Updated at: 08-11-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

Are you one of the unfortunate Waterford, MI or Oxford, MI homeowners that can’t seem to keep their homes at the desired temperature? When it comes to maintaining your HVAC system, Kotz Heating, Cooling & Plumbing thinks that one seemingly minor issue gets overlooked. You need to check your thermostat’s placement and make sure it’s set correctly in relation to the floor.

Despite your best efforts, are you having trouble maintaining a pleasant temperature in your home? Do you find that your energy bills keep going up for no apparent reason? However, before you call a heating and air conditioning specialist, check the location of your thermostat.

Maintaining the ideal temperature in your home is made possible in large part by your thermostat.

Using a thermostat, you may control the temperature in your home by monitoring the average temperature. The location of a thermostat is critical since it measures the temperature of the surrounding air. Thermostat measurements are influenced by environmental elements such as light, chilly drafts, and heat.

How High Should I Mount My Thermostat? - YouTube

If your thermostat is in the wrong spot, you’ll get erroneous temperature readings, which can cause your HVAC system to cycle on and off more frequently than necessary. Increased wear and tear, as well as heating and cooling that isn’t even, can be the result. Furthermore, it might lead to expensive air conditioning expenditures as a result of wasteful energy use.

So, where should you position your thermostat, and where shouldn’t you? Let us investigate this further.

Thermostat Placement Guidelines

When searching for the optimal position for your thermostat, here are some fundamental thermostat placement rules to keep in mind:

  • To avoid ghost readings and excessive brief cycling, follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
  • Heat-producing appliances, such as stoves and television sets should be kept at least three feet away from your thermostat at all times
  • When using a smart thermostat or ductless AC controller, make sure the Wi-Fi signal strength is strong enough to maintain a continual connection to the device.
  • It’s not a good idea to put your thermostat in the room with the most extreme temperature swings. The average reading is what you want from your climate control system. Because of this, it’s best to stay out of places that get really hot.
  • As a result, it is preferable not to place your furniture in front of or below the thermostat.
  • The thermostat should not be placed next to supply ducts or plumbing pipes. The temperature of the surrounding walls is affected by the movement of water or air through the pipes.
  • Don’t put the sensors in places where they can be obstructed, as behind a bookcase or a door.

Ideal Thermostat Placement

A thermostat’s performance and efficiency might be affected by where it’s placed. It’s best if you put it somewhere you’ll see it often and where there’s good airflow.

The thermostat should be placed between 52 and 60 inches above the floor. Place it over 60 degrees Fahrenheit and it will indicate a higher temperature, while below 52 degrees Fahrenheit it will report a lower one. Hot air rises and cool air falls, and this will influence the reading due of the fluctuating temperatures.

Consider utilizing a smart thermostat or an AC controller like Cielo Breez Plus for ultimate comfort. Using your phone, you can adjust the temperature and humidity levels in your home, set routines, and more!

The best places to install your thermostat in your house are:

1. Center of Your Home

Your home’s climate is better reflected in a central area. Installing the thermostat in the middle of the house is normally suggested because it gauges the average temperature of your home. In addition, a middle location maximizes the precision of the thermostat, allowing your HVAC system to run at its peak efficiency. Another advantage is that everyone in the family will be able to get to the same place.

2. Frequently Used Room

To ensure that your most frequently used space is at its most comfortable, you need to take care of it. As a result, it’s the ideal location for your thermostat. No ghost readings will interfere with your thermostat’s ability to keep your space at the temperature you like. No large windows with chilly drafts or sunlight should be placed in front of the device.

Take a look at our in-depth guide on finding the best thermostat settings for your house.

3. On an Interior Wall

The temperature of the interior wall does not fluctuate as much as the temperature of the outer wall does. In addition, they provide a more accurate reading of your home’s typical temperature. Installing a thermostat can also be done there.

Thermostat: What's The Correct Height To Place And Why?

4. First Floor in a Two-Story Building

It’s common for the second story of your home to seem warmer since hot air tends to rise. For example, you may think your house is growing warmer because of an upstairs thermostat, when in fact, it isn’t.

The living room is a good place to put it, rather than on the second floor or elsewhere. In a two-story building, this positioning is critical to maintaining a healthy environment. Installing dual-zone thermostats, on the other hand, would be the ideal answer for greater climate control.

Here’s how to keep the upper level of a two-story home wonderfully cool.

Where Not to Place Your Thermostat

Temperature changes, whether caused by a cold breeze from the windows or the heat from the stove, can throw off your thermostat. Since it can’t read your home’s temperature, it will be nearly impossible for it to do so Place your thermostat in one of the following locations to avoid this:

1. Near Doors & Windows

Your thermostat’s ability to accurately measure the temperature can be hindered by direct sunshine or drafts coming in through windows. As a result, your thermostat will think your house is considerably cooler than it actually is because of air leaks and holes in the doors.

