Is your HVAC thermostat set correctly?

Is your HVAC thermostat set and operating correctly?

With overwhelming advances in technology today sometimes a simple task such as setting your HVAC thermostat up correctly can seem fairly difficult. Most people would look at it and say yep its set for 22 degree celsius; its good.

There are many factors to consider when programming a thermostat, desired temperature, occupied times, auto change-over, etc.

What does all this mean?

Desired temperature is self explanatory although sometimes tricky to make everyone happy. This is generally where the most issues arise; we find people like to play with this setting very regularly especially in cooling season. Occupants feel the temperature is too warm compared to normal so automatically the set point is lowered. Unfortunately if the unit is not maintaining the correct temperature, setting it lower only makes the equipment run for a longer period of time and generally compounds the underlying issue.

In the heating months there is always that one person that is cold and constantly turning up the heat. Find a happy medium and have the stat locked and only accessible by one person or better yet only accessible by your service provider. Constantly adjusting the temperature in your space only does one thing and that is wear on your equipment.

If your space is not maintaining its correct temperature setting, it’s time to call our qualified technicians!

The next and very important setting is occupied times. In a commercial application it would be a waste to have your HVAC units running at a constant setting all day/night. A properly set thermostat will run at your desired setting while the space is occupied and cut back during the times when the space is not; effectively saving you money and adding longevity to your equipment.

This brings us to one of the most overlooked settings on thermostat and that is auto change-over setting. Due to the sometimes ridiculous temperature swings we get in Calgary, one day can be +27 degree celsius and the next -3 degree celsius. If the stat is set for heat it will not cool and if it is set for cool, it will not heat. The auto change-over eliminates this issue as it will automatically switch the stat from heating to cooling control or vice versa. This setting is especially helpful in the spring and fall months but it can be left all year so it is not forgot, although your service provider should be checking this on maintenance inspections to ensure it is correct.

Those are the basic and most important settings on your HVAC thermostat. As mention previously with advancements in technology the sky is the limit with todays thermostats and the array of bells and whistles is endless, WIFI connectivity, touch screen, picture display, customizable displays etc.

If you have any questions concerning this article please feel to contact one of our qualified technicians or leave a comment below.

This checklist will help you maintain your HVAC system, keep your repair needs in check, and help your equipment last longer.