- July 24, 2020
The thermostat is one of the key components of your HVAC system. It is used to control the amount of heating or cooling you need at your home. However, thermostats can malfunction which leads to erratic functioning of the HVAC. This can be quite annoying, especially in the summers when you suddenly realize that your air conditioning is not sufficiently cooling the rooms.
The good news is that thermostat problems are easy to identify and you can resolve most of these on your own. However, if it’s something you can’t fix, you can always contact one of our Greenville HVAC specialists to come take a look at it. Here’s a look at some of the most common thermostat issues and their solutions.
Difference Between Room Temperature and Thermostat Setting
This is a fairly common problem, especially in the case of older thermostat models. This problem occurs because the thermostat is unable to read the room temperature correctly. Often the thermostat makes an error in reading the temperature because it is directly exposed to sunlight or otherwise installed at a poor location. Another common reason is the buildup of grime. Over time, grime buildup can hinder the thermostat from reading the room temperature properly.
A clear sign that your thermostat is reading temperature wrong is when the HVAC consistently fails to achieve heating or cooling at the set temperature. You can resolve the problem by opening the thermostat and cleaning it or changing its position.
Air Conditioner Stops Working
A number of air conditioner problems can cause the AC to stop working all of a sudden. These include an issue with the thermostat. If the thermostat suddenly stops functioning, it can’t regulate the air conditioning which leads the AC to abruptly stop and achieve poor cooling. A sure way of identifying this issue is by checking the thermostat display. If the display is not working just as the AC stops functioning, you have a thermostat problem.
This problem typically occurs when the thermostat stops receiving power. This can be for a variety of reasons such as dirt and debris accumulation on the inside, loose wiring or dead batteries. You can look for the problem on your own but it’s best to consult Greenville heating and air experts who can handle the problem professionally.
Short Cycling
A malfunctioning thermostat can cause the air conditioner to start short cycling. This leads to poor cooling while at the same time consuming a lot of energy. The poor energy efficiency also results in higher energy bills. Short cycling can be a very annoying problem and although it is often caused by AC-specific issues, it may also be a result of a faulty thermostat.
When the latter is the case, the problem can mostly be traced to a thermostat that isn’t level or has accumulated dirt and debris inside. If you have an older thermostat, you can also manually tweak the settings by moving the anticipator arm to induce longer cycles.
Continuous Running AC
Another air conditioner problem which can be caused by a problematic thermostat is when the AC keeps running without pause. Ideally, the air conditioner should achieve the desired degree of cooling and humidity and then prompt the thermostat to turn off. When the thermostat is not doing its job properly, it fails to register the achieved cooling or humidity levels. As a result, it doesn’t turn off and forces the AC to keep running.
Continuous running puts a lot of strain on your AC that can result in other malfunctions necessitating expensive repairs. It also leads to excessive energy consumption which can hike up your energy bills.
You can follow the same steps as discussed above to determine thermostat issues causing continuous running. If you fail to troubleshoot the issue, you can reach out to a qualified HVAC technician to identify and resolve it for you.
Finding Reliable Greenville Heating and Air Experts
If your HVAC’s thermostat runs into problems that you are unable to resolve on your own, it is time to hire the professionals. Here at General Air, we have been providing world-class HVAC services to businesses and homeowners across Greenville for many years. Our licensed and highly experienced technicians are trained and equipped to handle virtually any HVAC problems.
So if you have a thermostat issue, simply reach out to us. Our technicians will reach your property in no time to perform a detailed inspection and resolve the problem in the briefest possible time. We also take a repair-over-replacement approach, making sure your HVAC problems are handled in a cost-effective manner. Call us today to get a free price estimate or consult our experts.
