All About Smart Thermostats | Ask This Old House

In this video, Ask This Old House home technology expert Ross Trethewey explains everything there is to know about modern smart thermostats.

Ross Tretheway and Kevin O’Connor talk about Smart Thermostats. Ross explains how far thermostats have come to Kevin, and even some of the most up-to-date, cutting-edge features that today’s thermostats have to offer. As Kevin asks the hottest questions on the topic, Ross explains the features, cost, savings, and convenience that a smart thermostat can offer to almost any home.
Thermostats Continue To Evolve

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Thermostats have come a long way in recent years. Long gone is the gold knob-style thermostat, which required running wires from the furnace, heater, or air conditioner through the home to the thermostat. To adjust the temperature, the user would have to physically touch the thermostat.

Even the first smart thermostats are now 10 years old. Now, smart thermostats can communicate with sensors throughout the house, automatically balance air temperatures, and more.

Geofencing
The latest and greatest thermostat tech allows for several convenient (and money-saving) features. For instance, many use geofencing technology. This technology detects when your smartphone leaves a preset radius (5 miles, for instance), and reduces energy consumption by adjusting the temperature. When you return to the area with your phone, the thermostat adjusts to a more comfortable setting automatically.

Smart Thermostats Can Pay for Themselves
Most of the newer smart thermostats cost between $75 and $300, but they can actually pay for themselves. With half of a home’s energy bill going to heating and cooling, the 5% to 10% improved efficiency can result in real savings very quickly.

Where to find it?
Ross explained the benefits of installing smart thermostats that provide both convenience and energy-efficiency. You can control the temperature of your house from anywhere, and by sensing and regulating air temperature, motion and humidity, they can also save you money.

Ross displayed and discussed four different smart thermostat models:

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From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. Ask This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment—your home.

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All About Smart Thermostats | Ask This Old House

[raindogs]

35 year HVAC tech here. The standard is simply, "Are you comfortable?", and I see only a few features here that might have value over a regular Programmable Thermostat.(but I do see a couple) Do I need my car to remember my seat and mirror selections vs my wife, or to sync the steering wheel to the headlights so they turn together? It's cool, but technology has grown so fast that competition means my thermostat cooks breakfast for you. But when we add these neat features we add fragility, complexity and cost. If I'm just as comfortable as my neighbor who spent $1000 more, that's a vanity purchase. I don't need a touchscreen on my fridge, or $1100 headlights that turn with my wheel. if I'm comfortable, life is good.

[brianfong]

Kevin is a die hard fan of old-school thermostats.
3:33 You can feel his lack of energy. 4:49

[nedw]

I had 2 eco bees. I loved the convenience of being able to control it away from home, but after 2.5 years, one of them went bad. It would call for heat, but not actually turn on the furnace. Switched back to the old school and everything works fine. 2.5 years isn't a great return on investment for how expensive these things are!

[wyominghome]

Why is EVERYTHING now micromanaging my life via my phone? The dishwasher wants to talk to my phone. The range/oven wants to talk to my phone. Nuts.

[STXVIEC]

Most newer construction within the last 30 years would run a 5 or 6 conductor thermostat wire. So if you only see 4 conductors try pulling the wire out of the wall and see if the other 1 or 2 is wrapped around or cut. But if the home is 30+ years old you most likely only have 2-4 conductors. If thats the case you would actually swap the fan control wire & turn it into a common wire giving you the 24 volts needed for the smart thermostat.

[Randorita]

The next need is vent control so rooms can be cut down when they are too warm and that air can be sent to a room that is too cool. That will really increase the effectiveness of your room sensors and lower costs.

[backpacker]

The best way to use those sensors, IMO, is only for multi-level homes particularly if you have both heat and A/C. Put one sensor on each floor or at least the top and bottom floors. Then, you can tell the thermostat (at least for my model) to pay attention to a particular floor. So in the winter, I tell it to keep the house heated so the temperature on the top floor is good and in the summer, cool to the temp on the bottom floor.
Alternatively, if you're home has the thermostat on a floor where you usually aren't spending much of your time, you can put a sensor on the "main" living floor and just leave it to use that as it's default reading.

[Cstegg]

make sure to check your local power company for rebates

bought 2 Google Nests... 250 each

power company had them for sale at 150, or a 100$ rebate

they pay for themselves though with their energy saving features

[AkSonya]

It would have been nice if you would have told us a little about each feature so people could decide what was right for them.

[marshallguerra]

Great information. As always. Thanks to you guys at This old House 🏡.

[KJSvitko]

Air quality monitoring in the future. Heat, humidity, pollen, dust, cooling all in one.

[nohate]

First time catching an episode without it being 5 years old

[martinp]

Something that doesn’t get much airtime on these smart devices: after a few years, you don’t see as many if any software updates. While the convenience of setting your thermostat remotely is nice, you eventually have to deal with a potential security issue going forward bc Nest wants you switching out thermostats every seceral years.

[GriffinWiebel]

Also remember rebates! Some electric companies, like SRP, will offer discounts off your electric bill, in my case, $50 per smart thermostat.

[SeraphOfAsgard]

So my nest has been changing the temperature readings on colder nights saying my house has been hotter than it is. I checked with 2 other thermometers right next to it they both read 68 when my thermostat said 74. i'm throwing away my nest and going back to an old school thermostat. Screw Nest and any smart thermostat. During warmer nights the thermostat reads correctly.

[PegasusFleets]

This old house !!

Top ratings again.. well done !!

[Costumekiller]

As an ac tech I use the simplest thermostat I can. Set and forget baby

[ugh-meh]

Nests also can use the wireless sensors in other rooms, I know because I use them.

[mjs]

I'm just gonna stick with my round golden oldie. Seems to work just fine for me.

[alfredovasquez]

I just install my Nest thermostat E thanks for reminding me I'm old