We enjoy mild winters here in Texas, with some occasional cold snaps where we’re thankful to have central heating systems. Because we don’t rely as heavily on our heaters as our neighbors to the north do, we can often coast along with a basic setting on the thermostat during the days and a lower temperature at night and not have to worry about the heating system needing to turn on too often.
But your heating in San Antonio, TX can start to suffer if the thermostat isn’t working right. Thermostat troubles are often easy to overlook: a homeowner may assume that some of the problems listed below are troubles from inside the heating system itself. This is why it’s important to only call on HVAC professionals when you have heating issues. Our technicians can determine what kind of malfunction is harming your home comfort. If it turns out the thermostat is at fault, we’ll have an easier repair or replacement to take care of that will get your comfort back to normal.
The Impact of a Malfunctioning Thermostat
Thermostats can fail in several ways, from the simplest of manual models to the most complex new smart thermostats with Wi-Fi connections.
The most common thermostat malfunction is a basic miscalibration. All thermostats have a temperature sensor that reads the air temperature near the center of the house to estimate how warm the building is in general. If the thermostat is miscalibrated, it will either sense the house as warmer or cooler than it actually is, and the house won’t be able to reach your desired temperature. The thermostat will shut the heater off too soon or allow it to run too long. If you find that you’re adjusting the thermostat often when this wasn’t normally a problem, it may mean that the thermostat needs professionals to recalibrate it. (We recommend replacing old manual thermostats that use a mercury sensor; these are out-of-date units.)
A loss of connection to the heater is another problem thermostats have—and it isn’t as easy to diagnose as you might think. Thermostats have multiple wires connecting to the control board of the HVAC system: separate wires to turn on and off the heating system and to turn on and off the blower fan. If one of these wires fails, it means the heater or blower fan won’t respond or won’t shut off. Let a technician determine what’s wrong and how it can be fixed.
Thermostats can pick up ghost readings that are similar to a miscalibration, except in this case the issue is a hot or cold anomaly outside of the thermostat. If the heating system seems to be turning on and off at odd times, check to see that the thermostat isn’t exposed to a draft (such as an open window) or a new heat source like a lamp or an appliance. A thermostat that was poorly located in the first place may have direct sunlight affecting it.
No matter the thermostat problem or other HVAC issue that’s hurting your winter comfort, put your trust in our team.
At Thayer Air Conditioning, “Your comfort is our #1 priority!” Call us when you need heating service—we’re already on the way!
