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5 Basic Thermostat Problems You Don’t Want in Your Home. The thermostat for your HVAC system controls the operation of your equipment by sending signals back and forth. These are the five most common problems associated with these units, both manual and programmable:

1. Thermostats That Sit In The Sun: If the sun hits the unit, it’ll become warmer and won’t trigger the furnace. Your home is likely to become quite cold, and once the sun passes, the unit will trigger the furnace’s operation.
2. Thermostats That Are Too Close To A Register Or A Vent: The air coming from the register will artificially heat or cool the device, leaving the rest of your home uncomfortable. The unit is likely to heat up or cool down quickly, resulting in frequent starts and stops of your HVAC system. When heating and cooling systems run in short cycles, they drive up the cost of operation and put more strain on all the parts. Running in short cycles won’t condition your home as comfortably, and in the summer, it’ll leave the humidity behind.
3. Thermostats Placed In An Out-Of-The-Way Location: Since the thermostat controls the HVAC system, it should be placed in as central a place as possible. The ideal places for thermostats are in hallways located in the middle of the home.
4. Dirty Thermostats: Over time, dust can collect on the inside of these units. Carefully remove the cover and gently dust the interior with a soft paintbrush to dislodge the dust. When thermostats get dirty, they don’t send accurate readings to the HVAC system, leaving your home too hot or cold.
5. Old Thermostats: While thermostats can provide years of accurate operation, they do fail over time. If your HVAC system runs intermittently, you may need to replace it. A programmable thermostat is an ideal replacement since you can set it up to reflect your occupancy patterns, which will save your energy dollars. WiFi thermostats provide the greatest flexibility.

To learn more about your thermostat, contact the pros at McWilliams Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. We proudly provide HVAC services for Lufkin and Nacogdoches homeowners. Remember this article 5 Basic Thermostat Problems You Don’t Want in Your Home.