Having a home air conditioning and heating unit is a great long-term investment for any homeowner. Whether you’re trying to avoid sweating through the summer or freezing through the winter, you’re often sent running to the thermostat for relief. However, when you get an HVAC system revving, you know it will have an impact on your electric bills.
Believe it or not, your thermostat may not be helping either. The location of that thermostat can actually be impacting your home, your spending, and even the overall health of everyone in your household.
Understanding Thermostat Location
It’s not something you would typically think about, but there are actually spots to avoid installing your thermostat throughout your home. While a hallway may seem ideal, the long and slender shape of a hallway actually prevents a thermostat from getting an accurate temperature reading of your household.
It’s also best to avoid installing a thermostat in a room with lots of windows. Even if your windows are well-insulated, cold air can still seep in, building around a thermostat’s sensor. That causes the temperature reading to be lower than the actual temperature indoors. This can create long-term issues with efficiency for your furnace, forcing your heating system to work overtime to keep your household comfortable.
This can also lead to an impact brought on by direct sunlight. The constant heat rays can make your thermostat think that the temperature is far warmer than it actually is, meaning your heating system will not turn on. While it looks like you may be running out of spots for thermostat placement, don’t throw it in a place where you rarely dwell, like a basement or attic. The best spot is your living room or dining room, providing that windows and direct sunlight aren’t an issue.
Costing You Money and Your Health
When it comes to thermostat placement, it’s important to consult your HVAC service technician to understand where placing that thermostat could save you money in the long term. The U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy advises against putting it near lamps or TV sets since they release heat that could confuse the device’s sensors. Experts recommend putting a thermostat on an interior wall, unobstructed by doors or decorations. Keeping it away from drafty areas can assure proper HVAC efficiency, triggering the heat when necessary and saving you on your home heating bills.
Proper insulation is paramount, alongside regular HVAC maintenance, to make sure your heating and the cooling unit run without issue for years. This will also impact the health of everyone in your household. Cold air can make even moderate pain feel more severe, causing significant joint pain and reduced blood flow. Beyond cranking up the heat, you can consider some chronic pain remedies like exercise and supplements to help stretch out the body and alleviate the swelling. This can help you avoid dangerous opioids, like oxycodone, and their dangerous side effects.
Greener Solutions
It may seem like installing a thermostat can be burdensome, but the truth is correct placement combined with newer technology can see you expending less energy almost immediately. A smart thermostat will help you save money on your heating and cooling bill, automating your temperature scheduling, so these HVAC units are not running while the house is empty, sending your utility bill skyrocketing.
Smart thermostats also use remote sensors to get a more accurate reading of the temperature in a household. You can even add more remote sensors if needed to get a better grip on average temperature readings throughout your home. Some of these greener thermostats are actually controllable from the use of Wi-Fi in your home and even through mobile apps on your phone. Setting these target temperatures can actually ease the setup of any HVAC or home heating unit, keeping you warm, comfortable, and healthy.
