Imagine a typical winter day. Everything is cold, it’s raining or even snowing, the traffic isn’t moving anywhere. All you wish for is to sit comfortably in your warm living room, but when you finally come home, you realize, it’s actually freezing. We’ve all been there, but we don’t have to settle for that anymore. Smart heating will make sure your rooms are at just the right temperature, and keep the air always fresh. 

 In this article, we will give you 5 reasons why smart heating is the right choice for you.

What Makes Heaters Smart

You must be wondering, what makes smart heating systems stand out from their conventional counterparts. Most heating systems already come with a thermostat, which regulates room temperature. Even though most such systems are at least somehow programmable, they’re far from being smart.

It’s the way these devices operate that makes all the difference. Smart heating system will turn on only when you need it, and automatically turn off when you don’t. It also monitors room temperature, like any other, but it can do much more than just use these measurements as a threshold. It can be programmed to turn off at certain times, or controlled directly from your smartphone. You can also set your desired temperature for each room separately. No longer will you have to go from your warm living room to a freezing cold bedroom. You can simply have your smart heating system heat the room up to a comfortable temperature right before your bedtime. 

Having a smart system attached also makes them upgradeable and customizable. Do you already have a smart controller for your heater, but it doesn’t meet your requirements? No problem, just swap it out with a more suitable one. Does your heating system keep turning on at night, waking you up? No worries, some small adjustments will solve that in no-time.

 

Types of Heating Systems

Before discussing further smart heating systems let’s first go over the most commonly used heaters, that can be upgraded with a smart thermostat. That’s right, you don’t have to necessarily change your entire heating system to make it smart.

Boiler system, paired with radiators with electric valves. These are a prime example of an upgradeable system because they can be easily fitted with a smart thermostat. Additionally, boiler heating systems are fairly common, especially in houses. 

A heat pump or hybrid heating system is similar to the boiler but is a newer and more efficient solution. The water pump also heats your water and sends it to your radiators, but instead of using natural gas or fuel oil, it uses the residual heat from its surroundings.

Floor heating is taking over radiator heaters and is slowly becoming a new standard. Whether your floor heaters are powered by electricity or hot water, they’re almost certainly suitable to be paired with a smart thermostat.

Infrared heating panels are a new addition to commercially available heating systems. Unlike most other heaters, which heat the air around them, infrared panels heat directly objects around them. 

Electric radiators are also common and easy to upgrade. Pretty much any heater that runs on electricity can be turned into a smart heater very easily. All you need is a couple of smart switches and a smart thermostat.

 

5 Benefits of Smart Heaters

Now that you have an idea of what smart heating is actually about, let’s have a look at all the reasons that make them a substantial improvement for your home. 

1. Make your life more conveniente

We can all agree that having our rooms filled with fresh air at just the right temperature is already quite convenient. Now imagine having that all the time, without having to put in any effort whatsoever.

A smart thermostat can work together with smart heaters to achieve just that. You can set them up to operate just the way you want. Have the system startup just before you leave work and walk into a warm home after that long and tiring commute. And if you get off work soon, you can simply adjust their schedule from your smartphone.

2. Smart systems can learn

Smart heaters are also capable of learning. Using advanced algorithms, they can analyze your behavior and use that to improve their performance. They can remember when you’re usually around and what are your preferences, and then make sure the rooms are always as warm as you want them. 

This feature makes this technology even more convenient because it also gives you one less thing to worry about. Your heaters will work exactly as they’re supposed to, without you having to lift a finger.

3. Save time and money

Having your heaters operate only when you need them isn’t just convenient, but also economic. An average household uses up to 50% of its power consumption for space heating and cooling. If you have ever paid these bills, you know how expensive winters can get.

Instead of heating your home, when the window is opened or when nobody is at home, make your heating system to automatically switch off, to prevent heat loss. 

4. Be environmentally friendly

Lowering your heating and air conditioning costs means you also consume less energy. Smart heaters make that happen by only turning on when they have to, but they have even more tricks up their sleeves. A great example is your heating system automatically turning off when your windows are open, and on again as soon as they close. Pairing such clever innovations with a smart controller will greatly decrease your bills along with your carbon footprint.

5. Manage your appliances from you smart phone

Even if you’re not keen on letting algorithms heat your house, smart heating systems might still be the right thing for you. One of the most convenient functions, that smart technology features, is control from your smartphone. This basically means that the thermostat, formerly fastened to a wall, is now always in your pocket. Using this technology, you can now control your heater remotely – whether you’re laying on your couch, or sitting on a bench, waiting for the bus to come. 

Additionally, smart technology allows you to monitor the devices in real-time, as well as giving you an overview of your past power consumption.

 

How to Make your Heaters Smart

Now you know just how much smart heating improves your life, but like with other things, there is more than one aspect to this topic. Many people ask questions, such as ”Is it really worth it?” or “How difficult is it to upgrade my existing systems?”.

The answers to these questions depend largely on your home, your current appliances, and your preferences. But even though there’s no short answer to these questions, we’ll explain what you need to know to make your decision easier.

Upgrade your Current System

Some heating  systems already come with a smart controller, but those tend to be more expensive. Setting up those as an upgrade would also mean undertaking a sizable renovation, which is very impractical.

If you want to upgrade your current heating, there’s an easier and more convenient solution. Installing a smart thermostat and pairing it with your current system is all you need to get all the benefits we listed above. 

Having smart appliances in your home used to be an expensive luxury, but times are changing. Smart thermostats are getting more affordable almost every day. Actual costs and savings depend on many factors, but your smart investment might start saving you money in as little as one year.

 

Chose the Right Componetns

Smart heating is getting more and more popular, which means there are more and more smart products available. This means that the prices are dropping and the quality is rising, which is always good for consumers. Higher popularity often means having a greater choice, but that can be both a blessing and a curse. 

 

While having wide choice is nice, some may perceive it as a problem. It can be quite difficult to choose the right thing, when there’s so many great items to choose from. To help you with that, here are some of the more common and useful smart thermostat functions:

• • Remote access – control your heaters  directly from your smartphone
  • Easy scheduling – have your heaters  on only when they need to
  • Energy tracking – have an overview of your energy consumption
  • Weather reports – display upcoming weather right at your thermostat to make your heating and cooling planning easier
  • Color touchscreen – you don’t have to struggle with that small black and white screen and buttons anymore, 
  • Home/away function– have your heating  automatically turn off when you’re away from home by pairing your thermostat with your smartphone – this way, your heating will be on only when you’re home
  • Room sensors – let your thermostat measure the temperature at several points, and adjust your heating  more accurately

To summarize, 

smart heating system is a great addition to your house, flat, office or any other living area. They are easy to integrate and work well with other smart appliances to make your living more convenient and comfortable. And in case you don’t have any smart devices yet, heating makes for a great starting point for turning your regular home into a smart home.