When you talk about climate control, you begin talking in acronyms – or HVAC, to be specific. HVAC is short for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, and this is an area where home automation can really make an impact.

Climate control refers to more than simply adjusting the temperature: more than that, it involves tweaking the environment and managing humidity levels to ensure your home is a calm, comfortable oasis, regardless of what is happening outside.

Why control your climate?

First and foremost, managing your home’s climate will save you money – and who doesn’t want to do that?! This is because many of us form habits and patterns that don’t necessarily match our intentions.

For example, have you ever nipped down to the shops on a hot day? You’re only going to be gone 10 minutes, so you leave your air-conditioning on so the house is cool when you return. When you’re at the shops, you run into a friend who has recently returned from an overseas holiday, so you catch up for a few minutes – and then you remember that you need to buy some gas for the BBQ. Before you know it, your ten-minute jaunt has become a 2-hour journey – and your house has been inefficiently cooling its heels the entire time.

In a smart home, you could set the air-conditioning to switch itself off if no activity is detected for 15 minutes. Or, you could use an internet-controlled thermostat, controlled through your iPhone, to turn you’re A/C off when you’re mid-way through conversation with your old friend at the shops.

Other benefits of climate control

It’s sounds like a cliché, but your options are almost endless.

You could set the temperature in a certain room, such as the family room, to cool or heat to a set temperature – say 70 degrees – each time it detects someone entering the room.

You might have floor heaters installed in your bathroom, which are instructed to begin warming 15 minutes before you wake up each day. They might be set to “warm” the floor for 60 minutes before they automatically shut off. Ditto for towel warmers, and even drawer warmers – so your clothes are toasty warm when you get out of the shower.

Systems can be based on occupancy and activity, not just set schedule, so when you leave the house or a particular room, the temperature will automatically be set back. And, when you return home, the temperature will quickly revert to your preferred level.

Did we say endless? Yep. We meant it.

Types of devices

Automating your HVAC system is uncomplicated, as you start by replacing your existing thermostats with new “smart” ones. All of your other HVAC equipment, such as your furnace, ducts and air conditioning units, remain the same – it’s as simple as replacing your central control unit.

An Internet-controlled thermostat will help you to save both money and the environment, as it allows you to control your home’s heating and cooling from afar.