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Choosing the Ideal Commercial Thermostat for Your Business

Every organization invests substantial capital in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) infrastructure. To maximize that investment, each HVAC component needs to work in unison to operate at peak performance, and that requires having the ideal thermostat to monitor and control your facility’s indoor climate. Without the right thermostat, your HVAC system ends up running more than it has to, driving up energy costs and leading to premature equipment failure. 

In this post, we’ll explore the various options on the market today, so you can decide which one is best for your day-to-day operations.

Mechanical Thermostats

Mechanical thermostats offer the simplest approach to controlling an HVAC system. You set the preferred temperature on a mechanical dial, and the thermostat continuously monitors air temperature at that particular spot in your building. As temperatures fluctuate, the thermostat sends signals to your HVAC equipment, telling it when to start and stop. Since it’s the oldest option available, it’s generally the most affordable, but also the least efficient.

Non-Programmable Thermostats

Non-programmable thermostats essentially work just like a mechanical thermostat, but instead of adjusting the preferred temperature with a mechanical dial, you use a digital interface to establish a fixed temperature. That means if someone forgets to adjust the temperature before leaving for the night, your system ends up running more than it needs to.

Commercial Programmable Thermostats

Like a non-programmable thermostat, a programmable thermostat uses a digital interface for monitoring and controlling your facility’s desired temperature. While a non-programmable thermostat forces you to set a specific temperature and manually adjust that temperature throughout the day, a programmable thermostat automates that process, removing the element of human error. With a programmable thermostat, you set your system up to run on a specific schedule, so the ideal temperature is automatically adjusted depending on the time of day and the day of the week. That way, your system runs when it’s needed, while running less frequently when your building is unoccupied.

Commercial Wi-Fi Thermostats

A wireless (Wi-Fi) thermostat works like a programmable thermostat while also connecting your facility’s wireless network. With network connectivity, you’re able to adjust the temperature and operation of your HVAC system remotely, so you can optimize system performance no matter where you are.

Smart Thermostats

As the latest development in the commercial HVAC thermostat market, smart thermostats use artificial intelligence (AI) to continuously monitor building operations and usage in real-time. With this data, an intelligent thermostat automatically adjusts air temperatures without requiring human intervention. 

By linking with a variety of HVAC sensors throughout your building, smart thermostats can automatically adjust for factors like fluctuating room occupancy, thermal levels, humidity, and even carbon dioxide levels. At the same time, smart thermostats often employ capabilities like wireless connectivity and voice control. While your organization should expect to pay a higher up-front cost, this cost usually offsets itself in the energy savings it delivers.

How the Experts at Garrison Can Help

If your team needs help finding the right thermostat for your facility, contact the experts at Garrison today. We’ll help you explore your options and leverage our vendor network to deliver the best value in the industry for an HVAC solution optimized for your building.