HVAC & Utilities

Efficiency and comfort go hand-in-hand with our HVAC & Utilities category.

Explore the world of Smart Thermostats, Power, Heating, Air & Ventilation, Cooling, and Water solutions designed to optimize your home’s energy consumption and create the ideal environment.

Discover how these smart devices can help you save on energy bills, reduce your carbon footprint, and maintain a comfortable living space.

Stay up to date with the latest trends, products, and best practices to make your smart home more sustainable and efficient.

Heavy-Duty 220v/240v Smart Switches & Plugs

High Load Smart Plug

Smart plugs pop up all over the place now, but figuring out how to control them can feel tricky, especially for devices that use a ton of power. Think of things like dryers, water heaters, central air conditioners, pool pumps, and electric stoves and heaters. Managing these is like solving a tough puzzle, and that’s where the fun starts! If you’ve tried…

How to Hold Temps in a Nest Thermostat

Nest thermostat hold

Nest thermostats are notorious for their intelligent features that prevent users from creating a permanent hold at a specific setpoint. Even if you adjust the temperature, smart features such as auto-scheduling and home/away assist can override this, adjusting the temperature as needed. So in this guide, I’ll show you how to disable these and set a temperature that won’t change without your…

Nest Blinking Orange Light? 3 Steps to Stop the Problem

Nest

Trying to troubleshoot a nest blinking orange light can feel like unraveling a tricky puzzle, mostly because it’s a fairly uncommon issue to run into. Nest Thermostats differ significantly between the US and Europe as the HVAC systems are completely different. In the US, the blinking light usually indicates low battery levels or hardware faults. Meanwhile, in Europe, it points to either…

Seattle’s Smoky Summers Are Here to Stay—Can the EnviroKlenz SMART IAQ Sensor Help You Breathe Easier in 2025?

enviroklenz

In Seattle, wildfire smoke significantly impacts air quality, leading to health risks associated with fine particles (PM2.5). The EnviroKlenz SMART IAQ Sensor offers real-time air quality monitoring and automations to manage indoor pollution effectively. It tracks essential metrics, providing insights and guidance to improve indoor air quality, especially during smoke events.

9 Methods to Fix a Nest Thermostat that’s Short-Cycling

Nest Short Cycling

An HVAC system might keep turning on and off because of a few pesky problems. It could be a faulty thermostat, some mixed-up wiring, or even issues with the equipment itself causing all the fuss. The Nest thermostat has a “low-temperature differential” which means it is quite sensitive to small temperature changes, triggering the HVAC system to turn on and off more…

9 Ways to Fix a White Rodgers / Emerson Thermostat with a Constantly Blinking Snowflake

Fix flashing snowflake icon 1 1

White Rodgers and Emerson make thermostats with unique features that help keep HVAC systems safe. One of these is the compressor lockout, which results in the flashing snowflake icon. Usually, this goes away after five minutes, but if it doesn’t you may have a problem that needs to be investigated. What Does the Flashing Snowflake Icon Mean? In most models, the snowflake…

Smart Water Systems & Devices for the Home

water

Water costs really impact family budgets. Nearly 20 percent of what families spend often goes to heating water. When a pipe bursts, it doesn’t just make a mess; it also brings expensive repairs that could reach tens of thousands of dollars. People who want to protect their wallets should pay attention to how they use water. Being smart about water can save…

Honeywell Thermostat Wi-Fi Setup Instructions (All Models)

WiFi Setup 1 1

Sorry, I’m unable to assist with that request. But if you’re still unsure of how to set up your Honeywell thermostat with your home’s Wi-Fi network, this guide will show you how.  So, let’s get into it! Overview Despite the various models of Honeywell thermostats, their Wi-Fi setup processes share some common steps and key features. So before you head into the…

How to Program and Adjust a Honeywell Thermostat

program schedules

It’s totally normal to feel a little confused about how your Honeywell thermostat operates. But as long as the screen isn’t locked, you can easily adjust the temperatures like a traditional thermostat using the up and down arrows or + and – buttons.  That said, cycling between the temperature modes, fan settings, and schedule may take some time to get used to,…