Thermostats are devices that are used for automatic temperature regulation. When you are looking for such a device, you will come across hundreds of choices. If you find yourself in such a situation, the question of what product would be best for you can generate plenty of uncertainty.
The matter can be concerning if you aren’t entirely aware of your thermostat requirements, mainly if you search for a thermostat for a steam heating system. There are numerous choices, and various devices are designed for different systems or situations.
A thermostat needs to be chosen that is compatible with your system and would provide you with the desired results to be a practical purchase.
To eliminate your confusion, we have compiled a list of the top 5 best thermostats for the steam heat system so that you can choose from it.
Top 5 Thermostats for Steam Heat System
1. [amazon link=”B01NB1OB0I” title=”Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat” /] – Best Budget
Rating: 4.8/5
Key Features
- Flexible and programmable unit with a 7-day schedule
- Compatible with a phone and smart home
- It contains a Geofencing feature
- Easy to use
The Emerson Sensi ST55 Wi-Fi belongs to the category of smart thermostats, and it has all the features that a person can desire in a modern unit. Apart from offering advanced features, the device is also available at affordable rates, making it an ideal choice.
It has a Geo-fencing feature that allows the device to use the smartphone’s location to adjust the home temperature according to the requirements. Additionally, the seven-day schedule allows the user to create programs for adjusting the heating and cooling for the entire week.
The Emerson ST55 is a complete package that offers functionality and an irresistible comfort level. The device is also compatible with various home platforms like Google Assistant, Apple Home kit, Samsung Smart Things, and Amazon Alexa. Its easy installation and convenient controls with the Sensi Mobile application make it one of the most desired products in the category.
2. [amazon link=”B07CKJQYDW” title=”Emerson ST75W Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat” /] – Best Features
Rating: 4.9/5
Key Features
- Can be installed in less than 30 mins
- Smart home compatibility
- It can be controlled with the Sensi Application
- Remote controlled
- Keypad lockout feature
- 3 inches LCD touchscreen display
The Emerson ST75W is one of the best smart thermostats that you can find. One feature that has made it such an excellent and sought-after choice is its high-quality touchscreen LED, making it easy to control the unit.
The LED touchscreen display allows the user to control the temperature around the house through simple touches easily. Furthermore, you can easily control the unit with the Sensi mobile app. Another noticeable feature is that when the device is operating in the cooling mode, the device’s background will be blue, while when it’s in the heating mode, the background will be red. Thus, you can quickly evaluate the mode that the thermostat is working on by merely looking at the screen.
The Emerson ST75W is a highly programmable smart thermostat. It has a flexible 7-days schedule which allows the user to set 2 different heating, cooling, and automatic program for week-days. Furthermore, it also allows you to create various temperature plans for other days as well. The Geofencing feature also saves a lot of energy by placing the thermostat in an “away” mode when the smartphone location isn’t reached 3 miles.
The thermostat can save up to 23% on energy costs, making it a unit filled with excellent features and a budget-friendly device. You will also receive smart alerts on your smartphone when there is a high humidity level, or the temperature is higher than average inside your house.
3. [amazon link=”B0131RG6VK” title=”Google T3007ES Nest Learning Thermostat” /] – Best Overall
Rating: – 4.5/5
Key Features
- The device can program itself
- Assists in saving energy
- It can be controlled with a remote
- Touchscreen display
- Made with highly-quality material
The Google T3007ES Nest learning thermostat has one of the most elegant designs you can find in a thermostat. It’s a convenient choice that operates like a big rotating button. Rotating the device allows the user to regulate the temperature while other features are controllable from the thermostat.
The thermostat’s installation process is straightforward; you can also connect it to the Wi-Fi and control it remotely. Once the user has connected it to the Wi-Fi, it can be controlled through the Nest mobile application. When the temperature is turned up and down, the device recognizes your desired temperature and suggests a schedule accordingly. It means that once you have used it for some time, you won’t even have to make the schedules, and the smart thermostat would do it for you.
The Google T3007ES also helps save electric costs as it puts the system in an away mode when you aren’t available at home. It regulates the home temperature through 2 different methods: detecting the customer’s phone location and a motion detector attached at the front of the thermostat.
The device also has a Farsight mode which will keep you aware of the home temperature, time, and weather conditions. It is made with high-quality stainless steel that confirms its durability.
4. [amazon link=”B003VIWQL4″ title=”Honeywell Home RTH6450D” /] – Best Premium
Rating: 4.4/5
Key Features
- It contains soft push buttons
- Programmable thermostat with a 5-1-1 operation
- Easy to install and use
- Smart response feature
A highly anticipated feature of a thermostat is its operation, which needs to confirm a high comfort level and reduce energy usage, ensuring that the user saves costs. It’s precisely what the Honeywell Home RTH6450D provides. The unit is an excellent choice in terms of its functionality. It comprises push buttons that control its features and deliver consistent performance.
