The Wonder of Thermostatic Heat Control

January 1st, 2013 Posted in Thermostats
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Thermostats are one of those many items in a modern house that we can easily take for granted. We use them to adjust the temperature of our home and make it comfortable for us without giving it much thought, until it stops working, that is. 

The first thermostat for controlling room air temperature was invented in the late 1800’s. Since then, the use of a thermostatic device to control the temperature in our home and the output of our heating and cooling systems has continued to evolve. Initial thermostats were related to the heat system only, but many today are used to control both heating and cooling of the home through the same thermostat. 

A residential heating and cooling thermostat works by first measuring the temperature of the air surrounding it. A thermometer of some type must therefore reside in the thermostat to measure and give a reading of that actual temperature. In addition, the readings of that thermometer device must trigger an electrical response based on the temperature settings you provide to signal the furnace to ignite the burner and start the blower fan, as well as turn those functions off when the thermometer reaches the desired temperature setting. 

The internal means of measuring the temperature and responding to the temperature settings have varied over the years and used a variety of means. Today, most homes use a digital, programmable thermometer, though there are still plenty of homes that have the older dial type thermostat. Both provide similar control, the programmable thermostat simply offers the homeowner the convenience of telling the system when to turn on and off without the owner having to be physically present to make those adjustments.

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The Importance of Thermostat Location

January 1st, 2013 Posted in Thermostats
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There may be homeowners who disagree with their HVAC contractor as to where to locate their thermostats within the home, due to aesthetic reasons. However, it is very important to follow your professional HVAC contractor in regard to this decision. The location of your thermostat can make significant difference on how accurately the thermostat controls your heating and cooling system and thereby the comfort of your home. 

Your residential HVAC thermostat should not be located too close to heat vent or cold air return. These areas may not accurately reflect the average temperature through the room or home. Some hallways may also lack the flow of air needed for accurate readings, if most of the rooms connected to the hallway have doors that remain shut the majority of the time. 

In addition to keeping your thermostat away from heat registers and cold air returns, you should not have the thermostat located next to an outside entrance door. The temperature in entryways can fluctuate greatly with people entering or leaving the home. Thermostats should also not be located too close to windows. The heat from the sun or cold air caused by hitting the cold surface of the glass in the winter could affect the performance of your thermostat in accurately controlling the temperature of your home. 

If your heating and cooling system is controlled by one thermostat, as many homes are, it is important that the thermostat be as centrally located as possible. It should be place on the wall at eye level in an area that has an open flow of air through it to provide an average air temperature of the home.

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Multiple Thermostats for Greater Temperature Control

January 1st, 2013 Posted in HVAC Replacement
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It is not uncommon for a home to have some areas that are cooler or warmer than others. Part of this is due to the fact that heat rises. A second story of a home will typically be warmer than the main level or the basement of a home. To overcome this inequality in temperatures from one area to another within your home, many people choose to have their heating and cooling system ‘zoned’ and a separate thermostat installed for each zone. 

With a separate thermostat located in each zone, you are no longer dependent on the temperature of just one area of the home to control the heating system for the entire house. However, if you still have only one furnace to heat the entire home, when the furnace turns on and off or the air conditioning kicks in or off still must be controlled by only one thermostat, so what do the other thermostats do? How do multiple thermostats affect the temperature control of a home that only has one heating and cooling system? 

The answer lies inside the ductwork. Dampers are place within the different zones of the ductwork. When one area is calling for more heat and a second area does not need heat, the thermostats open the dampers for the area needing heat and close them for the area that has already reached the desired temperature. Zoning your heating and cooling system with multiple thermostats to control the system can also help your system to be more energy efflicient.

Zoned heating and cooling systems are best installed during the initial installation of your residential HVAC system or during an HVAC system replacement, but they can be installed on extisting systems in many cases.  Talk to your HVAC contractor about your options.

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Talking Thermostats: A Great Choice for Poor Eyesight

January 1st, 2013 Posted in Thermostats
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Some may think that having a talking thermostat to control your home heating and cooling system is just a fancy, unnecessary convenience, but for those who have difficulty reading a standard thermostat due to poor eyesight or blindness, a talking thermostat is a much-appreciated piece of modern technology. 

When a person finds a typical thermostat difficult or impossible to read, a talking thermostat is the perfect answer. Not only can a talking thermostat tell a person what the room temperature is and what temperature the thermostat is set to, it can also alert the residents of the home to problems with the system and remind them when it is time to change their furnace filter. These are features that can be desirable for any homeowner, not just those who have limited eyesight. Because of the importance of changing your furnace filter when needed, this feature alone can be reason enough to install a talking thermostat. Keeping your furnace filter refreshed promptly can help your furnace operate more efficiently and lengthen its operating life. Fresh filters also help eliminate dust and allergens from your household air. 

Some talking thermostats also can be operated and controlled by voice as well. This allows the homeowner to simply tell the thermostat to go up or down or rest, a timesaving option for some and an important feature for others. Senior citizens with poor eyesight or anyone who needs a handicap accessible thermostat, the talking thermostat and voice-controlled thermostat can be great assets. As technology advances, homeowners reap the benefits.

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Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat for Convenient Energy Savings

January 1st, 2013 Posted in Thermostats
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If you want to gain the energy savings available by adjusting your thermostat, you can do so manually. You can turn the thermostat down when you leave the house and back up when you return home. Adjusting the thermostat a few degrees each evening for when you are sleeping can also add to your energy savings. 

There are two problems with the manual scenario. First, when you return home there will be an adjustment period of time while the temperature adjusts to the new setting; the same will be true in the morning. In the winter months, you’ll be getting up to a cold house and waiting for it to warm up while you get ready for the day. The second problem with the manual scenario is the fact that it is so easy to forget to change the setting in a rush to leave for work or school, or before going to bed. 

A programmable thermostat solves both problems. Once you have the thermostat set for your regular work or school schedule, it will automatically adjust the temperature settings each day according to your programming. You can even have separate settings for weekdays versus the weekend. You can also program in separate settings for nighttime sleeping versus daytime temperatures. 

Upgrading your current thermostat to a programmable thermostat makes energy saving simple and convenient. Your HVAC contractor can recommend a programmable thermostat and quickly install the thermostat in place of your old thermostat. The cost of replacing the thermostat can be recovered in a short of amount time by the savings in energy costs.

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