How a Poorly Located Thermostat Costs You Money and Comfort

How a Poorly Located Thermostat Costs You Money and Comfort

There are many ways that an air conditioner or heater can start to malfunction and end up costing you more money to run that it should. But sometimes these problems aren’t malfunctions; they’re built right into the HVAC system itself from the beginning. Not all installations are equal, and a shoddy initial job can mean a heating and cooling system that won’t live up to its potential.

One common error with HVAC installation is thermostats that are poorly located. We’ll take a close look at the trouble this can cause.

Why is the thermostat’s location important?

A thermostat is both a control mechanism that allows people to change the settings for a heating and cooling system, and a temperature sensor. Today’s thermostats have more precise sensors in them than ever before, replacing older mercury sensors. But if a thermostat is in the wrong location, it will pick up incorrect readings that don’t match the average house temperature. These are known as “ghost” readings, and they will cause the HVAC system to come on and off at the wrong times. This means you’ll experience uncomfortable temperatures and end up paying more money because either the heater or AC will run longer than it should.

Places a thermostat shouldn’t be

There are three common location mistakes:

• A thermostat placed where it receive direct exposure to the sunlight. The sun’s radiant energy will trick the thermostat into registering higher the temperature.
• A thermostat near to windows or exterior doors. This will cause cold drafts to deceive the thermostat into reading temperatures that are lower.
• A thermostat located too far from the center of the house. This will cause the thermostat to read temperatures that do not match the average for the home—either too warm or too cool.

Solving these problems requires calling professionals to either re-locate the thermostats or have new ones installed in better locations.

To arrange for thermostat services in Palm Desert, CA and the surrounding areas, call Russell’s Heating & Air Conditioning.