Finding the Ideal Place for Your Thermostat
Austin residents can rely on Totally Cool Heating & Air for the comprehensive care of their cooling and heating systems. With over 35 years of experience, we know how to install and maintain every part of your equipment. While thermostats in your home might not get as much attention as your air conditioner or furnace, they play a crucial role in maintaining a comfortable atmosphere. The proper placement of this device will give you a consistent home temperature and improve the efficiency of your system.
The Thermostat’s Role in Home Comfort
Your air conditioner works hard to keep you comfortable on a hot summer day in Austin. However, if your AC ran without stopping, it would not be too long before your home started to feel like a freezer.
Your thermostat is the brain of your home climate system that signals the equipment to start or stop. It has sensors that measure the temperature in its local zone. When the temperature gets too far from the setting, it sends the appropriate message to your heating or cooling equipment.
Simple thermostats involve a single control. When you feel uncomfortable, you change the setting by a degree or two. More advanced thermostats allow users to program the temperature based on room usage. Homeowners can save money by reducing the workload on their equipment when no one is home.
Avoid Heat Sources
Your thermostat is easy to fool. It can measure temperature changes, but it cannot determine the source of those changes. Placing it near a heat source will result in a false reading, and it will act on that incorrect information. This inaccuracy will lead to cold rooms in the winter and an overworked air conditioner in the summer.
If you think about heat sources, the kitchen is an obvious concern. The stovetop and oven produce extra heat that warms the area. If your thermostat is in your cooking space, other rooms in the zone will be chilly.
Other false heat readings come from thermostats installed too close to vents and in direct sunlight. In either case, exposure to direct heat will create incorrect readings.
Watch for Drafts
A thermostat is supposed to measure the ambient temperature of a room. Air currents can throw off that reading depending on their warmth. A door to the outdoors or another zone can pull in air from a place with a different temperature. If you have a family member who enjoys fresh air and open windows, it is best to avoid locating a thermostat in their room. You should also encourage them to close the door when they open the windows.
Identify the Ideal Placement
The ideal thermostat placement is an interior wall of the room in a zone where people spend the most time. The further you get from the device, the more variation you can have in temperature. Placing your thermostat in the busiest area will keep that room in a consistent climate. If you are uncertain about the perfect placement, let one of our experts look at the location.
Multi-Zone Homes
Older homes may run off a single thermostat. Other homes may have a temperature controller for each floor. Zoning your home with several thermostats conserves energy by reducing the demand for your home’s climate equipment. You will focus attention on active zones so that you are not wasting energy on unoccupied areas.
Thermostat placement also matters in a multi-zone situation. You want the thermostats to have some distance from one another. Ideally, each thermostat will be in the central room of the zone. This placement will allow for distinct temperatures in the same building.
Upgrading Your Thermostat
HVAC technology improves every year, and thermostats are part of that effort. If you are looking for the latest innovations in home efficiency, a smart thermostat could be a wise investment. These devices are a step up from programmable thermostats. A smart device starts with a program and learns your home habits over time. Controlling the unit remotely from a smartphone is another benefit of these new tools. If it is time for an upgrade, our crew can professionally install your new thermostat.
Austin’s Choice for Home Comfort
At Totally Cool Heating & Air, we dedicate ourselves to keeping our Austin customers comfortable throughout the year. We are well-known for our unsurpassed work with residential and commercial HVAC systems. Our team will also maintain and improve the ductwork that moves air around your home. As full-service climate specialists, we can carry out additional services such as installing attic insulation and indoor air quality evaluation. If you want your home to have a consistent climate in every season, contact Totally Cool Heating & Air today.
