Physically, the thermostat is a minor part of your home comfort system: a small unit set into a wall. But the thermostat serves just as important a function in heating your home as the tank of a boiler or the ducts of a furnace. The thermostat is how you communicate with your heater so that it does the job it’s supposed to.
However, you can get more out of your thermostat than you probably realize. If you only occasionally fiddle with it when you start feeling too cold or too warm, you’re missing out on ways to optimize your heating. In this post, we’ll give you some tips to help you get the best performance possible from your thermostat.
Red Rock Mechanical can help you with all your Plattsburgh, NY heating needs, so give us a call when you want to go to the next level of service.
Set the thermostat to energy saving temperatures: Do you know how high you can set your thermostat? Well, don’t set it that high unless you absolutely need to… a Death Valley-level heat wave isn’t necessary for your comfort. Set the thermostat to 68°F when you’re awake, and you can set it even lower at night—and use a sweater and thick blankets to help. The US Department of Energy has found that scaling back 10°F to 15°F for eight hours can save from 5% to 15% on your bills every year.
Invest in a programmable thermostat: If you have an older digital thermostat, or an even older manual one, you’re losing out on advantages in energy savings and convenience. With a programmable thermostat, you have control over the temperature whether you’re home or not. You can wake up to a warm house, and come home to one as well, while saving energy throughout the day.
Make sure the thermostat is in the best location: Where your thermostat is installed in your home is important for it to work its best. In the wrong place, a thermostat can record “ghost readings” that don’t reflect the true temperature in your house, and it will unnecessarily activate or shut down your heater. The thermostat should be away from direct sunlight and the drafts from doors and windows. If you suspect your thermostat’s location is interfering with its job, get it re-installed.
Red Rock Mechanical can help out if you need a thermostat installation or if your current one requires repairs. We’re a family-owned business, and when you call us, you won’t get a recording—a live person will be there to answer your questions for your Plattsburgh, NY heating concerns.
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Tags: Heating, Plattsburgh, Thermostat
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on Plattsburgh Heating Tip: Get the Most from Your Thermostat
Are you looking for ways to improve your home’s air conditioning in Plattsburgh, NY, but you also don’t think it’s time to have your current AC system replaced? If the reason you want better cooling is that the AC isn’t doing the job you expect from it, then the best next step is to arrange for us to check out the system and repair it—and the sooner, the better for your cooling and your bills.