It’s also a bad idea to place your thermostat near a door that leads outside. It is inevitable that your thermostat will be exposed to either chilly or warm air every time you open the door. As a result, your AC will keep cycling on and off, never reaching your desired temperature.

2. Direct Sunlight

A thermostat’s reading can be substantially tampered with if it is exposed to direct, hot sunshine. Sensors will detect when the temperature in your room is rising and provide a signal to lower the temperature setting of your air conditioner. Energy is wasted as a result of this erroneous calculation. Temperature sensors can be affected by sunlight even on the coldest of days, and your heating system may not switch on when you need it.

3. The Hot Kitchen

Cooking and baking produce a lot of heat, making your kitchen one of the warmest rooms in your house. When set to this temperature, your thermostat will not be able to provide you with an accurate readout. You don’t have to worry about your AC running when you don’t want it to. But your heating system will have a hard time keeping your home warm, leaving you and the rest of your family cold and miserable.

4. Near the Vents

It is possible that the vents in your home could be causing your thermostat to malfunction. False readings can be caused by placing your smart climate control device directly above or below the vents. In close touch with the vents, your thermostat isn’t getting an accurate readout of the temperature. Even before your house reaches the target temperature, your HVAC unit will stop working since it gets colder or warmer more quickly.

5. Exterior House Wall

If your exterior walls aren’t insulated, they’ll be more sensitive to changes in the outside temperature. It’s possible that air leakage from the wall cracks and holes affects the thermostat’s temperature reading. Because of this, mounting your thermostat on an interior wall is preferable to placing it on the exterior.

6. Empty Hallway

The hallway is a no-no when it comes to placing your thermostat. Due of the limited airflow in a hallway, your thermostat will be unable to provide you with an accurate reading. In addition, you don’t spend much time there and it’s usually vacant.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

The thermostat should be placed in a room where the average temperature in the house can be seen clearly. Since the thermostat is in charge of controlling your furnace and air conditioner, it can have a significant impact on your level of comfort. Let’s take a deeper look at the two most important rules to keep in mind while making a decision on where to live.

On an interior wall & centrally located

  • This is the greatest method to get a sense of what it’s like to live in a typical home.
  • Hot and cold air naturally rises and falls 52-60 inches above the ground.

A location away from temperature extremes

  • So, there will be no direct light from windows, doors, or skylights in your home!
  • Outside of the ventilation system
  • Outside of the front door
  • Heat-producing bulbs, fixtures, and appliances should be kept out of the way.

You cannot just relocate a thermostat by yourself. You’ll need the help of an HVAC maintenance specialist to do this task.

CONSIDER STEPPING UP TO A ZONED SYSTEM

A single thermostat, or even one for each floor, may not be able to keep the entire house at a reasonable temperature in some cases. If you’re planning a significant renovation or are building a new house, zoning is a fantastic option. Multiple thermostats and dampers in the ductwork of your Waterford, MI or Oxford, MI home can be used in zoning to manage the temperature in various rooms (zones). Kotz Heating, Cooling and Plumbing will help you decide whether or not to install zoning or relocate your thermostat.

Placement of Your Thermostat

The heating and cooling system relies on your thermostat. Each and every one of us wants our thermostat to accurately reflect the temperature of our home, but the position can have a big impact on that goal.

Start With the Room

Place the thermostat at a central or “average” area if you wish to measure your home’s average temperature. Family rooms and living rooms, which are frequently positioned in the middle of homes, are generally considered safe places.

Pick a room that gets a lot of use. After all, that’s the room where you’re going to need the best temperature control of them all. You’ll be happy you put the thermostat in a place where everyone in the house can easily access it.

Stay Away From Windows and Doors

With drafty windows and doors, a thermostat’s temperature reading might be thrown off. Depending on the time of year, open windows and doors can let in either warm air or cold air. As a result of these wind gusts, you may find yourself turning on your heater or air conditioner when it’s not really required.

The danger of direct sunlight shining directly on your new thermostat is increased if it is placed near a window. Because of the glare of the sun, thermostats are prone to misreading. When looking for the appropriate place, keep this in mind.

Home Thermostat Troubleshooting & Repairs | HomeTips

How High Should a Thermostat be Mounted?

Finally, after deciding where to install your thermostat, it’s time to adjust its height. The ideal height for thermostats is between 52 and 60 inches off the ground.

If your thermostat is in an ideal location but is reporting wrong temps, it may be time to reposition it. The most important consideration is the thermostat’s height; if it is set lower than 52 inches, the reading will be too low; if it is set higher than 60 inches, the reading will be too high.

Heating and Cooling Experts in Middletown

When it comes to regulating the temperature in your house, have you exhausted all of the available options? Middletown families can rely on Robinson Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. for superior experience and service. Call us at (513) 813-5107 or fill out our online form to learn more about our top-notch services.

The Takeaway

A thermostat must be placed in a central area, away from direct sunlight, drafts, doorways, windows, and places where the temperature varies in order to work properly. You can save money on your utility bills by following the above-mentioned thermostat positioning rules.