It is easy to overlook the importance of the thermostat when it comes to keeping your home comfortable in both warm and cool weather. The small unit is designed to appear as unobtrusive as possible on the wall and is minuscule compared to the size of the rest of the HVAC system. But you cannot take the performance of the thermostat for granted, since it can have an immense negative impact on the cooling in your home during summer. Here are some of the ways that the thermostat may be an issue—and what you can do about it.
- Miscalibrated temperature sensors: This is one of most common ways that a thermostat can reduce the effectiveness of a residential AC. If the thermostat starts to incorrectly sense temperatures in your house, it will cause the compressor in the air conditioner to turn on and off at inappropriate times, leading to a drop in comfort and an increase in energy waste. It may even cause the AC to short-cycle, a situation that will reduce the system’s lifespan. Call for technicians to recalibrate the thermostat so it works correctly again.
- Poor thermostat placement: If a thermostat was originally installed in a spot in the house where it is exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods of time or is close to drafts, it will read a non-representative temperature for the house, and the AC will not work the way it should. The only option to fix this problem is to have professionals install a new thermostat in a central location removed from temperature fluctuations.
- Lost connection to the AC: Standard wired thermostats work from a series of wires that connect to the AC and turn the fans and the compressor on and off. Loss of connection from any of the wires will cause trouble such as fans that won’t turn on or won’t stop running, or a non-working compressor that provides no cooling. When you notice any of these symptoms, call on AC repair experts to find the cause and fix it. (The source may be something other than the thermostat.)
JC Mechanical Inc. provides fast air conditioning repair service in La Habra, CA since 1992. Call us any time of the day or night when you need your thermostat fixed.