The thermostat is the brains of your home HVAC system, controlling your equipment to deliver heat or cool air where it’s needed in your New Jersey home.
While thermostats don’t require much care to keep them running, they do occasionally present issues that could affect the performance of your central air conditioner.
Here are seven reasons why your thermostat could impact the performance of your A/C this summer.
1. It’s not located in the right place – Put a thermostat near a drafty window or in direct sunlight and it will have a distorted view of the temperature in your house, which might cause it to run your HVAC equipment when it doesn’t need to be engaged. Ideally, a thermostat is centrally located away from direct sun light and heat sources; if it isn’t, it’s a good idea to move it (contact us for help – it’s not a DIY task).
2. It needs a cleaning – When grime accumulates inside a thermostat, it can’t correctly gauge the air temperature of the house. Older thermostats can be cleaned by simply dusting inside the cover. To clean the contacts, use a piece of paper and move it between the contacts in order to get the grime off. Don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself? Call us.
3. It needs a change of batteries – Most newer thermostat models use batteries, and those batteries wear out over time. See your owner’s manual to see what kind of batteries you need and how to replace them.
4. It isn’t programmed properly – Modern thermostats are like little computers, and programming some of them can be just as complicated. Spend some time learning how your thermostat works so you can troubleshoot problems and save more money along the way.
5. It isn’t properly installed – It may seem like installing your own thermostat is easy enough to do yourself, but it really isn’t a D.I.Y. task. If you see loose wiring or notice that your thermostat isn’t performing the way it should, it’s a good idea to let an HVAC pro take a look. If there’s a problem, an expert technician will identify and address it right away.
Some thermostat issues are easy fixes – others aren’t. Our experts can take care of the latter category, working quickly and neatly to fix problems the right way and suggest solutions you can live with.
Contact JW Pierson today to learn more about thermostat installations and air conditioning maintenance and repairs in NJ!