What should you investigate if a house gets too cold between heating cycles?

When a house gets too cold between heating cycles, it is important to investigate the heat anticipator. The heat anticipator is a component found in some thermostats that helps to prevent overshooting the set temperature. It does this by "anticipating" the temperature that will be reached based on current heating patterns and adjusting the furnace operation accordingly.

If the heat anticipator is set incorrectly, the furnace may turn off too early, resulting in the house not reaching the desired temperature, especially during heating cycles. This can lead to periods where the temperature drops significantly, causing discomfort in the home. Proper calibration of the heat anticipator ensures that the heating system runs longer or shorter as necessary to maintain the set temperature, thus avoiding cold intervals.

Investigating the heat anticipator allows for adjustment so that the heating system can maintain the desired comfort level effectively between cycles. Other factors like system pressure, water temperature, and thermostat calibration can affect heating performance, but the immediate concern regarding temperature drop between cycles directly relates to the heat anticipator’s function in managing how the heating system operates relative to the set temperature.