You buy a new Wi-Fi thermostat and get it installed in your home. It’s great at first, but your excitement over this new gadget fades in the subsequent months, when you don’t notice any changes in your energy bills. While you might feel tempted to blame the thermostat, consider adjusting how you use it. Homeowners in Cheverly, Maryland, can improve their Wi-Fi thermostat performance with these strategies.
Failing to Program Your Thermostat
A Wi-Fi thermostat offers several energy-efficient controls to help you reduce your energy bills, but they only work if you take advantage of them. Program temperature changes in advance so you don’t have to manually adjust them — or, worse, realize that you forgot.
For instance, if your thermostat offers seven-day programming, you can create a different schedule for every day of the week. You’ll want to take advantage of vacation settings, too, so your system doesn’t run unnecessarily while you’re out of town.
Putting Your Thermostat in the Wrong Place
Any thermostat, no matter how sophisticated, uses sensors to measure temperature, humidity, and other information about your home. If you install your thermostat opposite a window or next to an air return, the sensors will read incorrect information. You don’t want to install the thermostat near a major appliance, either, or in a room with high humidity, such as the bathroom or kitchen.
Closing Off Rooms
If you close interior doors in your home, you might restrict airflow. The same goes for closing off air vents in certain rooms. To increase comfort and reduce your energy bills, keep your home as open and unobstructed as possible. That way, your air conditioner or heat pump won’t struggle to find the right balance of conditioned air. Additionally, make sure you don’t block any air returns or registers because that could reduce your thermostat’s efficiency.
A Wi-Fi thermostat can lower your energy bills, but only if you use it correctly. To schedule HVAC system maintenance, call Griffith Energy Services at 888-474-3391.
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