Thermostats are essential for home heating and cooling; however, they are also vulnerable to tampering by children and other family members who may keep adjusting them. They are also susceptible to dust and humidity; hence you need a safety device to make them tamper-proof and keep them safe. One of the most recommended safety gear is the cover.
The cover is essential for your thermostat; however, most people face challenges when installing it. Here are simple procedures to help you install the cover.
Installing your thermostat cover
Before installing the cover, ensure you have the installation items: key, mounting screws, locking cover with a base. These items should come with the cover. You may also need a pencil and a screwdriver. To install the cover, follow these procedures:
Preparation
Before beginning the installation process, ensure the thermostat has the proper temperatures you desire. After that, you can position the cover over the thermostat and ensure the thermostat is in a central position inside the cover. Once you place the cover over the thermostat, using a pencil, mark the position to drill the holes.
Add the wires
Once you have marked the positions, remove the guard, you can mount the base plate to ensure the wires are on top of it. Install the wires through the plate, then screw the plate on the wall. This procedure is only applicable when you need the base plate. You can then install the thermostat on the plate and then connect it.
Mount the cover
Once you mount the thermostat on the base, ensure you use the applicable safety items such as anchors to hold the thermostat safely on the ground. Next, mount the thermostat cover and attach it to the ring position on the base. Or install the screws on the holes you drilled on the wall. Ensure you screw the guard in all positions. Once installed, you can confirm if the settings are correct, then lock it. Keep the key safe and the instruction manual to help you next time you need to remove the guard.
Why do you need a thermostat cover?
Though most people say the cover is unnecessary, it is necessary for your thermostat in various ways. It can protect your thermostat from environmental conditions that can cause damage. It can keep it safe from children who may adjust it, affecting room reading. The cover also keeps the thermostat safe from fluids and dust. A thermostat cover helps you keep the thermostat from unwanted tampering.
The cover can also help you save energy bills. When you set your thermostat at certain room temperatures to save the heating and cooling bills, you do not want anyone to adjust the thermostat. Nobody can adjust the thermostat once you install the cover and lock it. This makes it essential for home, office, and business environments. However, before you lock the thermostat, ensure you set the temperatures to comfortable conditions to provide those in the house are comfortable even in your absence.
Is it necessary to cover the thermostat?
The cover may serve the safety purposes you need it to serve; however, it may not be necessary to cover the thermostat. Covering the thermostat can lead to inaccuracy. The cover can create a different environment from the entire house’s surroundings. Since it is covered, it may concentrate a lot of heat inside the cover making the thermostat read higher temperatures when that is not the case. Sometimes it may read that the area is cooler; hence, you need to ensure you do not cover the thermostat entirely.
Considerations when installing the thermostat cover
You need to ensure the cover is transparent for easy reading. Buying a different color makes it difficult to read the thermostat, especially when far from it. The thickness of the transparent cover should also be a consideration. Buying a too thick cover can adversely affect the reading. Glass or plastic is a poor conductor of heat; hence they tend to concentrate heat in a region rather than releasing it. A thicker cover retains more heat instead of releasing it. Therefore, a thinner cover will allow at least some heat or cold to escape, reducing reading irregularities.
While buying the cover, you also need to observe other features such as aeration. The cover should at least have some spaces for aeration to limit the amount of heat concentrated in the thermostat surrounding. For safety purposes, it should at least have a lock mechanism to lock it while you are away from home and children are home. The lock will allow you to open the cover and will, enable some aeration, and avoid trapping moisture and excess heat around the thermostat.
The size of the thermostat also matters when you are buying a cover. Do not buy a large and conspicuous cover for your thermostat. A good cover should be proportional to the thermostat but leave some room. Consider those that are easy to install or remove should the need arise.
Bottomline
The thermostat is critical for helping you save energy bills and keeping your thermostat tamper-proof. It is also essential for protecting your thermostat from dust and excess humidity. Installing it should not be a challenge as long as you have the right tools and elements with the thermostat.