digital thermostats

How Smart Climate Control Is Changing the Way We Interact with Our HVAC System

December 10, 2019 by Thomas Hoffmann Leave a Comment

Smart technology is taking over. Sooner rather than later, house appliances will become interconnected and work as an adaptive system. You can thank the Internet of Things (IoT) for that. Technologies are moving toward this direction at high speed, exploiting the vast potential IoT has.

Its impact on the HVAC industry is quite notable already, as the newest heating and climate systems are created and designed to adapt to their environment and maximize their performance in ways that not long ago we could only imagine.

The revolution that IoT brings to commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry is highly important for the concept of a smart house. Numerous parts of the world are dealing with extreme weather conditions. The cities’ polluted air is forcing the residents to consume a lot of resources for a clean, comfortable environment.

So what are the significant changes that IoT brings in the HVAC sector? Let’s go through a few of them.

Monitoring the Climate in Real-Time

Being connected to the Internet allows your HVAC system not only to collect and store real-time data of your climate indicators but also to share them with third parties when needed. Technicians, engineers and customer support of your provider can immediately see your parameters and take action. Smart HVAC systems process the data in a comprehensive and manageable way.

Quick and Efficient Maintenance

The permanent availability of updated data allows the maintenance teams to act as soon as a problem arises, but also to prevent numerous issues from happening. Remote diagnosis and preventive maintenance are highly efficient regarding costs and time.

Remote Control and Customization

User experience is another perk of IoT controlled HVAC as it gives people total control over how temperature is monitored and scheduled. Personalized temperature and humidity settings are meant to give users an ideal habitat since it varies quite a lot from one person to another.

What is beautiful about smart thermostats is that you no longer have to navigate through a complicated system, trying to create a weekly schedule with only three buttons on the thermostat. IoT controlled systems have a user-friendly interface with easy to use dashboards that you can access anytime, anywhere from your mobile devices.

Continuously Adapting to External Factors

If total control of your heating and ventilation system is a plus, its autonomy is also a considerable advantage. The most recent models of climate systems can adapt to external factors, from changes in the indoor humidity to extreme weather events anticipated through the weather app. For example, some systems can predict a heatwave and start cooling down your house the night before. How convenient is that?

Power Saving Capability

Not only are HVAC smart units capable of adapting to your needs and external factors, but they can maximize efficiency by taking costs and consumption into consideration. A significant advantage of a central heating unit is that you can adjust the temperature only when needed, avoiding wasting energy. Your smart unit can do that for you and choose to work when the energy rates are quite cheap.

The Internet of Things promises to make our lives better and easier than ever before, and the HVAC industry is ready to embrace it. For more information, give us a call 24/7 at (314) 471-7625.

4 Reasons to Install a Smart Thermostat

January 23, 2019 by Thomas Hoffmann Leave a Comment

Hundreds of consumers throughout St. Louis are making the switch to smart thermostats every day.

Though you might be hesitant to adopt this new technology, we’re here to tell you that doing so can positively impact your life. The icing on the cake is that you don’t have to struggle with completing the job yourself. We can help set it up for you! Here are four excellent reasons to have a smart thermostat installed in your St. Louis home.

smart thermostat in modern St. Louis home

Lower Energy Bills

Two functions that you might gain when you switch to a smart thermostat are control over individual rooms and system function scheduling. The former will allow you to control the temperature in the areas that matter most, rather than your entire home. The latter lets you effortlessly leave your system off when you’re out of the house and have it kick back on when you come back. What both of these features do is make your heating and cooling processes smarter and more efficient. The result of this improvement will be lower energy bills.

Greater Comfort

More control doesn’t just lower your bills, though, as it also leads to greater comfort in your home. As an example, imagine we are experiencing an especially cold winter in St. Louis. You turn your heater off during the day to save money, but always come home to an incredibly cold space when you get off work. Though you may feel it is worth the cost savings, the discomfort is not ideal. A smart thermostat will let you turn your system on remotely or schedule it to start before you get home, both of which will eliminate this issue.

Remote Control

As we mentioned above, many smart thermostats allow for remote control through a smartphone application. This function allows you to have a significant level of control over the conditions in your home. You can turn your system on before you get back to the house, turn it off if you forget to before leaving, or check to make sure that it is programmed precisely how you want it to be.

User Friendly Software

One thing that keeps people away from smart thermostats is thinking that they are too complicated and not worth the adjustment that comes with switching. While this idea may apply to some products on the market, the vast majority of them are very easy to use. In fact, they often feature large buttons, extensive labeling, and visual aids to make sure you get precisely what you want out of your HVAC system.

Now that you understand the benefits of installing a smart thermostat, it is time to make it happen. The best way to do so is calling Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating and obtaining some information about the job. Once you do, you can choose which capabilities you want and the specific model that best suits your needs. Before you know it, you’ll have an intelligent system in your home and will start to reap the many benefits that come with it! Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 471-7625.

HVAC System Not Working? When It’s Time to Call a Professional

April 30, 2018 by Thomas Hoffmann Leave a Comment

If you find that your HVAC system isn’t working properly, there are times when it becomes necessary to call a professional to fix your problem.

It is often painful and expensive to make an emergency call to an HVAC technician in the middle of the night. The best way to prevent having to do so is by hiring a professional to perform regular maintenance to ensure that things are running smoothly. However, as any homeowner knows, things don’t always go as planned. If you find that your HVAC system isn’t working properly, there are times when it becomes necessary to call a professional to fix your problem. Before making that call, there are a few things you can check.

