Winters can be hard enough on their own without a misplaced thermostat causing more problems. When a thermostat isn’t placed in a good location in your home, it can heat the home unevenly and inconsistently. Your house might actually be up to the temperature you want, but if the thermostat is incorrectly reading the temperature, it will stay on or shut off before the desired temperature is met.
A bad thermostat location can even increase your monthly energy bills by staying on longer while trying to bring the house up to temperature. Thankfully, Estes Services can help. We offer great thermostat tips to keep your central heating and air conditioning system operating efficiently this winter.
Wrong Thermostat Placement
Placing your thermostat in the wrong spot can be disastrous for your heating and cooling system’s efficiency. For example, if your thermostat is placed near windows or vents, it might be reading the correct temperature for that room but not for the house as a whole, causing inconsistent temperatures throughout your house.
A programmable thermostat installed in the wrong location can cause temperatures in your home to be either much higher or lower than you would like. The only way to properly combat this is to make sure that your thermostat is in a central location where no other factors, other than the actual temperature of your home, will impact its readings. This will lead to an accurate reading.
Common Incorrect Thermostat Placement Areas
- Thermostats placed in direct sunlight will show higher temperature readings than the correct temperature
- Placing a thermostat above or near air vents will cause the air coming from the vents to skew readings
- Kitchens are one of the warmest places in your home. A thermostat in the kitchen will get constant readings that are higher than the rest of your house due to heat coming from the oven, warm water from the sink, etc.
- Hallways aren’t an ideal place for your programmable thermostat either since no one actually lives in the hallway. A reading from the hallway won’t be a true measure of the temperature needed for each room in your house.
- Doors and windows bring constant drafts into your home and affect a thermostat’s reading. Anytime a door is opened, your thermostat’s temperature reading will likely change.
Correct Thermostat Placement
You want to place your thermostat in the optimal location inside your home. Install your thermostat on an interior wall, away from anything that might cause it to give false readings. A thermostat near the center of your home, possibly where most of the family’s activity happens, will provide excellent readings for the rest of your house. Make sure that no external factors are impacting your thermostat’s readings. It should only be picking up the accurate temperature that your home is currently at.
When your programmable thermostat is placed in a prime location, your central heating and air system will operate at its highest performance and give the most accurate readings. Installation of a programmable thermostat or smart thermostat increases your system’s efficiency greatly compared to a standard manual thermostat.
Contact Estes for Thermostat Installation Services
Give your central heating and air unit the best chance to keep your family warm this winter! Install a programmable thermostat in a place where your system can run efficiently year-round. Contact Estes Services for help with installation of your thermostat and other heating and cooling needs.
