How Does an Air Conditioner Know the Room's Temperature?

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April 11, 2023

When the hot summer weather comes back, a home air conditioning system is an absolute must. It will help keep you and your family comfortable and ensure you can be productive throughout the day. Most homeowners tend to wonder how their air conditioning system knows exactly when to kick on to keep their home at a comfortable temperature.

How Does an Air Conditioner Know the Room's Temperature?

It Starts With Your Thermostat

Most homeowners are familiar with a thermostat. You simply switch it to cooling mode and set the temperature that you would like the inside of your house to be. Whenever the temperature inside of your home goes above the set temperature on your thermostat, it will tell your air conditioning system to kick on and cool your home. Your cooling system will run until your home returns to your desired temperature.

High Tech Sensors

A high-tech sensor is the answer to how your thermostat knows what temperature it is in your home. Each thermostat will have a sensor inside that measures temperature via infrared radiation. This is a specific type of electromagnetic radiation that the human eye cannot detect.

These air conditioner temperature sensors will scan the infrared radiation around them and convert it into electrical signals. These electrical signals are interpreted by your air conditioning unit, and the unit will make adjustments based on the signals that it receives. For example, if it reads the temperature in your home is five degrees warmer than what's on your thermostat, it will tell your air conditioning system to kick on to start to cool down your home.

Thermostat Placement is Key

Since your air conditioning sensor is situated inside of your thermostat, your thermostat must be placed in a great location to ensure optimal temperature reading. You want to avoid placing your thermostat in any location that can be affected by external factors. For example, you want to put your thermostat on a wall that does not receive direct sunlight.

This sunlight could cause your thermostat to heat up, and your sensor may detect that it's much warmer in your home than it actually is. This can cause your cooling system to run continuously throughout the day when it's not necessary. Additionally, placing your thermostat directly across from one of your air vents can cause the cold air coming out of your cooling system to drastically affect the temperature reading on your thermostat. You'll find that your thermostat will read that it's much colder than it is inside your home and will tell your air conditioning system to shut off.

Call Us Today

If you want to learn more about your air conditioning system or are considering upgrading your existing system, then it's time to contact us at Master Mechanical. Let our highly knowledgeable HVAC technicians assist you with all of your air conditioning needs.

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