How Direct Sunlight Hurts Your HVAC System’s Performance

In North Port, Florida, it’s bright and sunny for most of the year. As a result, it isn’t always easy to keep your home at a comfortable temperature, especially when it becomes hot and humid. Keeping your thermostat or other HVAC components in direct sunlight can greatly impact your home’s comfort level.

False Readings

When you place a thermostat in direct sunlight, it impacts your HVAC system’s performance by giving false readings. When the rays of sun hit your thermostat, it’ll inaccurately ‘think’ it’s hotter in the house than it really is. And your AC will run for longer periods to cool your home.

A thermostat works by sensing the temperature in a specific zone of your house. When the sunlight is constantly beaming onto it, the temperature will start to rise.

These ghost readings cause your thermostat to inaccurately calculate the temperature, causing your AC or heating system to cycle on and off unnecessarily. As a result, you’ll see a sharp increase in your monthly utility bills.

Premature Wear

When your thermostat is in direct sunlight, this can also cause premature wear on the system. As the component heats up every time the sun’s rays hit it, you may notice that the screen starts to go dark or develop spots that make it hard to read.

Bright sunshine can also cause the plastic casing to heat up. This can cause damage that will require you to replace the thermostat sooner than you might expect.

If any part of your HVAC system is in the path of the sun’s rays, you may also notice that the air coming through the vents feels warmer than usual. It’s best to keep all parts of the heating and cooling system, including the thermostat, in an area of the home where it won’t be in the direct path of the sunlight.

Don’t let the sun burn through your energy bills. If your thermostat’s placement is impacting your HVAC system, give All American Heating & Cooling a call at (941) 451-5228 for a professional consultation.

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