In the past, discussions of a home’s indoor environment typically revolved around the temperature of the air. While temperature remains a critical component to the overall comfort of a home, consumers have become increasingly savvy about other environmental elements that can have an impact on their physical well-being, as well as the structural integrity of their homes.
Air purity, ventilation, and relative humidity also contribute to total indoor air health and comfort, and consumers are demanding ways to conveniently and effectively monitor and manage these facets along with the temperature.
Consolidation of IAQ Control
As consumer awareness of the full range of IAQ issues grows, there is an increased desire to integrate IAQ control into the same systems used to manage other aspects of a home. With years of experience developing a variety of ventilation, air filtration, humidification and temperature solutions, Aprilaire is well positioned to create unified systems that can treat every aspect of IAQ from a single user interface. And here’s the real beauty: This interface is something your customers are already familiar with and comfortable using—a thermostat and a companion mobile app.
These common interfaces help minimize the learning curve and will make IAQ a much easier sell to your clients. Consumers are already using thermostats and smartphone apps to adjust the temperature—why not also use them to control air purifiers, humidifiers/dehumidifiers, ventilation systems and other IAQ components? This unified approach is exactly what Aprilaire offers in its line of Wi-Fi Automation Thermostats to control the HVAC and IAQ equipment.
These IAQ-enabled thermostats not only give your customers a tool to enhance the overall home environment, but a chance to integrate the controls into a complete home automation system. Integration-friendly, the Aprilaire Wi-Fi Automation Thermostats open up new possibilities for enhanced home management.
Now, in addition to using the screen of an Aprilaire thermostat and smartphone app, consumers can treat IAQ issues from a home automation interface, be it a touchscreen, handheld remote, or keypad. Moreover, IAQ systems under the aegis of the Aprilaire thermostat can be incorporated into home automation scenes, schedules, and settings.
For example, a “Welcome Home” command could not only turn on select lights, distribute music to certain rooms, and adjust the temperature, but also activate the ventilation system. Then, based on the conditions outdoors, as monitored by various sensors, the home automation system could trigger the Aprilaire thermostat to activate the dehumidifier.
Provide Full Service Automation to Differentiate Your Business — Answer the Demand for Healthier Indoor Air
Michael Cogbill, chief engineer at ETC, understands the importance of offering IAQ as part of a full automation system.
“Using stats that are compatible with home systems is something that we [integrators] must do,” Cogbill says. “It’s impossible to provide clients with a complete, comprehensive automation system if it’s missing HVAC (and IAQ) control.”
By combining IAQ control with other aspects of a home environment—lights, shades, A/V, and more—you can provide your customers with a solution that touches all aspects of the home environment.
Differentiate your business and grow referrals by incorporating complete, convenient IAQ control into your home automation solutions.
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