When you have control over your environment, you have the power to keep your family comfortable no matter what the conditions are outside. A quality HVAC system and temperature control system can give you this power. There are many options on the market today that provide you with even more options. With this in mind, you may have many questions. B&L Ott is here to help with this guide to choosing the right temperature and temperature control system for your home.

Why is Choosing the Right Temperature Important?

Comfort should be your primary concern. You want your family to be healthy and sleep soundly. After that, your main concern should be the efficiency and capability of your HVAC system. A system that is not operating properly will not adequately remove temperature or dehumidify the home. When this happens, your home will either get hot and sticky like a sauna or cold and clammy like your basement. Either situation can leave you or a family member saying, “I don’t like air conditioning.”

However, if you keep your thermostat within B&L Ott’s recommended temperature range, you can help keep your system operating properly. It will control both the humidity and the temperature in your home so your family can be comfortable.

Choosing an Appropriate Temperature

Your HVAC system is like a television. You usually keep it around the same volume, but sometimes you turn it up or down for various reasons. In Berks County, the temperature can change pretty quickly from day to day. One day you may be in shorts and the next you will need a sweatshirt to stay warm. With this in mind, your desired temperature may change from day to day. However, in winter most people are comfortable between 68-72 degrees with a relative humidity of around 30-35%. Then in summer, many choose a temperature between 70-75 degrees with a relative humidity around 50%.

If it’s a hot summer day with high humidity, you will typically lower the temperature in your home. Alternatively, if you have a system that enables dehumidification (contact B&L Ott for more info), you can just set your desired humidity level instead. This way you can feel comfortable without having to lower the temperature of the home. B&L Ott offers a variety of other solutions for customizing your system to suit your individual needs.

B&L Ott Temperature Control Options

If you want to gain more control of the temperature and humidity in your home, B&L Ott offers several different comfort control options. Depending on what HVAC model you choose B&L Ott will install a comfort control system that functions seamlessly with your system.

Programmable Thermostats

One option that can give you more control over the temperature in your home is a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat gives you greater customization of your home’s comfort. You can create a schedule based on your family’s daily routine and rarely have to adjust the temperature ever again. You can set a specific temperature and humidity level for each time of day. Newer models have an even greater sensitivity to temperature changes and humidity levels. They can help you maintain a more accurate temperature in the house.

Trane’s XL line of thermostats are all fully programmable and can be controlled with a free app on Android or IOS mobile phone operating systems. This will give you peace of mind while you are away from home, as you will gain the ability to control your home’s temperature remotely. Additionally, you can pair an Amazon Echo (Alexa) to control the temperature by voice. Just imagine lying in bed and simply saying “Alexa, turn the temperature down”. Before you know it your room will reach your ideal temperature without you having to lift a finger.

Home Zoning

Home zoning is another option that gives you more control over specific areas in your home. It is a system that uses additional thermostats and automatic power dampers in the ductwork to send conditioned air to only certain parts of the home. It is a great solution if you notice any uneven heating throughout your home. It can also help in the summertime when the heat rises to the second floor and makes it much hotter than your first floor. A home zoning system will improve the air flow and even out the temperature difference in your home.

B&L Ott offers several different zoning options. Depending on what type of system and duct setup you have, B&L Ott can customize a zoning solution for your home. If we have access to your ductwork, we can install zone dampers in the duct. The thermostats will control which zone dampers open or close. If you are interested in a home zoning system or have any questions please contact B&L Ott.