Airzone will be showcasing their
latest product Aidoo, Inverter/VRF Wi-Fi Controller as an alternative to the
smart thermostat at Cedia EXPO.

Airzone is also one of the 10 brands
selected for TechBites Smart Stage.

Three reasons why the smart
thermostat might not be as smart as you think it is

Today in the HVAC sector there is a wide range of smart thermostats
available. The spectrum includes technological giants as well as small scale
companies and it is no surprise that the sector has had a big upturn in recent
years with the advancements in IoT technologies.

Now it is possible to control home sound systems using only voice
commands next to home lighting and even doorbells. The AC is no exception.

According to several pieces of research, an optimal level of thermal
comfort in the home or office has its benefits for health and productivity.

Coming home and having the perfect temperature for maximum comfort is
priceless. All these advances have permeated into the home electronics market
thanks to technologies such as “smart thermostats”.

Here are the 3 main reasons why the smart
thermostat is not all that “smart”.

1.     1.Important data loss

Smart solutions generally have a dry on/off contact or infrared
technology in order to communicate with the AC unit.

In the case of dry contact, the functioning of the AC unit is limited to
on and off mode only. Therefore, the unit loses important original
functionalities of the manufacturer like Inverter technology as well as error
codes and maintenance cycles.

With the infrared technology, the thermostat must be in direct line of
sight with the thermostat and it will only have a one-way communication gateway
with the AC unit.

Using a one-way communication makes it impossible for the AC unit to
provide any type of feedback since it only receives input.

In other words, if the AC has any mechanical, electronic or logical
failure, even if it wants to communicate that information, the user will not be
able to receive it through the smart thermostat. Such information could only be
received through the original manufacturer´s thermostat which is removed in the
first place for the smart thermostat to be installed.  So, the error codes are gone forever with the
smart thermostat and this brings up the next point. 

2.    
2.Incompatibility with most original thermostats

Smart thermostats are generally incompatible with the original
thermostats. This means the original thermostat must be removed from the AC
unit in order to use a smart thermostat.

In some cases, the power cable is absent, so a power cable needs to be
installed which means extra modifications, time and money.

The original
manufacturer´s thermostat is crucially important for the AC to function
properly.

There is a
reason why the manufacturer of an AC provides the thermostat with certain characteristics.
If replaced, it should only be changed with a thermostat that brings additional
functionalities without losing the original ones. That is the only way for the
error codes, system alarms, maintenance and other important messages to b.

3.     3.Nullification of Inverter Technology

Imagine if a car could only be driven through a single button that is
exclusively accelerating to 100Kmh when pressed. That would be quite difficult
and inefficient to drive, isn’t it?

Well, that’s how an AC without Inverter technology works. They start at
full power until they reach the desired temperature and shut off.

Inverter technology acts as a regulator (like a normal accelerator in
the before example), allowing the AC to only deliver the necessary thermal
power.

This helps on one hand to save energy but on the other hand, it also
optimizes and maintains the utmost comfort level for longer periods of time
while producing less noise and less thermal changes. 

However, they require important feedback information like temperature
readings, thermal demand and more so they module their output to achieve the
desired temperature, and then, maintain it.

It’s important to mention, this information is delivered to the unit in
the manufacturer’s protocol, supported (in this case) only by the manufacturer’s
thermostat.

Smart thermostats lose this feedback by using a dry on/off contact.

When a dry ON/OFF contact is implemented to operate the AC unit, it can
only operate the AC in 2 times: On or Off nullifying the Inverter technology in
the process.

Therefore, when installing a smart thermostat, it does not matter if the
AC unit has the latest Inverter technology or not because its operation will be
nullified, increasing energy consumption, noise and minimizing the time with
the optimum temperature thus reducing comfort.

About Airzone

For 20 years now, Airzone has been
offering intelligent control solutions that allow the management and
improvement of energy efficiency installations on various heating and cooling equipment,
for both commercial and residential applications.

Airzone control systems allow the
HVAC sector to be easily and completely integrated with the most innovative
building management technologies. Since it was founded, Airzone has relied on a
model based on technical research, industrial development, and manufacturing
with the EU quality standards.

All Airzone products are designed
with one goal in mind: to provide comfort and energy savings to users. 

For more information please contact
us at [email protected]