The thermostat at your home in Wilmington functions essentially as the “brains” of your HVAC system, controlling when and how often your heating and cooling units run. If you’ve begun noticing inconsistencies with your HVAC system, there could be any number of reasons for this. One possible cause of these problems may be the result of a malfunctioning thermostat. If your thermostat isn’t properly controlling your home’s comfort system like it should, it’s possible you’ll need to upgrade it. Here are nine reasons why it might be time to replace your thermostat.

1. HVAC System Short Cycling

Short cycling is when your air conditioner or furnace stops running before it reaches the set temperature on the thermostat. Your AC or heater basically doesn’t finish the cooling or heating cycle. One possible reason for short cycling is the thermostat isn’t communicating with your HVAC system for some reason. Have a professional technician over to assess the thermostat and see if you need to replace it.

2. Utility Bills Getting Higher

If you noticed a sharp increase in your energy bill from the previous month, but you haven’t changed your HVAC usage, the problem might be because the thermostat isn’t working correctly. A thermostat that doesn’t read temperatures will cause your system to run more than it should, and this will raise your monthly utility bill. Look into getting a thermostat replacement to help your system run more efficiently and keep your bills in line.

3. Repairs Haven’t Fixed Anything

You may have already had some repairs done to your thermostat for issues you noticed previously. If these repairs haven’t actually solved anything, then it’s most likely time for a new thermostat installation. There’s no sense in continuing to waste money on repairs when a new thermostat will work much better than your older one.

4. Thermostat Too Old

Speaking of an older thermostat, if this is the case with yours, it makes sense to research the benefits of a thermostat replacement. Thermostats can last for about a decade or so. If it’s getting close to 10 years, or you’ve had your model for over 10 years, then reach out to an HVAC company like Green Dot Heating & Air to see about a replacement. Modern thermostats have many cool features that you won’t find in analog devices.

5. Indoor Temperatures Constantly Changing

When you set your thermostat to a specific temperature, this should cause your HVAC system to run until it reaches this setting. If you’ve noticed problems with how your furnace or AC runs, it could be the result of the thermostat constantly changing the temperature settings. An experienced professional can investigate and find out the cause of this shifting of temperatures. A new thermostat installation can remedy this situation.

6. Thermostat Not Responding to Setting Updates

Similar to the above point, if you update the settings on your thermostat but it isn’t responding to this, you may need a new one put in. Your thermostat may not “talk” to the HVAC system like it’s supposed to, or it may have bad wiring or another issue. An HVAC technician can check it out and let you know what’s going on and if you should upgrade your thermostat.

7. HVAC System Keeps Turning Off and On

When you adjust the thermostat’s setting and set your preferred temperature, your HVAC system should run accordingly. However, if it doesn’t do this, then this could mean you have some sort of issue with your thermostat. It may have a communication problem with your heating or cooling unit, or it may have an issue with its interior wiring. Whatever the case, let a trained technician inspect the thermostat and determine if it’s time for a replacement.

8. You Have an Outdated Model

You might have an older thermostat that still controls your HVAC system. No matter how well it continues to function, however, at some point, it will break down. If you have an analog or a dial style of thermostat, it’s recommended you get it replaced for a new one.

9. Thermostat Gives Faulty Readings

Over time, your thermostat may start having problems reading the temperature correctly inside your home in Wilmington. When this happens, you’ll end up with improper heating or cooling. Have a technician make a determination if you need a repair or if you should have a replacement model put in.

Options for Thermostat Replacement

When it’s time to replace your thermostat with a newer model, you have some options to consider. Among your main choices, two of the best options are programmable thermostats and smart thermostats.

With a programmable thermostat, you can set the temperatures on your thermostat based on your own preferred schedule. Options include daily or weekly schedules, and you can change these up depending on the specific day of the week.

A smart thermostat is much more advanced than a programmable unit and offers many additional features. Not only can you schedule in advance your ideal temperature settings with a smart thermostat, but you can also control it remotely. If you’re at work or away from home on vacation and you want to make sure your system isn’t running nonstop, you can make the necessary adjustments via the device’s app on your tablet or smartphone. This will help keep your energy bills down since you can turn your HVAC system off when you don’t need it.

Another benefit of a smart thermostat is it can learn your preferences over time and adjust as needed based on your schedule. This will also help keep your system usage in line so you’re not wasting energy if no one’s home, for example. This will also save you money.

You can also set up your smart thermostat to give you reports on your energy habits and usage and alert you when you need to change out the air filter or when it’s time for a tune-up. If you have a home assistance device like Amazon Alexa, you can pair this with your smart thermostat and then control your air conditioner and furnace just with the sound of your own voice.

At Green Dot Heating & Air, we offer smart thermostat installation as one of our services. Our technicians can evaluate your current thermostat and HVAC system and let you know if you should make the switch to a more modern, efficient model. We’ll strive for a quick and seamless smart thermostat installation so you can start enjoying better system efficiency, improved indoor air quality, and lower energy bills.

Your HVAC Team in Wilmington

Green Dot Heating & Air is not only your one-stop shop for a new thermostat in Wilmington. We also offer furnace and heat pump maintenance, repair, and installation services as well as air conditioner services. We also service ductwork and ductless mini-split systems and can perform an indoor air quality assessment for your home.

To set up service in Wilmington with the team from Green Dot Heating & Air, just give us a call today!

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