Tips & Guides About Your Home Thermostats
What do you know about thermostats? If your home has an HVAC system, it will have a thermostat. Whether your thermostat recently stopped measuring indoor air temperature or you just want to know more about it, read the top questions homeowners have about this HVAC component.
Tips & Guides About Your Home Thermostats
What do you know about thermostats? If your home has an HVAC system, it will have a thermostat. Whether your thermostat recently stopped measuring indoor air temperature or you just want to know more about it, read the top questions homeowners have about this HVAC component.
Do All Thermostats the Same?
Although all thermostats help the HVAC system regulate the ambient air temperature, these devices differ. The most common types are mercury bimetallic contact, mechanical contact, digital, and electronically programmable thermostats. Older homes with older HVAC systems may have bimetallic contact or mercury contact mechanical thermostats. Some older systems may also have digital (non-programmable) thermostats.
As the name suggests, a mercury bimetal contact thermostat uses two pieces of metal and a mercury glass bulb to sense and control temperature. The mechanical contact also includes a bimetallic strip. Instead of mercury, this device uses a mechanical contact for temperature control.
A digital thermostat works the same as a mechanical contact device. But this thermostat has a digital display and electronic controls instead of a bimetallic coil.
Programmable electronic thermostats are newer options that, as the name suggests, allow you to program your HVAC system electronically. These digital devices allow you to select times and days to raise or lower the temperature. This can help regulate home comfort while using less energy.
Smart Thermostats
If you want to go beyond a traditional programmable model, smart thermostats give you a remote option and the ability to integrate heating and cooling into a larger whole-home system. You can control a smart device with an app on your phone or tablet. This makes it possible to monitor and modify the ambient air temperature from almost anywhere.
How do Thermostats affect your HVAC costs?
As the control center of your heating and cooling systems, the thermostat has a significant impact on your HVAC costs. According to the US Department of Energy, a temperature change of 7 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours a day can save many homeowners up to 10% on their annual heating and cooling bills.
If you have an older digital bimetallic or electronic thermostat, you don’t have a programmable option. Instead, you have to manually change the thermostat for eight hours or more every day. But if you have a programmable or smart thermostat, you can set the device and forget about temperature changes.
How do you take care of your Thermostat?
Thermostats are often forgotten – until they no longer work. Don’t wait for your thermostat to fail. Simple maintenance tasks can extend the life of your thermostat or prevent problems before they occur.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for routine maintenance and cleaning. If you do not know how to properly maintain the device, or if you cannot find the manufacturer’s instructions for use, contact a professional. An HVAC professional can inspect the thermostat and clean or service it during preseason maintenance checks.
In addition to cleaning, the technician may also need to calibrate the device. Calibration helps the thermostat read the indoor temperature accurately, increasing the likelihood that your HVAC system is effectively cooling or heating your home.
Need a new thermostat or calibration? Contact Carrano Air & HVAC Contractors Inc. for more information.