Several uses week a thermostat which allows them to set various temperatures on Saturday, Sunday, and other week-days. The Honeywell thermostat contains a 5-1-1 programming system that lets the user achieve this purpose. Additionally, you can set the heating and cooling system in advance according to your schedule using this feature. The thermostat can be used to turn the cooling and heating systems on and off. Another notable feature is its four temperature settings which are wake, home, away, and sleep.
Its smart response feature allows it to learn the thermostat to recognize the HVAC system’s duration that it takes for heating or cooling. The thermostat then begins the programmed schedule accordingly to reach the desired temperature set point in a particular time duration. Although it might not be as fancy as other units on the list, or it won’t be the most elegant design, it does come with exceptional performance.
5. [amazon link=”B0026ES9UQ” title=”Honeywell RTH8500D 7-Day Touchscreen Programmable Thermostat” /] – Best Value
Rating: 4.4/5
Key Features
- Vacation holding feature
- The adjustable seven-day program feature
- A bright backlight in green color
- Smart response technology
Honeywell’s RTH8500D thermostat is created with all the practical and useful features that you might require in such devices. The unit contains a ‘vacation hold’ feature unique and a feature you won’t find on many devices. Its interface is user-friendly and extremely easy to use. Furthermore, the backlight allows the users to read the temperature even under low light easily.
If you want to have different heating and cooling temperature settings around the house during week-days, it would no longer be a problem with the thermostat. Additionally, if you need to customize the temperature in 24 hours, it can be done quickly for four different periods. The thermostat’s smart response features let you frequently and spontaneously adjust the house’s pre-cooling and heating temperature to ensure an accurate comfort level.
The unit is battery-powered and is also compatible operate with a home cooling/heating system. It also excels in its efficiency, and you can also reduce the electricity cost through the thermostat by up to 33%. If the unit requires a filter change or the battery is low, you will receive a notification. In terms of practicality, this is a device that is very highly rated. Furthermore, its simple design and easy interface allow it to be used easily by people who might not be experts with electric devices.
Buying Guide
Every thermostat isn’t compatible with a steam system. However, when you are choosing such a device for your purposes, there are a few things that you should always keep in mind before making a final decision.
These factors would ensure that you choose the product that is value for the money.
Installation
Thermostats aren’t complicated to install, and you don’t even require proper electric knowledge to install one efficiently. You do need to ensure that it comes with a detailed manual that guides the entire process.
However, in a particular modern model, the installation might not be straightforward since it would require a specific type of wire connection. If you get such a thermostat, you need to seek professional help instead of experimenting with yourself.
Compatibility
When looking for a thermostat to fit your steam heat system, you need to choose a model and unit compatible with it to ensure any potential accident. To ensure that the product you choose would fit your requirements, a model comprises 2H/2C as in several instances they need fuel for proper and efficient operation.
Additionally, the user also needs to learn about fuel sources such as wood, electricity, gas, or oil, which might affect the type of model you choose.
Programmable or Manual
It is one of the most important things that you need to ask yourself. There are individual thermostats that are manual which means that you would have to create programs and set the temperature yourself. There are also programmable models available in the market, and either uses a controller, App, or other features that automatically adjust the temperature.
Ideally, the best choices are programmable thermostats as they are energy efficient and can adjust the temperature according to the requirements. Furthermore, they are a lot easier to control and often switch to an away mode which saves electricity while you are not at home.
However, the final choice would depend on the user to choose a product they think is best as per their requirements.
(FAQs) Frequently Asked Question
Q1. Can a programmable thermostat be used for a boiler?
Yes, you can get a smart thermostat installed with your broiler. It makes the central heating system a lot easier to control. Furthermore, it provides additional features that make it energy-efficient, saving both electricity and maintenance costs on the unit.
Q2. Can smart thermostats auto-adjust the temperature?
Yes, individual thermostats come with sensors that adjust the temperature around the house based on the requirements. Furthermore, specific units create an algorithm after the first few times you program them. After that, they adjust the temperature automatically based on the comfort level.
Q3. What are two-wire thermostats?
A two-wire thermostat is the most uncomplicated setup that can be used with a heating system. If the unit needs two wires only, the system is capable of heating the space. However, for any cooling operations, you would need more wires
Q4. Are smart thermostats the right choice?
Smart thermostats contain the latest technology, so they are designed to make life more manageable. They are an excellent choice if you know how to use them completely. It would make the entire process of using an HVAC system easier while also saving time, money, and energy.
Conclusion
Some of the best choices in the category have already been mentioned and discussed. But if you are looking for our word, then the Emerson ST75W Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat is the best choice. It provides exceptional and advanced features that you could possible expect from a thermostat.
However, the other models are equally capable, and you can choose whichever you like based on your preferences.