One of the things we find quite often in the Wake Forest, Rolesville, and North Raleigh is older thermostats still being used in homes.

In some cases, functional thermostats have been installed and used by people for decades.

While there’s usually nothing wrong with using older thermostats in your home (assuming it’s still working), many homeowners are surprised to find out that they may be costing themselves money.

Are you one of these homeowners? Read on for ways that your outdated thermostat may be costing you

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3 Ways Old Thermostats Cost Homeowners Money

There are three primary ways that older thermostats can potentially cost you money:

Struggling to reach temperature

With years of usage, dirt, and deterioration, many old thermostats simply can’t sustain the correct temperature desired in the home.

This can cause the HVAC to fail to start when it should, or worse, run much longer than it needs to.

If the thermostat cannot accurately detect the temperature in the room, you will often notice rooms that get too hot or too cold, and the homeowner is in a constant struggle with the temperature settings.

Saving Money By Scheduling

Sometimes, you just have to love technological advances!

One of the best to come around in the last few years has been the proliferation of scheduling applications on thermostats.

This is one of the best ways that homeowners can save money on their heating and cooling bills.

Use the scheduler to reduce the load on the HVAC system when you’re typically not home, or modify the temperature when you don’t need it as much (ex: while you sleep).

While this may seem like a minor thing, we have seen customers save hundreds of dollars over the course of a year just by strategically using their HVAC systems when they need them most.

Continuous Running or Short Cycles

Sometimes, when there is too much dust and grime inside the thermostat, or if it begins to deteriorate due to old age, it can cause two different situations to arise:

Continuous running

This is when the thermostat doesn’t communicate effectively with the unit, and the unit just keeps running well past when it is needed

Short Cycling

In this case, the thermostat is telling the unit it doesn’t need to run, so the HVAC system shuts off too frequently.

Either situation presents a costly problem, as the unit is either turning on and off too rapidly, or its simply running more than is required.

This inability to maintain a consistent temperature in the home can drive heating and cooling costs through the roof.

It’s Time To Retire Your Old Thermostat

If any of the above ways apply to you, now is the time to take action!

The good news is that replacing a thermostat is a relatively simple process, one that many handy homeowners take on themselves.

There a plenty of online resources to walk you through this process, but the replacement process is fairly straightforward:

Turn off the power to the HVAC system to prevent accidental electrical shock.
Remove the faceplate from the existing thermostat.
Label the wires to ensure you connect them properly in the new thermostat. Then disconnect them
Remove the old wall plate and hang the new one
Rewire the connections from step 3
Put on the new faceplate.

Once this is complete, test the system to ensure that everything is working correctly.

Of course, if you are unable to perform this process, Southern Seasons is waiting to help you out.

Is Your Old Thermostat Costing You Money?