Your HVAC system's thermostat is the brain of the entire operation, and regulates when both your central heating and air conditioning systems work, as well as how hard they work. Therefore, an improperly programmed or maintained thermostat can cause your entire HVAC system to operate inefficiently, driving up your energy bills while reducing your overall comfort levels in the long run. Thankfully, there are a couple of things that you can do to make your HVAC system's thermostat run the entire heating and cooling network in your home as best as it can.

Nighttime Settings

One of the biggest sources of wasted energy is if your air conditioning system is still working at night. In the summer, nighttime will bring cooler temperatures, which means that your home's temperature won't rise at the same level as it would during the day. You can adjust your thermostat to a higher temperature, thus saving you money and reducing the strain on your HVAC system. The same principal holds during the winter: as you will likely be under the covers in bed during the night, you can bump the heating down a few degrees to cut down on your energy consumption.

Excessive Adjustments

On the other hand, if you find yourself constantly changing the temperature setting on your thermostat, you are likely causing undue stress to your heating and cooling system. Constant adjustments causes your entire system to recalibrate, ruining your efficiency. In order to use the minimal amount of energy possible, you should pick a single temperature that is comfortable to you for the entire day, and leave your thermostat alone until the nighttime. If you want to make any adjustments, do them at the beginning of the day, before your system has already started running.

Performance Issues

One of the most common causes of excessive energy usage in your home is if your thermostat just isn't working properly. In order to test how well your thermostat works, you should hang a thermometer on the wall next to it and check the reading after two hours. If the readings on both the thermostat and the thermometer are extremely similar or the same, it is functioning as it should, but if they are different, you may want to replace the thermostat. Look for a replacement model that you can program to turn off at night and on in the morning, or even to turn on and off based on your work schedule to save the greatest amount of energy possible. An air conditioning installation company, such as Pristine Air Conditioning Corp, can help to install a new thermostat for you.