Summer has arrived. And the rental bookings are in. You’ve cleaned the decking, made the beds, and checked all the safety systems. You’re ready for summer guests to arrive. Or, are you? What about your HVAC system?
When planning for the summer rush, be sure to spare a thought for your guests’ in-room comfort.
Setting-up an intelligent HVAC system will ensure a cool and comfortable short-term stay even when the mercury peaks on those sweltering summer days.
Better still, could choose smart HVAC technologies, as part of your vacation rental automation strategy. These systems can be remotely controlled to deliver a lower carbon footprint and save on your rental’s cooling costs significantly.
6 reasons you need a smart HVAC system this summer
But, first, let’s demystify the term HVAC. Sometimes also referred to as climate control, HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. The purpose of this smart home system is to control the environmental conditions inside your rental property.
When you choose a smart HVAC, it enables more efficient temperature control and also personalizes the ambient temperature to suit individual preferences.
If you’re still wondering why you should invest in a smart HVAC system this summer for your vacation rental, here are the highlights:
- Controls electricity bills: Over $200 is the monthly expenditure on energy by the average American – half of which is spent on heating and cooling. With a smart HVAC, you can significantly save money on your short-term rental’s cooling bill this summer. An example of how the system helps is, when your guests are not indoors, the HVAC automatically switches off. Or in the day, the air conditioning runs on full-power, and it automatically scales back come evening. With such smart HVAC management, rental owners can expect to save over $30 in energy costs per month.
- Keeps rental humidity-free: Excessive moisture in the air will not only wreak havoc to your rental home’s interiors and electronics but also results in disease-causing mold and mildew. A smart HVAC can automatically detect inordinately high humidity levels and keep it in check to safeguard your property and guests’ health.
- Runs a more efficient rental: It is possible to program your smart thermostat to recognize cooling maximums, and time the thermostat to automatically reset to base cooling levels when your guests are not at home. This smart home technology also learns of your preferences and adjusts the cooling accordingly. In this way, the HVAC only runs when required and at the optimum temperature.
- Prevents guests from breaking the HVAC: Since guests don’t pay electricity bills, they end-up cranking the thermostat to the lowest temperatures or leaving the doors and windows open when the HVAC is switched on. In trying to cool the entire neighborhood, the system is put under an undue amount of stress which reduces its life-span. Property automation comes to the rescue here. For instance, smart HVACs sync with door and window sensors to automatically switch off the cooling if the room is not properly sealed. It can also be pre-programmed to stay within temperature limits, no matter what settings the guest chooses, so your HVAC does not prematurely wear out.
- Enables predictive HVAC diagnostics and maintenance: A smart HVAC system provides detailed and easy-to-understand diagnostics reports. These can be shared with maintenance personnel so that they may easily repair and extend the life of your HVAC units. At the same time, early predictive maintenance also helps avoid HVAC service interruptions, thus keeping the guest experience intact. In 2020 alone, PointCentral identified 357,294 troubled HVACs. This manner of early detection helps extend the life of the equipment, preventing more complicated and expensive problems from arising.
- Keeping it sustainable: As the temperatures go up, if you’re gunning for sustainability in your rental operations, then a smart HVAC system is the answer. Programmable thermostats increase efficiency and lower the maintenance and utility bills.
Keeping a cool head with HVAC peace of mind this summer
No need to get all hot and bothered this summer! With a smart HVAC, property managers keep a cool head, free from the worry of high utility bills or conked-out systems. And at the same time, these systems add to the comfort and convenience of guests by ensuring that the rooms automatically stay at an ideal temperature, 24/7.
What’s more, management of the HVAC can be done remotely or automatically. So, property managers don’t ever have to be physically present at the rental to switch off the cooling, in case your guests left without doing so. This, ultimately, gives you more time to focus on other aspects of delighting your guests.
