Good point about the sunny window—I almost did the same thing. But now I'm wondering... does anyone know if putting it near a kitchen or bathroom could mess things up too? Like, would cooking steam or shower humidity throw off the thermostat readings? Still figuring out all these little details before I drill holes in my freshly painted walls...
Yeah, humidity and steam can definitely throw off your thermostat's accuracy. Kitchens and bathrooms are notorious for that... I once had mine near the kitchen, and every time I boiled pasta, the thermostat thought my house turned into a tropical rainforest. Ideally, you want it somewhere central, away from direct sunlight, vents, or moisture-heavy areas. Hallways or living rooms usually work best—just somewhere with stable temps and airflow. Good luck with the drilling, by the way—fresh paint anxiety is real.
Had a similar issue myself when I initially installed my smart thermostat near the laundry room. Every time we ran the dryer, the thermostat would spike and the AC would kick in unnecessarily. Ended up relocating it to a central hallway, away from appliances and direct sunlight. It's been much more accurate since then. Definitely worth taking the extra time to find that sweet spot—saves headaches down the road. Good luck with your setup...and yeah, drilling into fresh paint is always nerve-wracking.
Had the same experience when I installed mine near a west-facing window—every afternoon, the sun would hit it directly and totally throw off the readings. Took me a while to figure out why the AC kept kicking on randomly. Moving it to an interior wall definitely helped, but I also noticed that height matters too. Putting it around eye-level (about 5 feet up) seems to give the most accurate readings, at least from what I've seen in clients' homes. Also, keep an eye out for drafty spots or vents nearby—they can mess with accuracy just as much as appliances or sunlight. And yeah, drilling into freshly painted walls always feels like a gamble... painter's tape is your friend there.
"Moving it to an interior wall definitely helped, but I also noticed that height matters too."
Good call on height—I usually aim for around chest-level myself, but eye-level makes sense too. And yeah, painter's tape is a lifesaver... learned that the hard way after patching up one too many holes.
