Lake Forest: the thermostat upgrade question

Smart thermostats are everywhere now, and a lot of Lake Forest homeowners ask us whether they’re worth the switch. The honest answer is “sometimes.” Here’s how to figure out if your situation is one of them.

When a smart thermostat pays back

You’ll see real savings if your current schedule is set-and-forget at one temperature 24/7. A learning thermostat that backs off when nobody’s home and warms back up before you return can cut runtime 10-15%. On a Lake Forest house with a 200-300 dollar summer electric bill, that’s 25-45 dollars a month, paying back the thermostat in a year or two.

You won’t see much savings if you already set back manually before bed and when you leave for work. The thermostat is just doing what you were doing.

What to watch out for

A few things trip people up:

• Older AC systems with single-stage compressors don’t get the full benefit (the savings come from variable-speed equipment)
• Wiring: a smart thermostat needs a C wire for power. Many older Lake Forest homes don’t have one. Adding it requires either running new wire or using a power-stealing adapter that doesn’t always work well.
• Wifi reliability: a thermostat that loses connection becomes a regular thermostat with extra steps

If you want a smart thermostat and you don’t have a C wire, we can run one during a regular service visit for an extra 100-200 bucks depending on the run. Worth doing if you’re committed to the upgrade. See more on the basics of AC repair.