“Why is it COLD in here?” says one family member. “Why does it keep getting HOT in here?” says another family member shortly later. Does it seem as if your house is never at the right temperature? You’ve tried raising and lowering the temperature on the thermostat but it still does not remain comfortable. Well, the problem could be that your thermostat is getting a false read.
Lots of thermostats are put in locations that are not ideal and this can cause a false read from what the temperature actually is inside your house. For instance, some thermostats are tucked away in some corner or in another location that experiences temperature extremes. A thermostat placed near the front door or the door to your garage will always read cooler than the real temperature because of the draft in these areas. And a thermostat placed in the kitchen will always read warmer than the real temperature because of the heat generated by cooking. Also, a thermostat placed on an exterior wall will always read cooler than if placed on an interior wall.
So, if you discover that your thermostat is in a less than ideal location you should seriously consider moving it. Moving the thermostat to an appropriate location will help it read correctly the average temperature in your home, making it more comfortable, and it will also save you money.
Where should my thermostat be?
Often times a thermostat is placed above a wall heater. This is not ideal. When the heater turns off there will still be residual heat escaping from the heater which will cause the thermostat to read warmer than it actually is. Moving the thermostat just one stud over from the heater is a better location. This means the rising residual heat won’t affect it and cause a false read.
The ideal location for a thermostat is on an interior wall in any room where you spend the majority of your time. Putting the thermostat on an inside wall that is adjacent to the one where the heater is installed is even better. This way it will only sense heat from the room and not be influenced at all by residual heat from the heater.
Do I have a choice?
We know that it isn’t always possible to choose where your thermostat first gets installed. For instance, if you’re dealing with existing construction, the decision was probably already made for you. You may or may not be able to get into the wall and run wire wherever you want. But if you’re dealing with new construction, you may have more of a say. But running wire between a heater and adjacent wall can cost a little more of your time and money. However, it is worth the effort.
And remember although there may be a cost for moving the thermostat, putting it in the ideal location is going to improve its performance and your comfort. When the thermostat is getting an accurate read of the room temperature it will maintain a more even temperature which will make you more comfortable and may even save you some money on utility costs.
Another idea to consider is placing multiple thermostats in ideal locations throughout your home. This will give you the most accurate temperature reading. But if you're not quite ready to invest this much, then just make sure the thermostat you do have is correctly placed.
If you want GAMA Air to give you a hand re-locating your thermostat, we’d be happy to help. It may be a bit of work to do it, but in the end could result in better comfort and even energy savings. Just give us a call at (310) 651-6936 or use our online form to schedule a service call.
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