Is It Time to Upgrade Your Thermostat?
Your thermostat is basically the brain of your home’s HVAC system and tells the furnace and air conditioner when to turn on and for how long. As such, your thermostat plays a key role in temperature regulation and energy usage. However, outdated thermostats can have some serious problems that affect their performance and energy efficiency. If you notice any of the following issues, it might be time to upgrade your thermostat.
Contact the experts at Weikle’s Hometown Heating & Air to speak to an HVAC technician in Southport.
Unresponsive Screen
If the thermostat screen is laggy, unresponsive, or not displaying anything, first check whether the batteries are dead or if the wiring is connected properly. Older thermostats slow down with age and might freeze up and not display anything at all. If the thermostat screen doesn’t turn on at all, there may be a problem with faulty wiring.
Short-Cycling
Thermostats control when your air conditioner/heater turns on and off. It turns off at the beginning of a cycle and then off when it reaches the desired temperature. The typical HVAC should cycle about two to three times per hour, so if it is cycling more than that, there may be a problem with the thermostat’s sensors.
Inaccurate Temperature Readings
Modern thermostats have special metal plates called thermistors that detect changes in electrical resistance to measure temperatures. If the sensors are damaged or dirty, you might start to get temperature readings that don’t make sense or that do not change, even when you turn your HVAC on. You can often clean dirty sensors to get them working again, but if they are too corroded, you’ll need to upgrade your thermostat to a new model.
High Energy Bills
Another key sign that your thermostat is on its way out the door is high energy bills. Your thermostat should control HVAC usage efficiently. As it ages, it becomes less efficient, and your bills start to climb. That is why one feature thermostat manufacturers focus on so much is energy savings and energy efficiency. Thermostat replacement can cut your monthly utilities by an appreciable amount, thanks to better performance.
Age
In general, you should upgrade your thermostat about once every ten years. Even if it’s still in good condition, HVAC technology advances quickly, and today’s thermostats are significantly better than yesterday’s. New programmable thermostats and smart thermostats provide numerous new options for energy savings and monitoring.
Hot & Cold Spots
Your thermostat should heat and cool your home evenly. If there are uneven cold or hot spots in your house, it means the thermostat keeps shutting your HVAC on and off before it can complete a full cooling or heating cycle. If none of your ducts or vents are blocked, you should consider replacing the thermostat.
Heating & Cooling Services Near You!
If you want to discuss options to upgrade your thermostat or need thermostat troubleshooting assistance, contact us online or call Weikle’s Hometown Heating & Air today at (910) 931-0094 to schedule service.
