the spirit of fairness, it’s
As the seasons shift and the weather warms, we all look forward to more time spent outdoors and new beginnings. Spring is a transitional time for people, nature, and your home. Daylight Saving Time (2:00 AM on Sunday, March 11) tells you to change the clocks, but it’s also the perfect reminder to check and change some
The thermostat is a device familiar to every homeowner. And when it stops working, everyone in the household notices. If the heating or cooling suddenly turns off, one of the first things you should check is the thermostat. First, make sure it is set to “heat” if you want warm air and “cool” if you
No more thinking about how to program your thermostat. Nest self-learning thermostats make it easy to save money and energy on heating and cooling costs by learning and adapting to your schedule automatically. It also shows you how energy is used in your home and sends cute cues to save even more. Most people aren’t
We hear a lot about interconnected homes, smart devices, and microcomputers connected to the internet of things. You might even be tired of hearing about how interconnected and network-dependent our lives are becoming. The good news is, not every smart thermostat has to be connected to the internet. There’s more than one kind of smart
We all spend a lot of money keeping our homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer. For many of us, this means paying to heat every room in the home at the same time. Even when we’re sleeping our homes work to keep the entire building comfortable. While switching to a smart
“It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” We’ve all probably heard that statement at one time or another. If not, then the variant “At least it’s a dry heat” has probably been offered. You might be unaware of this, but humidity plays an important role in how temperature “feels.” Much like wind-chill, humidity can make