When people focus on upgrading their HVAC systems, a lot of the time they focus on the main body: the heater or the air conditioner. The thing is, though, you can run into all sorts of problems with your air conditioner or heater even if the main parts of those systems are perfectly fine. The thermostat is the core of your HVAC systems, and keeping it functioning properly is just as important. Have a look at the following ways a bad thermostat can completely mess up your air conditioner this summer, and what you can do if your thermostat is not working the way it should be.
Poor Energy Efficiency
A thermostat isn’t just an on/off switch for your air conditioner. It monitors the temperature of the air around itself, and controls the climate control systems accordingly. The older and more worn out a thermostat gets, the less able it’s going to be to properly manage the air conditioner. Your system will activate late, and stay on for longer than it should when conditioning your home. This leads to wasted energy from month to month, driving up the cost of using your air conditioner. That’s a lot of money to pay when you could just install a new thermostat and lower the costs of your monthly air conditioner use substantially.
Less Comfortable Climate
Older thermostats tend to have a common issue called a “dead zone” in their control capabilities. The dead zone is a temperature at which a thermostat should activate a heater or air conditioner, but doesn’t because it doesn’t have a fine enough degree of control. Typically, a thermostat’s dead zone will hover around one degree. That will get wider as the system ages, though. A wider dead zone will mean that you either have to intentionally set the thermostat to offset it, manually activate the system every time you want the air conditioner to turn on, or just resign yourself to being uncomfortable until it gets hot enough for the system to kick in. None of those are really good or convenient options. If your thermostat has a wide dead zone in its control capability, it would probably be a good idea to consider installing a new one.
What to Do
The best thing to do is to upgrade your thermostat at least as often as you upgrade your climate control systems. If your thermostat is more than 10 years old, you should really talk to a professional technician about installing a new one. Modern smart thermostats offer all kinds of functionality beyond what your older one likely does, including setting themselves to match your climate control habits to save money. If you’re looking for a new thermostat to increase your energy efficiency and comfort this summer, consult with a professional to determine which one is best for your needs.
Desert Suns Heating & Cooling Inc. provides comprehensive thermostat and air conditioning services throughout Albuquerque, NM. If you need a new thermostat installed in your home, contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our professional technicians.