HVAC contractors are working with a select group of homeowners looking to use their mobile devices to remotely control their indoor environment. It’s a niche market now but that should change significantly as more consumers with smart phones and tablets become aware of the remote control capability of HVAC thermostats and systems.

Bay Area Services, a successful HVAC contractor in Green Bay, Wis., is using Internet-connected door locks, security cameras, and thermostats as a means to an end: to build his customer list and increase sales on service calls.

The rapid increase in the use of iPhones, iPads, and countless mobile devices has had a major affect on HVAC products and technologies that enable homeowners to control temperature, humidity, and energy consumption in their homes from anywhere at any time of day.

With an operating temperature of 32-122°F (0-50°C), <95 percent rh, the TE110 on-off electronic thermostat is a two-position room thermostat with digital display and digital key set point. According to the manufacturer, it is suitable for controlling heating or cooling valves, fans, or other two-position devices.

Model T1100RF wireless thermostat and T1100REC receiver offer maximum comfort with minimum effort due to a completely wireless thermostat, seven-day programmability with four time periods per day, and a copy command. The thermostat is compatible with most two-stage heat, two-stage cool equipment.

The Nest Learning Thermostat™ learns from the behaviors, preferences, and surroundings of those living in the house to create a custom heating and cooling schedule, keeping the residents comfortable when they’re home and conserving energy when they’re away.

The next generation fan coil thermostat is designed with a simple and intuitive user interface and can be used in hotels, condos, and school classrooms. The T5500 Series provides universal line voltage (120 or 240 vac) on-off control of two- or four-pipe fan coil units with manual or automatic heat-cool changeover.

Almost everyone, including distributors, contractors, and consumers, believe that programmable thermostats will save energy when used properly. That being true, why is it that so many people tend to manually override the programmable features and potentially lose energy-saving benefits?

The Comfortmaker® Observer™ touch screen communicating wall control, compatible with all Comfortmaker communicating equipment, is designed for easier service and installation. The wall control features a full-color touch screen display in a compact design.

Occupancy scheduling without an energy management solution is performed by the Wi-Stat IIIp-S, a standalone programmable pneumatic thermostat. The thermostat is designed for easy retrofit to existing two-pipe pneumatic HVAC infrastructures without disruptive and expensive rewiring.