When it comes to a thermostat for your home, you have multiple options. The top three types of thermostats that you can put in your home are manual, programmable, or smart.

Manual

A manual or analog thermostat is the classic thermostat that has been part of most heating installations for decades. With a manual thermostat, you have to adjust the temperature on the thermostat manually every time you want it to change. The thermostat lets you know what temperature it is inside of the house and lets you set what temperature you want it to be inside of the house.

More modern manual thermostats allow you to turn on the fan to your HVAC system when you don't need hot or cold air and you just want to have some fresh air circulating throughout your home.

Manual thermostats are low-cost and are still often the default thermostats that are installed with HVAC systems.

Programmable

Programmable thermostats are starting to become the new standard over manual thermostats. With a programmable thermostat, you are able to program when your HVAC system turns on and off and at what temperature it is set throughout the day. Most programmable thermostats run on a one-week cycle, so at the end of the week, you can repeat the same week's programming or you can adjust that.

Programmable thermostats are great because you can set your thermostat to change the temperature at set times, such as when you are not home and when you are home. This will allow you to use less energy and use your system more effectively.

Smart

The next level up from a programmable thermostat is a smart thermostat. A smart thermostat is still a programmable thermostat. You can program when you want the HVAC system to turn on and off and what temperature you want your home to be at based on time of day or days of the week.

What makes a smart thermostat different is the additional features that it offers. You can program your thermostat remotely via a Wi-Fi connection.

Smart thermostats also provide you with additional information. They can let you know when you should change the filter on your unit. They can let you know when you need to perform other maintenance tasks as well. A smart thermostat is designed to help you take care of your home.

If you want great control over the temperature of your home, it is best to upgrade to a programmable or smart thermostat. Both of these types of thermostats can help you use less energy and regulate the temperature in your home more smoothly.