Thermostats

The thermostat is the item most homeowners are familiar with in their heating and air system. When I go into a house to perform a maintenance or tune up it is the first item I want to see because I can set it to the temperature I want to test the system and also can begin by asking the homeowner if they have any questions about the settings and from there questions about the way the system is heating and cooling their home.

One aside from a technician point of view, is how some homeowners sometimes a homeowner says that their furnace or air conditioner is a Honeywell system. That is because the majority of thermostats today are made by that company and it is the name they associate with their system. Honeywell doesn't make heating and air systems and so it is a bit amusing when I hear the comment.

Anyway, a lot of times I am asked right off the bat by the homeowner if the problem with their system could be the thermostat, and sometimes it is, but usually the thermostat is the least problematic component of the system, at least for me.

One problem I do notice frequently about faulty functioning of thermostats is how they are installed. Thermostats read the temperature from the back side, so they are reading the wall temperature. Many times there will be a large hole that the wires come thru to the tstat and what happens is that the temperature in the wall may actually be several degrees hotter or colder than the indoor temp and so will cause the reading to be errant compared to the indoor air. This can easily be fixed by covering the hole with butyl tape or some foil tape.

There are many selections of thermostats. When I am working with elderly customers they can be delighted to find out that a few of the manufacturers have models with larger numbers and buttons which makes it easier to read the information and temperature setting.

If you are having troubles or questions about your thermostat be sure and contact your local heating and air company for more information. Whether you would like a basic one that has a dial (yes, we can still find those for sale) or a very sophisticated one that can communicate over the internet, chances are we can find one that you will like.

If you live in the Sacramento area be sure and contact me if you have questions about your thermostat.

Take Care,

The HVAC Tech