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Quick answer
A room thermostat should be in a room that represents the temperature you want, usually the living room or a main hallway, mounted around 1.5 metres from the floor on an internal wall, away from radiators, direct sunlight, draughts, kitchens and other heat sources. A thermostat in the wrong place switches the heating off too early or leaves it running too long, wasting gas or leaving rooms cold. If yours is badly placed, a wireless thermostat or a smart thermostat with remote sensors is an easy fix.
Key takeaways
- Place the thermostat in a frequently used room with a representative temperature.
- Mount it around 1.5m high on an internal wall.
- Avoid radiators, sunny windows, draughts, kitchens and TVs.
- Do not fit a TRV on the radiator in the same room as the thermostat, or set it high.
- Wireless and smart thermostats make relocating easy.
Best places
- Living room. Often the best choice, as it is used most and heated consistently.
- Main hallway. Common in older installations; works if the hallway is not draughty and has no radiator right next to the thermostat.
Places to avoid
- Next to or above radiators.
- In direct sunlight.
- Near external doors or draughty windows.
- In kitchens, where cooking creates heat.
- Near TVs, lamps and electronics.
- On cold external walls.
Thermostat and TRV conflict
If the room with the thermostat has a TRV on its radiator, the TRV can close before the thermostat is satisfied, leaving the boiler running and other rooms overheating. Either remove the TRV from that radiator (Boiler Plus and good practice allow this in the thermostat room) or set it fully open. See thermostat and TRV settings for winter.
Moving a thermostat
Wired thermostats can be moved but may need new cabling. Wireless thermostats can be moved easily as long as they stay in range of the receiver. See how to choose a room thermostat.
Wireless and smart thermostats
A wireless thermostat removes the biggest constraint on placement: the cable run back to the boiler or wiring centre. The receiver stays near the boiler, and the thermostat itself can sit on any interior wall in the room you use most. That makes it easy to fix a thermostat that was originally wired into a cold hallway. The same placement rules still apply: away from radiators, sunlight, kitchen heat and draughts, at roughly 1.5 metres from the floor.
Smart thermostats add scheduling and remote control but they still measure the temperature where they sit. Some systems let you add extra room sensors and average the readings or prioritise the room you are in, which helps in homes where one location is never representative. If your home has distinct zones, such as an extension or a loft conversion that heats differently, zoning with a second thermostat and motorised valve may work better than trying to find one perfect spot.
Signs your thermostat is in the wrong place
Common signs include the heating switching off while most rooms still feel cold, the heating running for long periods with rooms overheating, or the thermostat reading several degrees different from a separate thermometer in the living room. A thermostat above a radiator or in a sunny spot tends to switch off too early; one in a cold, draughty hallway tends to keep the boiler running longer than needed. Moving or replacing the thermostat is usually a quick job for our central heating engineers.
Book with Gasmaster
Want your thermostat moved or upgraded? Gasmaster Plumbing & Heating, Gas Safe registered (220932), installs heating controls across Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Biddulph. See our central heating services.
Frequently asked questions
Should my thermostat be upstairs or downstairs?
Usually downstairs in a main living area, as that is where most heating demand is. Zoned systems may have one on each floor.
Why does my house feel cold when the thermostat says it is warm?
The thermostat may be in a warmer spot than the rest of the house, such as near a radiator or in sunlight.
Can I have more than one thermostat?
Yes, with zoned heating or smart TRVs. See smart radiator valves.
Sources
- Energy Saving Trust, heating controls (energysavingtrust.org.uk)
- BEAMA, heating controls guidance (beama.org.uk)
Related services
Abdul runs Gasmaster Plumbing & Heating and has worked on boilers, heating and gas appliances across Stoke-on-Trent since 2005. He is Gas Safe registered (reg. 220932), and these articles come from his day to day work in homes and businesses across Staffordshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire.
