Your thermostat performs the important role of informing your air conditioner when to turn off and on. So it’s location and appliances that sit near it is important to the efficiency of the operation of your HVAC system. So if it’s located near a heat producing appliance or in an area of the house where the reading temperatures are deafeningly different than other rooms in the house, your home could suffer from comfort and efficiency problems. Let’s take a look at why proper placement of your thermostat is so important and places you should avoid installing one.
If the temperatures that your thermostat reads are not reflective of the average temperature in your home, your HVAC system will either operate too often to not often enough. Either way it will be difficult to maintain the temperature levels you desire in your home.
Thermostats are typically installed when your HVAC system is installed, a poor system installation would cause improper placement to occur. Or a remodel that changed the area surrounding your thermostat.
Where should you avoid placing a thermostat?
• In a de-centralized location, your thermostat should be placed in the center of your home. That is where it is most likely to get an average reading of your home’s temperature levels. If it’s not in a central location, its temperature readings will likely not reflect the rest of your house and your home will either be too hot or too cold.
• Near other drafts. Including your air vents, drafts can come from doors, fans, windows and other places that can influence your thermostat’s temperature readings.
• In direct sunlight. The sun shining directly on your thermostat can cause your thermostat to think your home is hotter than it really is. This of course, will cause your air conditioner to run more often and for longer periods of time. Which is not cost effective.
• Near heat producing appliances. Your thermostat will get a warmer reading than the rest of your house (especially near your kitchen).
• Near air vents. If your thermostat is near an air vent, cool air from your air conditioner can cause your thermostat to think it’s cooler than it really is. This can cause your condenser to short-cycle, which is bad for your system and your home comfort.
If you have questions or concerns about proper placement of your thermostat, or if you’d like a complete system service cleaning or installation call Brimhall Maintenance Services, LLC.