We live in exciting times. Our houses have become smart. Lightbulbs. Outlets. Doorbells. Smoke detectors. All smart. Robots vacuum our homes, and we can unlock deadbolts with our phones. Welcome to the future.
The innovation that we most enjoy is perhaps the WiFi thermostat. Until recently, thermostats have been boring: Lame City, USA. Now, they are exciting. We can control them from anywhere. They know the five-day weather forecast. They talk. One even listens, which—you know—is the key to any lasting relationship.
We recently installed a Honeywell WiFi Smart Thermostat with Voice Control for our master bedroom suite. Although not particularly handy, we proved handy enough. We removed the old thermostat, took a photo of its wiring, and drew a diagram of what wires were connected in what places. We mounted the new thermostat and reconnected the wires. Not everything matched up. But, after consulting manuals from both thermostats and the HVAC, we solved the puzzle. The entire process took about an hour and a half.
We hated scheduling on our old thermostat. The process was clunky and inefficient. Honeywell’s Smart Thermostat eases that pain. It walked us through a user-friendly tutorial.
Even better, we can access the schedule from our iPhone and make changes remotely. That includes when we’re in bed and need a few extra degrees to coax us out. That also includes when we’ve skipped town but forgotten to shut off the air conditioning. We can switch the setting temporarily, i.e., until the next scheduled temperature shift, or permanently, i.e., until we cancel the hold.
The thermostat’s sexiest feature is its ability to respond to voice commands. It will turn the temperature up or down. It will provide the day’s forecast. It will tell you the current date or time. We admit that this feature provides more fun than utility. But, it is neat. And, it will impress houseguests.
You might not think you need Honeywell’s Smart Thermostat. Admittedly, you don’t. Apart from food, water, shelter and the loyalty of a good dog, you don’t need much. This thermostat may be a luxury, but it’s not simply a gadget. It provides true functionality. It collects indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity information. It alerts you of extreme temperature changes. Most importantly, it helps save on energy costs.
Over the coming months, we plan to track changes in our monthly year-on-year energy usage. We will report the result on G@H. In the meantime, splurge. Get yourself a Honeywell WiFi Smart Thermostat with Voice Control.
