Summer is drawing near. Soon it will be time to turn on the A/C and turn down the thermostat. Only your thermostat's not working properly! What do you do?
Here are four common thermostat problems in the summer and what to do about them.
Wrong settings
It's hard to know exactly what temperature to set your thermostat. When you're really hot, the temptation is to crank it down as low as possible. Some people also think that lowering the temperature when you first turn the A/C on will help the house get cooler faster. This is not the case. Rather, lowering the temperature more just makes the unit run longer. This wastes energy and wears out the system more quickly.
During your annual maintenance visit, have your HVAC technician check your thermostat settings and make sure they're ideal for keeping you comfortable without wasting energy.
Poor placement
If your house is the wrong temperature, or you're experiencing disparate temperatures throughout your home, your thermostat may be in the wrong place. Different areas have different heating and cooling needs, so putting the thermostat in a little-used room, or even a hallway, can cause temperature problems.
Talk to your HVAC contractor about moving the thermostat somewhere more central. You might also consider investing in a zoning system, which places multiple thermostats throughout your home, to heat or cool each area based on its individual needs.
Dirt
A number of common thermostat problems are due to poor maintenance. Dirt, cobwebs, and other debris can build up inside your thermostat over time, preventing it from working properly. This is another issue your HVAC technician can check for during annual tuneup, making sure it's clean and running efficiently.
Electrical
If the thermostat is working, but the system won't turn on (or won't turn off), then the problem might be the wiring that connects the two. Only a trained professional should deal with electrical issues, so call your HVAC technician to have them diagnose and fix the problem.
To learn about other common thermostat problems, contact us at Hartman Brothers. We provide New Haven with quality home comfort solutions.