From TVs to phones to wearables, smart technology has undeniably improved our lives. In addition, thermostats have become smarter with much greater capability to regulate the temperature settings. They have many additional features such as monitoring energy usage, settings for home and away, and multiple-zone control. If among your HVAC maintenance tasks includes a thermostat upgrade, two of the best smart thermostats you can consider are the “Nest” and the “Carrier Infinity Touch”. Let’s take a closer look at each of them to help you identify which will work best for your home.
Comparing two of the best smart thermostats
The Carrier Infinity Touch Control
This is Carrier’s top-of-the-line thermostat with many cutting edge features. So what do these features have to offer and what are the potential disadvantages? Here are the pros and cons of this smart thermostat.
Pros:
- Easy to Read and Navigate – You can easily read and use the high-resolution touchscreen.
- Zoned Control Capability – The temperature, airflow, humidity, indoor air quality, and ventilation can all be managed across up to 8 different zones in your home from one interface.
- Energy Savings and Monitoring – The Smart Setback feature intelligently adapts the thermostat around your schedule, promoting both energy savings and comfort. Also, you can see how much energy you’re using on the screen in real time in addition to your full usage history.
- Digital Photo Frame – When not in use, it can be blended artfully into the wall by setting the screen to display a picture.
- Control from Anywhere – You can control the system from virtually anywhere with any web-enabled device.
- Long Warranty – The thermostat comes with a 10-year limited warranty on parts.
Cons:
- Size – It’s larger in size than the Nest.
- Built for Carrier Infinity Products – It’s designed to work best with Carrier Infinity HVAC products such as air conditioners, gas furnaces, and air purifiers.
The Nest
This intuitive thermostat was designed to learn your habits and self-adjust to suit to your lifestyle and schedule. Let’s explore its advantages and disadvantages.
Pros:
- Sleek Design – It has a round shape and a sleek, simple interface. The different-colored rings of the 3rd-generation Nest thermostat make it fit seamlessly into any home’s décor.
- Easy to Use – After installation, the Nest will ask you a few brief questions. Then, a personalized schedule will be created based on your answers as well as how you use it.
- Energy Savings – It displays a green leaf symbol to let you know when you’re saving energy. It also gives you useful feedback about how and when energy is being wasted.
- Continuous Adjustment – As you adjust the Nest, it learns, making the necessary adjustments to its automatic schedule.
- Control from Anywhere – Just like the Carrier Infinity, all you need is a web-enabled device to control this smart thermostat.
- Zoned Control Capability – With the version 2.0 software update, you can now manage your humidity across multiple zones.
Cons:
- Warranty – The warranty period is only 2 years.
- Personalization – Unlike other competing thermostats, you can’t personalize it’s looks with screen savers and skins.
While both the Carrier Infinity Touch Control and the Nest will do much more than traditional digital thermostats, they do have their advantages and disadvantages. The best option to choose will vary from one person to another, depending on their budget and home.
Smart thermostats are cool, but they also make a big difference when it comes to energy savings.
If you need more assistance in choosing between smart thermostats, contact us at B.A. Morrison. We’ve offered HVAC repair, installation, replacement and maintenance services to clients in San Leandro, the East Bay, and the entire Bay Area since 1990. Our experienced technicians are well-equipped to handle any thermostat installation and repair service. Call us today at 510-538-9817 and start saving energy today with an efficient thermostat.