Why Your Thermostat May Not Be Reading What You Are Feeling
Have you found yourself feeling too cold or hot even when the temperature is set at a comfortable level? Here are some of the reasons you may not be comfortable despite the "correct" thermostat reading:
The Thermostat Is Malfunctioning
The first thing you should check or suspect is a thermostat malfunction. This is because you may think there is a mismatch between the thermostat reading and room temperature while, in the real sense, the thermostat is outputting the wrong reading. Here are some of the thermostat malfunctions that can create a mismatch:
- The thermostat's batteries are dying and messing up with its operations
- The thermostat is aging and has lost some of its efficiency
In addition, you may also be feeling a mismatch if the thermostat is operating as usual, but the temperature of the air around it is different from the temperature of the rest of the room. This may be the case, for example, if the thermostat is placed next to a lamp that is heating the air around it.
Your Home Isn't Properly Insulated
Insulation serves two main purposes; it prevents the outside elements (warmth or cold) from affecting your indoor air and also prevents your indoor air (that is, your conditioned air) from escaping outside. That is why rooms in proximity to the outside environment, such as attics or crawl spaces, need more insulation than interior rooms.
This is why insulation failure in one or more rooms can leave them feeling hotter or colder than what the thermostat is reading. This is likely to be the case if the room in which the thermostat is located is properly insulated but another room is not. In such a case, the room with deficient insulation will be losing its conditioned or heated air, leading to a mismatch in its temperature and the temperature indicated on the thermostat.
Your Home Is Getting Heated by Direct Sunlight
If you are noticing the mismatch during the summer, then it may be there because your house or some of its rooms are getting heated by direct sunlight. You may feel a mismatch, for example, if the thermostat is reading the temperature of the unheated areas of the house while you are sitting in an area that is being heated by the sun.
Something like low thermostat batteries do not require professional expertise. However, if you can't figure out the cause of the mismatch, contact a professional technician, such as from Peterson Heating & Cooling, for a diagnosis and fix.
Share
