 | Ken Vonfeldt is the HVAC Sales Manager for Ferguson Wholesale Plumbing-Industrial-PVC-HVAC in Wichita. Ken has been in the heating and air conditioning industry for 27 years. Following the footsteps of his father as a "2nd generation HVAC guy, Ken started his career as a contractor and then moved to the distribution area. In addition to working with the RUUD Heating and Air Conditioning Dealers in the Greater Wichita Area, Hutchinson, Newton, Salina and Ellsworth, Ken also enjoys woodworking, golf and the ongoing project of remodeling his home. You can reach Ken at Ferguson Wholesale, (316) 262-0681, toll free at
(800) 657-2559 or visit their web site at www.ferguson.com |
Heating & Air Conditioning
2005-03-01 10:09:00
Advantages of a digital thermostat
ANSWER: You've used a thermostat a thousand times, but have you ever thought about just how important that thermostat's job is? This device controls the heating and air-conditioning systems (the two pieces of equipment that use the most energy) in your home. In these days of rising energy prices, I'm not surprised that you're curious about the advantages of a digital thermostat. Thermostats do two things: Compare the thermometer reading of a room's temperature to the "ideal" thermostat temperature you select, and give start-and-stop commands to the heating or cooling system in order to achieve an indoor temperature that is as close to your "ideal" thermostat setting as possible. By doing those two things, a thermostat plays the role of a "comfort detective" in your home.The main difference between a digital thermostat and a mechanical thermostat is the digital can do a few things that a mechanical thermostat cannot. One of the most useful features of a digital thermostat is programmable settings that you can set for each day of the week. For instance, in the winter, you can program it to automatically turn up the heat for an hour or two in the morning while you get ready for work, turn down the heat until you get home, turn up the heat in the evening and then turn down the heat while you sleep. This feature can save you money by turning down the heat when it isn't needed. And you can achieve the same kinds of savings with summer cooling setbacks when the house is empty during the day, or after you've fallen asleep in your cool, comfortable bedroom. If you turn down the heat 1 degree Fahrenheit for 8 hours a day, you can save about 1 percent of your heating energy costs. Turn it down 10 degrees F, to save about 10 percent. The same goes with the air-conditioning: Turn the temperature up 10 degrees F for 8 hours a day to save approximately 10 percent on your energy bill. For budget-conscious homeowners, the days of manually "cranking" a thermostat up and down are over. An electronic programmable thermostat is now considered the key component for getting the most out of today's heating and cooling systems. While programmed setbacks make the most measurable differences in energy costs, a programmable thermostat saves in other ways as well. Newer electronic thermostats are far more accurate than older, manual thermostats. An older thermostat could allow temperature variations of up to five degrees. New electronic thermostats can be accurate to within a half a degree. That means less wear and tear on your furnace and air conditioner from too much turning on and off. There are lots of different programmable thermostats with different features. Talk to an expert and get the one that's right for your system and has all the features you want without making you pay for the one you'll never use.DID YOU KNOW…?Ideally, the thermostat should be located in the part of the house where people spend the most time. It should be about 5 ft off the ground and at least 18 inches away from an outside wall. It should not be exposed to any heat sources other than the air in the room, such as sunlight, other appliances, heater vents, windows or hot-water pipes. It is also best not to put a thermostat near a stairway or in a corner because they affect the circulation of air.
