Ways to Tell if Your Home’s Thermostat is Malfunctioning

If your heating and cooling system is not functioning properly in your home, then you will most likely feel as if you are living in an oven or as if you have been locked inside of a freezer, depending on the weather outside. For many of our customers, feeling comfortable while in their Berkeley home is a very important thing. Our customers seek more time to worry about the most important things- like family game nights or a night in with their significant other.

What does your thermostat do in your home?

A home’s thermostat is built as a switch that is temperature sensitive. The home’s thermostat works by sensing the temperature of the air within the room. For the heating system, the thermostat will switch the system on when the air temperature falls below the thermostat setting. Once the desired temperature has been reached, the thermostat simply turns off the heating system to maintain the room’s temperature. The opposite occurs for the air conditioning system.

It is also important to note that turning the thermostat to a higher or lower setting will not make the temperature of the room heat-up or cool-off any faster. The amount of time it takes to cool-off or heat-up is determined by the design of the heating or cooling system and not the actual temperature setting. So do not increase your energy bill by jacking up the thermostat in order to try to cool or heat your home faster.

How to Determine if Your Home’s Thermostat is Malfunctioning:

You will really feel the effects of a bad thermostat if it is too cold or too hot outside. If it is warm outside, set the thermostat five degrees cooler than your normal setting. Wait a few minutes to see if the air conditioning unit turns on to meet the desired temperature. If it is cold outside, set the thermostat five degrees higher to determine if the heating system turns on to warm your home to a comfortable setting.

Just like any other device in your home, your thermostat will need general upkeep, maintenance and cleaning. This includes making sure the batteries are in working order and the thermostat is checked for cleanliness and cleaned if needed. To clean your thermostat, simply remove the cover and lightly dust with a soft brush.

As a part of general upkeep, always make sure that your air filter is changed regularly.

Clogged air filters can lead to many problems with your thermostat as well as multiple health problems.

If you have an older thermostat and your air conditioner or heating system cycles on and off too infrequently (or too frequently), then its anticipator may need adjustment. The anticipator is typically a flat metal pointer on the scale located inside of your thermostat.

To adjust the anticipator, move it a little higher if it needs to start less often and a little lower if it needs to start more often.

A more in-depth way to test the functionality of your thermostat involves a slightly different approach. First, turn off the power to the heating and air conditioning systems through the circuit breaker to prevent injury. Carefully take off the front cover of the thermostat. After ensuring that all wires are firmly attached, turn the power back on at the circuit breaker and determine whether correcting the wires has fixed the problem.

If the issue continues, turn off the power again at the circuit breaker. Join the red and white wires to test the heating system, or the red and green wires for trouble with the air conditioning system. Finally, turn the power back on at the circuit breaker. If the blower comes on (for either air conditioner or heating system), then your thermostat is bad and needs to be replaced.

Since thermostats operate with temperature sensor, it is important to place it in an area that is away from any type of heat source. To avoid a false temperature reading, make sure that your thermostat is not near a lamp, television or any other heat source because this could cause the thermostat to read a higher temperature. Also make sure to your thermostat is not in an area of your Berkeley home that is too ‘drafty’ because this could cause the thermostat to read a lower temperature than the actual temperature in the room.

Whole House Humidifiers

When the weather outside is frightful, you may experience anything from dry skin to a new crack in your beautiful hardwood floor.

Whole house humidifiers may be the solution to your problem because they add moisture to the air that is lost during the colder seasons. They work with your homes existing heating and cooling systems in order to maintain a comfortable level of humidity.

Besides being beneficial for your skin and your beautiful floors, Allergy Buyers Club suggests that dry air can make sinus problems worse, and even cause nose bleeds. Dry air in your home also encourages the spread of some viruses that can lead to respiratory illnesses. Humidified air keeps you, your family and your home in good health.

Thermostat maintenance is important in maintaining your whole house comfortable. For the whole house humidifier and HVAC system to work properly and provide clean, humidified air to your home, make sure that you receive proper thermostat maintenance services.

For superior services in your Berkeley, CA home, call Albert Nahman Plumbing at (510) 876-9725 .