Your Filters Need to Be Changed

If it has been a while since you have cleaned the filters in your home, they might be limiting air flow, which can disguise itself as an HVAC issue. If you start to notice that your thermostat can’t keep up or that your HVAC is constantly coming on, then the first place to troubleshoot is to check your air filters.

The Thermostat Isn’t Working

If you are messing with the thermostat constantly and you can’t ever get the room to the temperature that you want, then you might want to consider that it isn’t an HVAC system issue at all. It might just be that your thermostat isn’t working properly – or at all. Try replacing the batteries first to make sure that it has full power. Next, check to make sure that there isn’t an excessive amount of dirt and debris on or around it. If you can’t get it to work, then have it replaced by an HVAC specialist.

The Pilot Has Gone Out

If you can’t get your heat to work, then the first place to research is to ensure that the pilot light hasn’t gone out. The pilot light should have an electronic ignition that you can see under the panel. If you don’t see a small flame lit, then it is likely that your pilot light has gone out and simply needs to be lit. If you light it and it goes out again, however, then it is time to call a technician to figure out what the problem is. Since it is highly flammable, make sure you know what you are doing to ensure that you don’t end up getting hurt. Never take chances with gas lines – it is better just to call and have someone take a look than to risk injury.

Your System Just Isn’t Working

If you try turning on your HVAC system and it just doesn’t work at all, you can spend all day looking for the source, or you can have an HVAC professional come in and fix the problem. It’s likely that even if you can locate the source, you will have to call someone to fix it anyway.

No one wants to make an expensive repair call if they don’t have to. However, if you troubleshoot the minor issues and find that it’s something not so minor, or you can’t find anything at all, then it is best to call in someone who can fix your problem quickly and correctly. Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating has over 30 years of experience replacing, repairing, and maintaining St. Louis HVAC systems. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 471-7625!

HVAC Tips to Reduce Your Utility Costs

October 15, 2014 by Thomas Hoffmann 2 Comments

Home owners are concerned with making their homes energy efficient while saving money at the same time.

The focus of home improvement projects used to be focused solely on beautifying the home. In today’s energy aware world, home owners are more concerned with making their houses more energy efficient. There are a number of home improvement projects that your St. Louis HVAC company can help you with that may have a drastic effect on your utility bill.

Upgrading the HVAC System

Start your energy efficient home improvement projects with your HVAC system. The HVAC system accounts for up to 50% of your homes’ total energy consumption. You can upgrade the HVAC system to a newer, more efficient furnace and central air conditioning unit. You may also reduce your utility bill by up to 25% by adding a digital thermostat and zoning system to your existing HVAC system.

Digital Thermostats and Zoning Systems

A digital thermostat saves you money by allowing you to control when the HVAC system operates and at what temperature. Even when no one is home, the digital thermostat can be programmed to turn on at a preset time and have the house comfortable before the first family member returns. HVAC zoning works by directing cooled or heated air to the rooms where you want it. This involves the installation of motorized dampers inside of the existing duct work of your HVAC system. These are controlled by your digital thermostat which can be programmed to direct the conditioned air into the living areas of your home during the day and into the bedrooms at night. You can also restrict the flow of air to areas of your home that are unused like spare bedrooms and basements. You spend less money on energy consumption since your HVAC system is expending less.

Additional HVAC Tips

Change the filters regularly. Dirty air filters in your HVAC system make it work harder, costing you more money to have it running.
Seal the duct work running through your home. The EPA estimates that a house loses up to 20% of its conditioned air through the duct work. Ask your HVAC representative how to prevent this by having the duct work professionally sealed.
Seal all drafts in your house. These are found around windows, doors, pipes, and outlets. With a few tubes of silicone you can reduce the amount of outside air entering your home and the amount of your conditioned air that is escaping. To test for drafts, light a candle and hold it up to those known trouble spots.
Pile on the insulation inside the walls, in your attic, crawl space, and in your basement. Heavy layers of insulation will help your HVAC system run more efficiently.
Have your HVAC system checked and maintained regularly by an expert HVAC company. By cleaning the unit and replacing worn or broken parts, you not only save on energy, you prolong the life of your HVAC system.

For all your St. Louis HVAC maintenance and repairs, call Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC at (314) 471-7625.

St. Louis Smart Thermostat & Wifi Thermostat :: Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC

January 16, 2014 by Thomas Hoffmann 5 Comments

Digital Thermostats can save you money!

The advanced technology allows homeowners to save money by controlling the temperature inside the house, even when no one is home. If you have not yet installed one, call Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC to show you how they make your home more energy efficient. If you are already enjoying the benefits of a digital thermostat than there are a few common issues that you should be aware of.

When the Thermostat Loses Power

If the power suddenly shuts off, check the source. Even though all digital thermostats can be hardwired into the homes electrical system, yours may be running on a battery. A quick change of the battery will get it running again. If it is wired to your house than check the fuse box for any blown fuses. If that still does not solve the problem, the issue may be more complex and you should give Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC a call!

Programming a Digital Thermostat

If it suddenly stops working the way you had it programmed, check the program settings. It is possible that someone else in your family inadvertently changed the programming while attempting to only change the temperature. Many newer models allow you to have different programs for weekdays and weekends. These are very beneficial in helping you keep your home energy efficient.

Some of the older digital thermostats were not user friendly. Being introduced to a generation of people used to turning a dial caused much confusion and frustration. New technology has been introduced that make setting up the programs much more user friendly. Call Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC to discuss upgrading your thermostat to a newer model.