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The location of your thermostat can affect
its performance and efficiency.
Read the manufacturer's installation instructions to prevent
"ghost readings" or unnecessary furnace or air conditioner
cycling. Place thermostats away from direct sunlight, drafts,
doorways, skylights, and windows. Also make sure your thermostat
is conveniently located for programming.
Other Considerations
Some modern heating and cooling systems require special
controls. Heat pumps are the most common and usually require
special setback thermostats. These thermostats typically use
special algorithms to minimize the use of backup electric
resistance heat systems. Electric resistance systems, such
as electric baseboard heating, also require thermostats capable
of directly controlling 120 volt or 240 volt line-voltage
circuits. Only a few companies manufacture line-voltage setback
thermostats.
A Simpler Way to Control Your Environment
The best thermostat for you will depend on your life style
and comfort level in varying house temperatures. While automatic
and programmable thermostats save energy, a manual unit can
be equally effective if you diligently regulate its setting—and
if you don't mind a chilly house on winter mornings. If you
decide to choose an automatic thermostat, you can set it to
raise the temperature before you wake up and spare you some
discomfort. It will also perform consistently and dependably
to keep your house at comfortable temperatures during the
summer heat, as well.
A Note for Heat Pump Owners
When a heat pump is in its heating mode, setting back a
conventional heat pump thermostat can cause the unit to operate
inefficiently, thereby canceling out any savings achieved
by lowering the temperature setting. Maintaining a moderate
setting is the most cost-effective practice. Recently, however,
some companies have begun selling specially designed setback
thermostats for heat pumps, which make setting back the thermostat
cost effective. In its cooling mode, the heat pump operates
like an air conditioner; therefore, manually turning up the
thermostat will save you money.
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