A Question On Thermostats

Rich L.

of the effect of the location of the t'stat on your electric bill Heather, from your description it doesn't sound like it's a good location. A thermostat should always be mounted on an inside wall, away from direct sunlight and the possibility of drafts such as open windows and doors. It should be mounted 55 to 60 inches above the floor.

It sounds like you could be a good canidate for a t'stat relocation :)

BTW, good for you for "tightening up" the shell of your place. That can have a huge, and long term positive impact on your energy usage, and therefore your energy bill.

Good luck, Rich :)

Heather_5

Hoping you can help...

I live in a rather large 1-bedroom apartment w/my fiance..We have the standard forced air AC/Heating system, but our usage seems rather high for our square footage. I've been slowly but surely knocking down some of the energy consumption evils (weather stripping, drafty areas, etc)...but there hasn't been a whole lot of change in our usage.



Finally, I had (what I think was) an epiphany. Our thermostat is located right next to the front door. Outside temps run close to 100 almost every day, with nighttime temperatures rarely falling below 80. I recently remembered Dan's article about "Gus", the restaurant owner w/the therm. by the door. Our apartment almost always runs cold, just like the restaurant int he article!



Is this a good assumption? Could the location of the therm be effecting the electricity usage by over-blowing the AC? We DO have quite a bit of traffic in and out of our apartment...



Opinions are appreciated! Our bills are hitting the high $200s right now and it's definitely stretching us...

Heather_5

Thanks for the vote of encouragement, though I have to admit my primary motivator is financial above all else.

I'm going to see if I can find any specifications for thermostat placement that I could take to the leasing office...I realize relocating would be a cumbersome undertaking for them....but considering I've done all of the weatherstripping and caulking myself...I've essentially SAVED them labor thus far.

Rich L.

Location, location, location!

Heather, The following is directly out of a thermostat installation guide:

SELECTING LOCATION

The proper location of the room thermostat is most important to insure that it will provide a comfortable home temperature.
Observe the following general rules when selecting a location:


Locate it about 5 ft. above the floor.

Install it on a partitioning wall, not on an outside wall.

Never expose it to direct light from lamps, sun, fireplaces, etc.

Avoid locations close to doors that lead outside, windows, or adjoining outside walls.

Avoid locations close to radiators, warm air registers, or in the direct path of heat from them.

Make sure there are no pipes or duct work in that part of the wall chosen for the thermostat location.

Never locate it in a room that is warmer or cooler than the rest of the home, such as kitchen or hallway.

The living or dining room is normally a good location, provided there is no cooking range or refrigerator on opposite side of wall.

Unknown

Location,,,

can be a problem. Get a decent CALIBRATED digital thermometer and compare the temp away from the outside wall to the temp at the wall and compare those to what the t'stat says it is. That will tell you if location is affecting it and/or if the T'stat is inaccurate. One thing people need to learn is to NOT pay attention to what the #s on the stat say. They can be quite arbitrary although the digital ones are better than the old mercury types. You must learn to go by HOW YOU FEEL and use the numbers as only a guideline. For example, if you feel a bit chilly, turn the t'stat set temp up 1* regardless of what the numbers say the temp is. Once you find the ideal spot by using this minimal adjustment method LEAVE IT ALONE!! If yopu set back during unnoccupied periods do not exceed 4* set back, much more than that and you will pay more to catch up than you will if you had just maintained without setting back. If you find (with your digital thermometer) the center of the room is colder than the area around the t'stat, learn to adjust the t'stat accordingly. One concern for location near a door in the days of mercury t'stats was the vibration of the door being used could jar the mercury bulb and cause false or unecessary starting or stopping. Not an issue with the digitals. However, if each time the door is opened the t'stat gets a shot of hot air this COULD also cause the unit to start uneccessarily. LEVEL is also important with the mercury styles. If the mercury stat is not level yu will not get correct functioning. Hope this helps.

To check the calibration on any thermometer get some form of large-ish insulated cup, fill it to the top with ice, top it off with water and then put your probe in there. Swish it around for a while, it should settle out at 32*F / 0*C after a few minutes if it is reading correctly. If not SOME can be adjusted in order to calibrate them and you would simply be adjusting them to read 32* while immersed in the ice water. It usually takes a couple tries to get it dialed in.