Likely enough, the vast majority of your family’s energy consumption is from heating and cooling alone. Although the cost of having to run an HVAC system simply can’t be avoided, there are things that may be happening that hike up your bill without you even knowing–things that could be easy to fix and in turn help save you money.
Although easy to brush off, the thermostat has all too much power! It holds an incredibly important role in the HVAC system and its programming and well-functionality are incredibly important in the everyday cycle of your HVAC system. Likewise, there are some problems that many homeowners face related to their thermostat that could be causing them trouble without even realizing it, jacking up energy bills, and causing their HVAC system to be less efficient than it normally would be.
What are some common thermostat problems?
Poor calibration. This is by far one of the most common problems we have seen with thermostats. Thermostats are responsible for telling when your HVAC system to turn on and off, so when temperature settings aren’t calibrated well, it can truly affect how well your system is working for you. An example of what poor calibration is is your thermostat reading an 80-degree room at 70 degrees, thus failing to kick on the air conditioner to cool the room, and leaving you boiling.
How to fix? Most of the time, fixing the calibration on a thermostat is relatively simple.
Firstly, you must remove the cover of the thermostat and give the whole thing a good, but very gentle, wipe down. Next is to locate the mercury valve if your thermostat has one, and if it does, it needs to be straightened. However, mercury is very dangerous and should never come in contact with your skin, so if you are unsure, calling a professional is always the best choice. Next up, find the calibration screw and use a screwdriver to turn the screw back and forth until the contacts open, and once they have opened, turn the screw into the contacts completely, which will reset your calibration. If you find that getting this far didn’t solve the issue, it’s about time to call in a technician, as it only gets more complicated from there.
Bad location. Since a thermostat must read the room that it’s stationed in, placement is key in making sure that your thermostat kicks on and off when it actually should for the good of the entire home. If your thermostat is placed next to the fireplace or kitchen, it can read the room as too hot and freeze out your home. Placed next to a drafty window, door, or hallway, the thermostat can read this space as too cold and kick on the heat.
How to fix? If you feel that your thermostat is placed in a less-than-ideal spot, it’s important to call in a professional HVAC technician to help you determine where it should go instead and configure the setup for you.
Battery problems. Thermostats run on batteries, therefore it’s important to make sure that when batteries start running low, they are replaced. A dead battery does no good, of course! If you notice that the numbers are starting to dim on the screen, it probably means that the batteries are dying.
How to fix? Simply remove the thermostat from the wall and locate the battery panel on the back to replace the batteries. Voila!
Poor wiring. This issue can cause display and functionality issues. If batteries aren’t the culprit for glitchy or fading displays, the wiring could be it. Likewise, if you find that your thermostat is kicking your HVAC system on and of with seemingly no rhythm or reason, it could be due to poor wiring.
How to fix? Calling in a technician to take look at the wiring is your best shot, as you will need someone who is familiar with these little gadgets and their electrical work. In this case, technicians will come out and test the wiring and likely be able to reconnect or replace wires the same day to solve your problem.
Call us
Have questions about thermostats, installations, or anything else HVAC related? Please, don’t hesitate in giving us a call here at Tri-Point Refrigeration. We’re happy to hear from you and are excited to help you along the way.
For a direct line to any of our employees ready on the line to help you, please call…(512) 651-4565 for our Austin, Texas community (806) 686-0050 for our Lubbock, Texas community. Or check out our website at https://www.tripointrefrigeration.com
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