The Ultimate Guide to Placing a Wifi Thermostat

Last Updated on November 18th, 2018 by Natalia Bickell

Smart thermostats are a great point of entry for those that are interested in getting into the smart home arena. If you’re considering getting a smart thermostat, there are plenty of options from which to choose. While it’s essential that you make the right choice when selecting a smart thermostat, you also want to make sure you place it in the right place in your home.

You want to be sure that you install your smart thermostat in a good spot in your home. It should be a room you and your family often use so that you can be sure the temperature won’t be too affected by its environment. But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves. For now, let’s talk about why it’s important to ensure your smart thermostat is installed in the right spot.

Why You Need to Install Your Smart Thermostat in the Right Spot

Ensuring that your thermostat is installed in the proper place can not only keep you more comfortable but can save on energy as well. If your thermostat is in the wrong place, you might be spending more on cooling and heating than you need to.

Additionally, proper thermostat placement can help with comfort. It’s not doing you any good if you’re sitting in your bedroom sweating while the basement is the perfect temperature. Placing your thermostat in the right spot can help alleviate those problems.

If you put your thermostat in a room that is prone to drafts, or you rarely use, the temperature may actually be colder or warmer than what you’re experiencing in a different part of the house. Placing your smart thermostat in the right spot means you’ll get the temperature you want.

Where Not to Put Your Thermostat

Before we get too much into where you want to place your smart thermostat, let’s take a look at a few key areas in which you don’t want to install it. Not every place in your house is the ideal spot for your wifi thermostat.

In direct sunlight

Installing your smart thermostat in direct sunlight often results in getting false temperatures and readings. Your thermostat determines the temperature of your home based on the room in which it’s placed. It uses that information to decide whether it needs to cool your home or turn up the heat.

If you place your smart thermostat near a window or a skylight and it gets heated by direct sunlight, it might think your home is warmer than it actually is. As a result, it might tell your air conditioner to cool down the house when it doesn’t need to.

On the flip side, the heater may not come on when it’s chilly out since your smart thermostat cannot correctly judge the temperature within your home. These types of false readings, or “ghost readings” can cause a lot of wasted energy within your home. As a result, your cooling or heating system may cycle on and off unnecessarily due to inaccurate information from your wifi thermostat.

Near air vents

You want your smart thermostat to have the ability to determine the temperature accurately and how it feels in your home. If you decide to install the thermostat near or above an air vent, you run the risk of your temperature readings becoming skewed. This is a result of the air from the vent hitting the thermostat.

For instance, if your heater comes on, your thermostat may think the room is warmer than it actually is. The same problem exists if the air conditioner is going. The thermostat will cool down long before your home does. Just like we mentioned with placing your smart thermostat in direct sunlight, placing it above or near an air vent can lead to false readings. Those false readings can lead to a lot of wasted energy and much higher energy bills.

By the kitchen

If you take into consideration all the rooms of your home, the kitchen is most likely to get the warmest without the aid of your heater. There are various appliances – including your oven and stove – in a concentrated area. As a result, the temperature in your kitchen can vary drastically from the rest of your home.

Placing your smart thermostat in or near your kitchen results in readings that are much warmer than they really are. This results in the air conditioner running when it doesn’t need to be. Since the air in your kitchen is almost always warm, this can cause a big problem for your smart thermostat.
Fluctuations in temperature in or near your kitchen can cause confusion for your wifi thermostat and can keep it from getting an accurate reading of the air around it. If your smart thermostat is installed near or in the kitchen, every time you go to cook a meal, the air conditioning will kick on, causing the entire house to cool down.

The hallway

The chances are slim that anyone in your home lives in the hallway, however, in the majority of houses, this is where the thermostat is located. The primary purpose of your heating and cooling system is to ensure that your home and family are comfortable. If that’s the case, then it only makes sense that your smart thermostat would be placed in an area where the real temperature in your home is accurately represented.

Where do you and your family spend the majority of the time in your home? This is the place you want your thermostat. Typically, your hallway is going to be empty, so it doesn’t make sense to put your thermostat there. It decreases the accuracy of its readings and makes it difficult for your thermostat to get a good reading due to airflow and restricted space.

Near windows and doors

Just like with air vents, you don’t want to place your smart thermostat in areas that are near windows and doors. Drafty conditions like windows and doors can lead to the air around them being colder than the rest of the home. Your smart thermostat gets inaccurate information, and can’t adjust the temperature appropriately.

Placement near doors especially is a bad idea, since they are continually being closed and open. The thermostat is exposed to the temperature outside and makes changes based on those readings. Depending on the season, a wifi thermostat placed near a door or window can cause your heater and air conditioner to cycle repeatedly without ever reaching a comfortable temperature.

Where Should You Place Your Smart Thermostat?

So where should you install your wifi thermostat? There are several places in your home that are ideal places for your smart thermostat.

Interior wall

Install your smart thermostat on or near an interior wall. Exterior walls can be poorly insulated, so your thermostat gets a false temperature reading. Place it on an interior wall so it can get an accurate reading, which leads to less wasted energy and lowers heating and cooling bills.
Away from sources of heat

We’ve already talked about kitchens and sunlight, but also consider installing your smart thermostat away from areas that have fireplaces or radiators which produce additional heat and cause the temperature to be higher or lower than the rest of your home. Some thermostats compensate for direct sunlight, but other heat sources may result in false readings by your thermostat.

Areas with a clear view

Be sure to install your smart thermostat in an area that not blocked off by bookshelves, doors, or other objects. You want to be sure that its activity and motion sensors have a clear view, which helps with the Home/Away feature that many wifi thermostat offer.

Wifi available

Many people forget that their smart thermostat needs a reliable wireless connection to work correctly. Keep in mind that the way your home is arranged and constructed may hinder of help with wireless availability. Before installing, check to make sure the signal strength is strong enough to provide a constant connection with your smart thermostat. This ensures that your thermostat can provide needed information, and perform software updates when necessary.

Current thermostat location

If you’re replacing an already existing thermostat with a smart thermostat, you might be able to use the same spot. Make sure the spot where your current thermostat sits will work to heat and cool the rest of your house effectively. If not, you may have to consider moving your smart thermostat and installing it in a different location.

However, keep in mind that changing the placement of your thermostat will probably require new wiring. If that’s the case, you would be better off reaching out to a professional for help with installing your smart thermostat.

Wifi Thermostat Placement

So remember, don’t put your smart thermostat near an area with additional heat sources, in your kitchen, in direct sunlight, or near windows and doors. Make sure it has a clear view and reliable network connectivity, and place it as close to an interior wall as possible. Doing so will help reduce wasted energy and lower your heating and cooling bills.

Keep those things in mind, and you’ll have a great wifi thermostat experience.

Further read, The Best Wifi Thermostats for Your Vacation Home