Have you noticed frequent fluctuations in your home’s indoor comfort levels? If so, there might be an issue with the thermostat placement. The location of the thermostat plays a major role in ensuring your HVAC unit operates efficiently, thus helping you have a comfortable living environment. We’ll examine the factors that usually affect thermostat placement.
The Factors That Affect Thermostat Placement
Different factors can affect the effectiveness of a thermostat, thereby impacting the efficiency of your heating and cooling units. When determining the best position to place the thermostat, you first need to consider the following.
1. The Proximity to Heat Sources
When the thermostat is placed close to a window receiving direct sunlight, the temperature reading will be higher than the actual indoor temperature. As a result, your HVAC system will strive hard to ensure the house is cool enough, leading to higher utility bills than usual. Your home will also be colder than usual, making you uncomfortable for a prolonged period. Also, when the thermostat is placed close to a heat-generating appliance such as an oven, it will give false readings, resulting in the HVAC system working harder to ensure your home is cool.
2. Proximity to Cold Spots and Drafts
The drafts from doors and windows can impact the readings on the thermostat, which means it will be challenging to get room temperature readings that are consistent. Avoid placing the thermostat in such areas to ensure the HVAC system will perform optimally by receiving temperature readings that are accurate. As a leading HVAC company serving Newbury Park, CA, and surrounding areas, we advise our clients against installing thermostats close to their air vents to avoid the issue of inaccurate readings. The warm or cool air being blown directly onto the thermostat may result in false temperature readings, which means the system will cycle more than usual, with higher energy consumption and uneven temperature distribution.
3. Location and Height Within the Room
Make sure the thermostat is at least 52 to 60 inches above the floor. At this height, the thermostat can get an accurate reading of the average room temperature, and the HVAC system will, in turn, be regulated effectively. On the other hand, if the thermostat is placed in rooms that are rarely used or the hallways, the thermostat readings will be inaccurate, resulting in system inefficiencies.
How Does the Thermostat Positioning Impact Temperature Readings?
When the thermostat is improperly placed, the level of comfort in your home and your HVAC system will be negatively impacted in the following ways.
1. Increased HVAC Repair Needs
Incorrectly placing the thermostat causes the heating and cooling units to work harder than usual, leading to increased wear and tear. This excess strain may result in the need for regular HVAC repairs. When you notice an issue with your system and fail to address it promptly, it may completely break down, and you may be forced to replace it or end up spending a hefty sum on repairs.
2. Uncomfortable Living Environment
Incorrect thermostat placement can lead to uneven temperature distribution. Some rooms will feel warmer or colder than others. The inconsistency results in an uncomfortable living environment.
Proven Tips for Optimal Thermostat Positioning
Let’s now examine tips for finding the right position for a thermostat.
1. Select a Spot Close to the Center of Your House
To ensure consistent and even temperature levels in your home, the thermostat should be placed close to the center of the house. For starters, the center of the house should be accessible to each member of your household, making manual adjustments to the thermostat easy. Also, the center of your home most likely has similar temperature levels to the rest of your living space.
2. Consider the Family Room
If there is an area in the house where the rest of the family spends most of their time, consider installing the thermostat there. A favorite room can be the living room or any other part of the house; this way, the HVAC system can easily maintain your preferred temperatures. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean the temperature levels will be consistent throughout the house. However, if the family room is at the center of the house, there is a high likelihood that every room will have the ideal temperature.
3. Consider the Floor That You’re Choosing
Do you have a multistory home? If so, be strategic about the floor where you’ll place the thermostat. If you have a two-story building, the upper floor is likely warmer than the first because of rising heat. In this case, consider placing the thermostat on the ground floor. On the other hand, the second floor is the ideal choice for a three-story building since the first floor may be chilly whereas the third floor might be warm, which means the middle floor will strike the right balance.
To ensure the thermostat has been placed correctly, consider liaising with us at Southland Heating & Air Conditioning. We can assess your home and recommend the right location after considering different factors. Our expertise will help optimize your HVAC units so that they run efficiently. Our recommendations will always be based on your unique layout.
Why You Should Choose a Smart Thermostat
Since technology has advanced significantly, smart thermostats are available, and you can operate them from the comfort of your smartphone or tablet. There are a few reasons why a smart thermostat is a wise investment.
1. Optimize the Temperature of Your Home for Efficiency and Comfort
During summer or winter, you must ensure your home is comfortable. However, it’s also important to avoid issues such as higher-than-usual utility bills; this is where the smart thermostat comes into play. The smart thermostat can be programmed to adjust the temperature levels in your home based on preferences and schedule. Although a standard programmable thermostat is capable of this, the smart thermostat takes it a notch higher since it can learn your routine and habits and make the necessary adjustments automatically.
2. Save Money on Energy Bills
A smart thermostat makes use of machine learning, and it usually makes adjustments based on factors such as:
- The temperature that you have set it to
- The current temperature levels outside
- When you’re home or away
- How long it will take to heat or cool your house
The fine-tuning of the smart thermostat leads to less energy consumption. The money you save on monthly utility bills can now be utilized in other areas.
3. Receive Alerts and Notifications
Besides controlling the smart thermostat using your smartphone when you’re away from home, you can also receive alerts about your heating and cooling appliances. Some of these alerts can include:
- Temperature trends
- Filter changes
- Energy use
- Maintenance needs
- System failure
Such awareness comes in handy since you’ll be proactive in ensuring that your system is maintained accordingly and promptly. This means its longevity will improve, and you won’t risk costly repairs.
Contact Us Today
If you want to take advantage of innovative technology in the form of the smart thermostat, Southland Heating & Air Conditioning is at your service. We offer many other services, including heat pumps, heating and cooling maintenance, ductwork, and indoor air quality tests. Don’t hesitate to contact us today for all your installation, maintenance, or repair needs.