We are always seeking ways to improve the HVAC performance and efficiency in the homes of our customers. This is why we want you to know about the Daikin One+. We are proud to install the excellent Daikin FIT heat pump system for our customers, which is a space-saving and energy-saving comfort system. If you have a Daikin FIT installed, we strongly advise you consider including a Daikin One+ for the best air conditioning and heating in Gaithersburg, MD.
Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Thermostats’
We Recommend the Daikin One+ for Your Home Comfort
Monday, March 7th, 2022The Thermostat and Your Air Conditioner’s Limits
Monday, May 3rd, 2021
It’s summer planning time, especially with our weather heating up to the point where we’ll need to have air conditioning systems running. Before you let your AC run too much, make sure to schedule regular maintenance service with us. It’s the best job you can have done for your air conditioning in Gaithersburg, MD. You’ll have reliable cooling at lower costs for the summer.
Right now we want to talk about the thermostat that controls your AC and talk about something that many homeowners don’t know much about: the limits of what their ACs can do.
How to Tell You Need a New Thermostat
Monday, December 7th, 2020
You need to be able to rely on your heating system to keep your home warm as the temperatures drop. Keeping your heater itself in good condition is a huge part of this. The other big part of this is making sure that your thermostat is in good condition too.
Your thermostat is like the command center for your home comfort systems, your heater included. If something goes wrong with your heating system, it may be due to your thermostat rather than the heater itself. Be on the lookout for any of these signs that you may need a new thermostat to ensure your home comfort this winter.
Troubleshooting Thermostat Issues: A Guide From Brinklow
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011If your room temperature in your Brinklow home is too hot or cold, what is the first thing you check? Probably the thermostat. If you are a homeowner, you probably have played around with the setting on a thermostat, much to the chagrin of other occupants who don’t share your same comfort level. And if you try and adjust a thermostat at work – well forget about it. Most companies now have locking thermostats or “false” ones that don’t actually connect to the heating and cooling system.
So if you have a temperature problem, is it really the thermostat that causes it? Maybe yes and maybe no. One physical characteristic to check is the location of the thermostat. If it is in a drafty hallway or near a heat source, it only reads the temperature for that area and other parts of the building are neglected. You will often find more than one thermostat in a home that is tied into more than one furnace or air conditioner.
The older more popular round thermostats are manually controlled and do not adjust to any conditions in the home. They simply control the heating and cooling functions based on a human turning a dial. It’s as simple as that. So if you use this method to adjust the temperatures, blame yourself and not the thermostat. You might want to consider installing a digital, programmable thermostat.
With that in mind, let’s look at some typical ways to troubleshoot a thermostat.
- Check the anticipator, which is a small metal tab on the front of the printed scale. Give it a light push in either direction. It may be stuck.
- Clean the interior of the thermostat housing and clean the contacts (small metal plates)
- Check loose wires or wires that may be corroded.
- Read the thermostat manual (if not available, look online) for other tips such as ensuring there is voltage to the terminals.
If you have checked everything and the thermostat seems to be in working order, look for other things within the heating & cooling system. These include blocked or restricted registers and vents, leaks or cracks in ductwork, and dirty air handling filters.
New Thermostats – Are they Worth the Investment? A Question From Brinklow
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011When you are trying to save money around your Brinklow house, a new thermostat is definitely worth looking into. Sure, your old thermostat works fine. But there are a lot of features available on newer models that can help you save money on your heating and cooling costs throughout the year.
And you do not need to wait until it is time to replace your home comfort system to upgrade your thermostat. Most thermostats can work with many different types of heating and cooling systems. So no matter what type of HVAC system you have or how old it is, you should be able to integrate some type of new thermostat into it.
But how can a new thermostat save you money? Well, they simply offer a lot of features that you can use to your advantage. For instance, even the most basic programmable thermostat can let you set different temperatures for different times of day. You can program the thermostat to turn the heat down during the day when no one is home and then you can have the heat switch back on just before you get home.
That way, you can come home to a nice, warm house without having to pay to heat it all day long when it is empty. Many newer thermostats also are more accurate and can provide more pinpoint control of your heating and cooling system. That means that you will not be wasting money because your heating system gets the actual temperature in your house up to 75°F when you only really need it to hit 72°F.
Newer thermostats help you to save money in a variety of ways, and that savings will more than pay for the cost of having a new thermostat installed. That is because thermostats are actually quite cheap and easy to install. A relatively basic programmable thermostat should not run you more than $100, and even if you opt for one of the more advanced systems out there, you will not pay more than a few hundred dollars.
That is a small price to pay considering the increased comfort possible with a state of the art thermostat and the potential for savings every month on your heating or cooling bills. Plus, you likely paid a considerable amount to have that state of the art HVAC system put in. It is worth paying just a bit more so that you can get the most possible out of it.
Why Choose a Programmable Thermostat? A Question From Darnestown
Friday, August 26th, 2011There are many types of thermostats available for your Darnestown home, but which is the best for your particular needs? It depends largely on how often you are home, how many rooms you have and how people in your house use each of those rooms.
A programmable thermostat in particular is a great option because it allows home owners to control when and how much heat or cooling is introduced to their indoor air. Normal thermostats lack this level of control, largely because they are built as simple switches that flip on whenever your temperature gets too low or too high.
Situations for a Programmable Thermostat
When you leave your home every day, you have two options. Either set the heat and AC so you’ll be comfortable when you return, or turn them off completely and suffer through the first half hour or so when you get home that night.
If you choose the former, you’ll pay a lot more in energy bills to heat or cool an empty house. And if your humidity levels need controlling as well, this may be your only option. Those in the second camp are forced to endure uncomfortable temperatures right when they get home and want nothing more than to relax. Not much better.
That’s why so many homeowners are opting for programmable thermostats to overcome this issue. With a programmable model, you can actually tell your home’s comfort system when to turn on and off each day, depending on when people will be there. Imagine going on vacation for three or four days and coming home to a nice and toasty living room and a smaller heating bill to go with it. That’s the kind of control a programmable model offers.
Zone Control and Beyond
Some programmable thermostats even allow you to section your home off into zones and choose specific temperatures for different areas of the house. This allows a great deal more control over when and how your system will operate each day, depending on the individual comfort needs of your family.
If you’re making dinner and don’t want the heat blasting you while you’re standing over the stove, just set the kitchen temperature lower. And with a programmable thermostat, you can tell it to come back on an hour after you leave the kitchen so that it’s comfortable later when you need a glass of water.