We’re hitting a tricky time of year for Sarasota HVAC systems. Yes, we’re through the relentless heat and humidity of Florida summer. But now our air conditioners have to deal with drastic fluctuations. As cold fronts come and go, we’re turning our ACs on and off and back on again. And soon we may even be testing our heaters, too.
All these constant changes can make it hard to keep track of how well your AC is performing. And if you do notice HVAC trouble, it might not even stem from the HVAC unit itself.
Here’s why your thermostat might be to blame—and what you can do about it.
Your Thermostat Tells the AC What to Do
The thermostat is obviously the HVAC control panel—the brains to your unit’s body.
But a simple electrical breakdown between the brain and the body means your HVAC won’t get the whole message. Incomplete messages lead to incomplete AC performance, whether the system is not turning on at the right time or not turning off at the right time.
Your Thermostat Needs to Be Able to Read the Room
The messages your thermostat sends to your AC stem, in part, from what your thermostat senses from the conditions inside your home.
Most thermostats are set to turn on the HVAC unit when the home hits a certain temperature. If it’s set to “cool,” the AC needs to turn on when the house gets too warm; if you’re in heat mode, then the thermostat needs to know when the house has gotten too cool.
Either way, your thermostat needs to be able to accurately sense the temperature. If that sensor isn’t functioning properly, then obviously your thermostat doesn’t have the right information to pass along instructions to the AC.
On top of that, you may have your thermostat set to perform differently depending on the time of the day or the day of the week. Or you may need it to monitor and adjust the room’s humidity levels, too.
If the thermostat can’t read the room, then it can’t do its jobs.
You and Your Thermostat Have to Communicate
The most obvious sign of a thermostat malfunction is one you notice when you try to make a manual adjustment to it. You push a button and nothing happens. Or numbers and icons pop up that you don’t understand.
This is the time of year when Sarasota thermostats are getting a lot of adjustments. Has yours been receptive to your commands?
You should be able to oversee and precisely adjust all of your thermostat’s settings in order to harness your HVAC’s maximum performance. If you’re having trouble communicating with your thermostat, then your HVAC system may as well be running wild on the plains. You don’t have any other way to control it.
You Need a Professional AC Technician for Proper Thermostat Service
Some people try DIY thermostat repairs and installations these days, but we don’t recommend it. As you can see, the thermostat is vital to your AC unit’s performance.
The good news is, Air America experts have more than 40 years of servicing Sarasota HVAC systems—including thermostats. And sometimes what seems like a big HVAC mechanical breakdown may be a simple sensor or circuit malfunction. Or your thermostat might just be mis-programed.
In those cases, your HVAC might be in great shape, but your thermostat might need a full-on repair or replacement. You won’t know for sure until an expert comes in and diagnoses it.
