Is Your AC’s Thermostat Working Properly?

Essentially, your AC unit’s thermostat controls the cold temperature in the room, and signals whether it will stop churning out cold air when the room reaches a certain temperature. Sometimes, though, with the wrong unit, the AC system can keep wasting energy even when the room is sufficiently cold. It’s important that to check on your thermostat to find out if it’s still doing its job properly.

Installation Problems

Sometimes, the location of the thermostat itself could present a problem – for instance, keeping it constantly exposed to direct sunlight could potentially damage it or wear it down. Also, make sure that it isn’t too close to areas that could affect its temperature readings, like near windows, hot or cold plumbing pipes, fireplaces and the like. These areas will cause your AC to work erratically.

Battery Problems

When your AC gets overused, your thermostat’s battery gets used up, and you don’t easily suspect it until you get a suspiciously high power bill. This is why it’s important to switch your thermostat on and off every now and then, if only to check that the battery hasn’t burned out yet.

Electrical Problems

If your thermostat isn’t working, but the battery still works fine, you might have a tripped circuit breaker on your hands. Look for the control panel, which is usually located somewhere right next to your air conditioner, and confirm if a circuit has been tripped.