The placement of your thermostat matters a lot. A thermostat reads the temperature in your living space and sends an electrical signal to your heating and cooling system to adjust the temperature. Therefore, your thermostat should be placed in a suitable place to accurately monitor your home’s temperature so it can adjust your HVAC accordingly. The following are dos and don’ts of thermostat placement.
1. Place in a Central Area
It is advisable to place your thermostat in the central area of your home. A middle position reflects the average temperature conditions in your living space, allowing your thermostat to record the most accurate readings. A centrally located thermostat is also easily accessible from every part of the house should there be a need to operate it.
2. Don’t Place in the Kitchen
The kitchen is not ideal for placing a thermostat because of the heat generated by baking and cooking. The thermostat will assume that the temperature when you’re cooking is correct for the entire house, signaling your AC to turn on regardless of the conditions in the rest of your home.
3. Place in a Frequently Used Room
Besides a central area, a frequently used room is appropriate for installing your thermostat. Placing a thermostat in a frequently used room ensures accurate readings and a comfortable living area.
4. Don’t Place Near Doors or Windows
Don’t install your thermostat near doors or windows. Drafts passing through the windows can result in false readings. Also, cold air entering through the openings can make your thermostat send the wrong signals to your heating and cooling unit.
5. Place on the Ground Floor
Install the thermostat on the ground floor if you live in a house with more than one story. Since warm air rises upward and cold air sinks downward, rooms on the upper floors will be warmer than rooms on the lower floors. That means that putting your thermostat on the upper floors will result in inaccurate readings.
6. Don’t Place in the Hallway
Placing your thermostat in the hallway is a bad idea. Your thermostat will have a difficult time getting accurate readings because air circulation is often limited in the hallways. Also, there is a high chance that you spend less time in the hallway, so it makes no sense to put a thermostat there.
7. Place on an Interior Wall
The interior walls are a go-to zone as far as thermostat placement is concerned. Unlike the exterior walls, the interior walls are not susceptible to external temperature changes. Placing your thermostat on any interior wall allows your thermostat to get accurate readings that are not influenced by outside conditions.
8. Don’t Place Near the Vents
Placing your thermostat near your air vents will cause ghost readings, forcing your AC unit to overwork and significantly increasing utility bills in your home. That’s because drafts and cold air often pass through the vents. Place your thermostat as far away from your vents as possible to prevent false readings.
9. Place at the Right Height
The height you position your thermostat on the wall is important. A thermostat placed too high to too low on the wall will not work efficiently. As a rule of thumb, your thermostat should be placed 52 to 60 inches above the wall.
10. Don’t Place in or Near the Bathroom
Don’t put your thermostat in or near the bathroom. Heat and steam from the bathroom can make your thermostat record warmer temperatures than it actually is. This could lead to increased energy bills in the summer. In the winter, it could lead to cold in the living room and other rooms as one of your loved ones has a warm shower in the bathroom.
If you have difficulty finding a suitable place for your thermostat, feel free to contact experienced professionals to help. At Air Care Heating & Cooling, we are committed to helping our clients place their thermostats in the right place and at the right height. We also provide a wide range of heating and cooling services, including furnace and AC repair, replacement, and maintenance. Contact us today to talk to one of our representatives about where to place your thermostat and get more information about our heating and cooling services.
