August 13, 2019

When it’s summertime, and the outside temperatures are soaring in Cheyenne, WY, you look forward to cooling off with the air conditioning inside your home. Sometimes, though, your home is sweltering even though your thermostat is registering a low temperature. Is your air conditioning system broken or is your thermostat reading the wrong temperature?

What Makes Thermostats Malfunction?

Your thermostat is the device that measures the temperature inside your home and then relays those temperature readings to other pieces of equipment in your cooling and heating systems. Mechanical thermostats contain a bimetallic strip that expands and contracts as the temperature around the thermostat changes. As the bimetallic strip expands, it engages an electrical circuit, which switches your air conditioning system on and off.

Digital thermostats use a specialized component called a thermistor that functions as a resistor and slows the flow of electricity down. Thermostats can give inaccurate temperature readings for a number of different reasons, including a broken sensor or aging wiring.

Troubleshooting Your Thermostat Issue

If you suspect that your thermostat isn’t registering temperatures correctly, there are troubleshooting steps you can take. Before you call in an HVAC technician make sure the thermostat settings are correct, and then turn the thermostat up or down 10 degrees to see how it responds. If it’s a digital thermostat, you can also check the batteries.

Sometimes, people just forget to adjust electronic equipment to the right settings, so your troubleshooting should always begin by checking settings. The batteries in your digital thermostat should be changed yearly, and lithium batteries work best.

Changing your thermostat’s location may also get it working properly again. This is because a thermostat’s reading will be off if it’s near an external source of heat or cold.

The Air Conditioning Professionals in Cheyenne, WY

The technicians at AC Mechanical, Inc in Cheyenne have been helping residential and commercial clients with thermostat issues and other air conditioning problems since 2002. We offer heating and cooling installation, repair, and maintenance and can take care of all your plumbing needs. Contact us today for more information about our many services and to schedule an appointment.

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