Today, the market is more generous than ever: whereas in the past the choice of accessories for heating systems was almost obligatory and often one simply relied on the ideas of the installer, today there are so many opportunities to choose from that it is confusing.
And while the choice of the specific model must in any case be made with the help of an expert, also to ensure ideal operation with the home system, there is still ample room for choice between the ‘families’ of products. For example, with Wi-Fi or without? Programmable or as simple as possible? These are all choices that have nothing to do with strictly technical aspects, and which customers can make independently.
In this article, we collect some always-valid pointers to help you choose the most suitable model for your needs.
The different types of programmable thermostats
To make the choice easier, let us focus on the four main ‘families’ of programmable thermostats available on the market, starting with the most innovative and working backwards to the most classic options.
Smart chronothermostat
The most recent evolution of these products, the smart programmable thermostats are connected to the home’s WiFi network and can be controlled via dedicated applications, often connected to the Internet to allow owners to have the controls outside the home.
Fantini Cosmi has followed the evolution of smart technologies that today the entire range of WiFi programmable thermostats (consisting of the models CH180WiFi, CH180RFWiFi, CH193WiFi and CH193BWiFi and the brand new C800WIFI). The new-generation products aim to enable completely autonomous heating management, in which the programmable thermostat becomes the ‘brain’ of the intelligently air-conditioned home. This is possible by exploiting new technologies, for example those related to artificial intelligence, and the detection of parameters such as outdoor temperature, indoor temperature, humidity and so on. This data, together with a learning system, allows the home climate management to be progressively calibrated to our needs and habits.
WiFi digital chronothermostat
This is an intermediate generation of programmable thermostats . These models connect to the home WiFi network and work through a mobile device application. In the case of Fantini Cosmi, the application is called Intelliclima+. In this way, both the programmable thermostat and the application will be connected to the Internet, making it possible to turn the heating on or off when you are away from home, monitor the room temperature, change the programming, etc.
WiFi programmable thermostats enable precise management of heating or cooling, allowing a detailed programme to be defined for each day, even on the basis of several daily intervals.
The advantage of these products is that, once properly configured, they offer great flexibility and a simple and intuitive programming system.
Digital chronothermostat
These are the first products in which digital technology made its appearance. In general, these models offer a certain level of flexibility, but everything is managed exclusively through the device itself. They allow, for example, the days of the week to be differentiated and some additional programmes to be used according to specific needs. Usually these models feature a liquid crystal display or similar that presents the main information.
Programming, while superior to the analogue models we will see in a moment, usually requires a great deal of attention and familiarity.
Analogue chronothermostat
This category includes early models of programmable thermostats , in which programming was carried out via a mechanical jumper clock. Today, apart from a certain vintage charm and the advantage of considerable immediacy, they have been almost entirely supplanted by the other solutions on this list, also due to some objective limitations. The most important one is undoubtedly the fact that only one type of programme can be applied, the same for every day of the week.
How to choose the perfect chronothermostat?
In an ever-widening market, finding the right programmable thermostat for us is anything but simple, and there are many questions we might ask ourselves… Wall-mounted or flush-mounted? Battery or mains-powered?
Our propensity for technology plays a key role. Equipping oneself with a programmable thermostat to be managed via App if one is not familiar with smartphones can be counterproductive, but there are so many possible scenarios that should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. For example, even the elderly and less ‘tech-savvy’ people can take advantage of the voice commands, which are practical and intuitive, in the presence of someone who can configure the system for them.
Still, for example, the gsm models or even analogue ones may be ideal for second homes or homes where WiFi coverage is not always guaranteed.
Design and regulatory obligations
If we want to manage the design of our home down to the smallest detail, we will undoubtedly find satisfaction in today’s market: the latest models are in fact designed to meet style requirements as well, precisely because it is an object that increasingly plays an important role in managing the comfort (and expenses) of the home.
In any case, the best choice, once we have identified our needs, is to turn to an expert, presenting our ideas and checking whether they can work with our system. An installer or a local dealer can easily answer our questions allowing us to identify the right balance between our needs and technical feasibility.
What is the difference between a thermostat and chronothermostat?
We close by answering one of the most frequently asked questions: how do a thermostat and a programmable thermostat differ? The first feature is undoubtedly deferred management. A thermostat only allows the manual temperature adjustment whereas a programmable thermostat allows you to program to switch on and off according to time and climate criteria. Even the simplest models of programmable thermostats , for example, allow us to programme the heating to come on at 17:00 each day, but only if the indoor temperature is below 18 degrees, so that we find the house comfortable when we return from work.
To discover the whole range of Fantini Cosmi programmable thermostats and choose the one best suited to your needs, please refer HERE.
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