As the cold weather looms, the last thing you want on your mind is issues with your home’s heating. This is especially true if you fear that your furnace may be giving up the ghost.
How Do You Know If You Need a New Thermostat?
There are a variety of symptoms you can look for that would indicate a thermostat at the end of its lifespan.
- Unexplained increases in your energy bill
- Either the thermostat or the HVAC won’t turn on or off
- The display is blank or a mismatch between temperature displayed and actual temperature
- It forgets your programmed settings
- The thermostat itself is over ten years old
The newest generations of programmable thermostats provide much finer control of your interior environment and, by extension, your energy costs. If your thermostat is more than a few years old, it could well be worth looking into.
Does a New Thermostat Come with a New Furnace?
That depends entirely on the make and model furnace that you choose. Many, but not all, high-efficiency furnaces have thermostats built in. One safe assumption to make is that if you’re replacing your furnace then your thermostat probably needs to be updated as well.
Can a Bad Thermostat Cause a Furnace Not to Work?
A faulty thermostat means that your HVAC system is not receiving proper instructions. Bad instructions lead to faulty outcomes. There are a number of ways that this can present itself, starting with short cycling. That is where the HVAC system keeps turning on and off… which causes unnecessary wear and tear, strain on your equipment, can drive up your energy usage, and increase costs in the process. It also poses enough danger of causing physical damage that you should contact a professional should you see this behavior.
Another common example is a mismatch between the temperature displayed and the actual temperature in the room. This inconsistency of temperature can overwork your furnace. Of course, the worst-case scenario is when it causes your furnace not to start at all… which is the last thing anyone wants to deal with during the winter cold.
Erratic behavior from your heating could denote either a bad furnace or a bad thermostat. The latter – being less expensive to replace – is obviously the preferred result. A professional can easily determine where the error lies and whether a new thermostat or a new furnace are required. Our team of professionals can help make sure you stay warm during the coming winter.
Tragar Home Services, Over 50 years of Serving Long Island
When it comes to keeping your home in its best shape Tragar Home Services has more than 50 years of service in the Nassau and Suffolk County areas. Since 1956 we’ve brought high-quality, cost-effective heating, cooling, and plumbing services to our Long Island neighbors. As well as having the fastest emergency response time in the Long Island area at an average of two hours. Contact us today and see why Long Islander homeowners have chosen Tragar for five decades!
