Have you heard of a Dual Stage or 2 Stage Thermostat? A two-stage heating system implies that there are only two levels of heat that can be provided in your home by the furnace. This typically consists of a high and a low setting. A two-stage unit runs for longer periods of time and offers more equal heat distribution because the low setting is sufficient to fulfill domestic heating demands 80% of the time.
Best quality thermostats contribute a lot towards our maintaining a comfortable environment by the furnace in our home. It is thus, very important to know about the specifications of the top thermostats. This, in turn, would help you to make the right choice and a well-informed decision which goes a long way in the maintenance and proper functioning of the HVAC system. Here, it is important to know that there are three types of thermostat furnaces in all. They consist of single, dual, and multiple thermostats.
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In 2 Stage Thermostats, the low setting is usually used in most homes to prevent the overburning of fuel by the furnace. This facilitates the proper functioning of the device and contributes a lot towards energy efficiency. To know more about Dual Stage Thermostats, keep reading the post as we have provided all the relevant information on this page.
How does a 2-Stage Thermostat Work?
Firstly, it is very important to understand the working of a dual or 2 stages thermostat. Its two output levels are ‘high’ and ‘low’. This provides better efficiency than the other thermostats. The low setting shoots up to meet the household demands upon powering on the thermostat. But on cold days, after the low setting shoots up, the second-stage burners are switched on. These keep working till the temperature of the household is at the desired point. Thus, the furnace switches to the second stage when the first stage fails to meet the desired temperature.
Now here is the catch – The high or second stage goes on and the second stage burners work till the house is at the desired temperature. This drastically increases your energy consumption. But luckily, after a few days, the furnace gets used to your preferred temperature and maintains it accordingly. This is done without shooting up to the high or second stage from the first or low stage. Thus, once it understands your preferred temperature, it doesn’t switch to the second stage unless the first stage fails to maintain the desired temperature. This might lead to an increase during the first couple of weeks. However, it saves you a lot of money in the long run by learning your preference and adjusting the temperature accordingly.
Advantages of Dual Stage Thermostat?
Here are some advantages of using a 2-stage thermostat:
- Comfort – Since the thermostat ‘learns’ your preference, you do not need to regulate the temperature whenever you switch it on. With time, its smart functions take notes of your preferred temperature at regular intervals. This helps it to come up with the most preferred temperature so as to suit your requirements without you having to manually alter the settings. Thus, it offers excellent temperature regulation and maintenance at your convenience.
- Consistency and longer lifespan – A two-stage thermostat ensures a steady flow of warm air. It thus helps in maintaining a consistent and even temperature throughout your home. Also, a lesser need for turning the device on or off increases the lifespan of the thermostat. This is due to decreased pressure on the components of the device which is why they do not wear out easily. This makes it quite convenient as an increased device lifetime cuts down your maintenance costs in the long run and thus saves you quite some money.
- Noiseless operation – Mostly, due to the learning feature of the thermostat, they run in stage 2 or the low stage. Thus, it offers a noiseless performance as the fan’s speed lowers the noise. Lower fan speed means less noise. Therefore, dual-stage thermostats are more convenient as it does not distract you from your studies, work, or daily chores due to their noiseless functioning.
- Efficient performance – A 2-stage thermostat uses much less fuel than a standard 1-stage thermostat. This is also a reason why it functions mostly on the ‘low’ setting and thus burns less fuel. This helps in energy consumption and ensures as less impact on the environment as possible. This also helps you save a lot of money by significantly cutting down your monthly electricity bills.
- Air filtration – Operating at low speed paves the way for more air contaminants to be trapped. Thus, since it operates mostly on the low or the first stage, the filter gets more time to trap the contaminants. Most of us spend a large portion of our time indoors, be it our home or our workplace. Breathing in good quality air is very important to maintain good health as various pollutants or contaminants may lead to irritation, fatigue, allergies, or headache. Thus, dual-stage thermostats enhance air filtration and increase the quality of air that you inhale indoors.
How to Install a 2-Stage Thermostat?
The installation process of a dual-stage thermostat is not very difficult. You will be able to install it easily with some basic knowledge of circuits. You can also take the help of the instruction manual that comes with the device. This would help ensure all the precautionary measures are taken while guiding you throughout the installation process. However, in case you have no idea about circuits, it is better to take help from a professional or someone who knows the ropes. Here are the steps for installing a 2-stage thermostat:
- First of all, you need to cut off the power supply at the circuit breaker.
- Pull out the existing thermostat off the wall where it was installed.
- Then you need to install the faceplate of the new thermostat.
- Then you need to connect the household wires with its wires.
- After this is done, install the body on the mounting plate and turn on the power supply at the circuit breaker.
What are the Best 2 Stage Thermostat available in the market?
1. Google Nest Learning Thermostat
Features:
- It comes with remote access facility. You can thus control its settings remotely through your smartphone or tablet. You may thus, turn on the thermostat while leaving work so that your home is at your desired temperature by the time you are back.
- This model is also less pricey than its earlier versions despite having more advanced features.
- It also helps in energy conservation by cutting down your energy costs while reducing the impact on the environment.
The Google Nest Learning thermostat has been the leading 2-stage thermostat for quite some time. It boasts of a side touch interface and is compatible with Alex and Google Assistant. Like other smart thermostats, it comes with several smart features that make it quite popular among users. The updation of the current model has also been confirmed by Google. The new model supports the Matter protocol.
2. EMERSON Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat
Features:
- Supports Wifi and thus Smart Home Compatible.
- Saves about 23% on HVAC energy, thus saving money.
- Can be programmed as per your choice.
Other good picks include:
- Honeywell Wi-Fi smart color thermostat
- Ecobee smart thermostat with voice control
- Amazon smart thermostat, and so on.
Conclusion
2 stage thermostats are great for saving energy and performing efficiently. It does not wear out easily and has a longer lifespan when compared to its peers, works noiselessly, and also has smart features making it highly convenient. It also monitors the temperature settings for some days and then regulates it according to your preference. Also, as mentioned earlier, it is highly energy efficient and thus saves you a lot of money on energy consumption. But before choosing a 2-stage thermostat, make sure to check its compatibility and reliability.