Troubleshooting Your Furnace

Posted on: 1 October 2015

If you feel like you are spending too much money on heating and cooling, or if your home is never a comfortable temperature, you might have a problem with your thermostat. Your thermostat controls the amount of heat and cold air your system produces, and there could be a problem with it. Here are two ideas to look into that may help you get the most out of your thermostat.

Ensure It Is Located In the Right Place

The location of a thermostat has a large impact on the way your HVAC system runs, and there are right and wrong locations for home thermostats. If your thermostat is located in the wrong place, it could be causing your system to run too much, and this could be costing you extra money. Here are some of the most common wrong places thermostats are placed:

• On exterior walls – A thermostat on an exterior wall may be getting too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. This happens when air seeps through walls, and this is natural for exterior walls. If your thermostat is on an exterior wall, you should have it moved to an interior wall.
• In the kitchen – Thermostats should never be placed in areas where you cook, because these areas often get warmer than the rest of the house. In addition, they should never be located in direct sunlight. If the room gets hot, the thermostat will sense this heat and will shut the furnace off. In the summer, this will cause the AC system to run more.
• Too close to registers – Finally, if your thermostat is located in an area where the air from register vents can hit it, it is in the wrong place. You should have it moved to an area where this will not happen. In addition, you should make sure it is not placed near doorways, because each time the door opens, a breeze can come through and affect the thermostat.

Relocating a thermostat is a job you should leave to a heating and cooling company. They will have to help you select the best place to put the thermostat, and they will have to run wires to this new location.

Get It Calibrated On A Regular Basis

The second thing to consider looking into is the calibration of the thermostat. Calibration refers to the accuracy of the readings. If you feel like the temperature in your house is different than what the thermostat reads, it could be due to a calibration issue. For example, if it feels like it's 75 degrees in your house and the temperature is reading 70 degrees, your thermostat might be off. This means you will need to have it calibrated. Calibrating a thermostat will adjust it so that it provides an accurate reading of the temperature.

The way calibration is completed will depend on the type of thermostat you have. If you have a digital programmable thermostat, there is probably a calibration button on it. You may have to scroll through the settings to find this, but it is probably there. When you push this button, you can manually change the degrees to adjust the calibration.

If you have an older type of thermostat that contains mercury, you should hire a heating and cooling company to test it and adjust it. While it is not extremely difficult to do this yourself, it is often a lot easier to let an expert handle it.

If you follow these steps, you may find that it is easier to keep your house a temperature that is comfortable all year long. If you would like more information about this, contact a company that offers heating and cooling services.

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