From a tropical vacation or a lengthy trip for work, taking a trip means making preparations for your home comfort system. You don't need it as long as you’re on a trip, so you can adjust the temperature as necessary to conserve your energy use. Just the same, you don’t want to just turn it off for the entire time you're gone.
For the most part, it’s better to leave your HVAC system going and adjust the temperature depending on the season. That way you can minimize energy costs without worrying about coming back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll review why you shouldn’t turn your HVAC system off as well as the most energy-efficient thermostat settings for different times of year.
Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Thermostat on Hold
While you might be tempted to shut your HVAC system down before a trip, this will sometimes end up leading to annoying problems by the time you get back. This is especially true if the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re gone.
For instance, shutting the HVAC system down during the summer will sometimes cause very high humidity. Not only will your home feel like a swamp when you return, but it may have also stimulated mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And during the winter, not using the furnace can lead to pipes freezing or even bursting. It’s exhausting to get home from a vacation only to discover considerable water damage close to a broken pipe.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can optimize the temperature even when you're just going to work. Since you’re not home for around 8 hours or so, it doesn’t make sense to keep an empty home at the same temperature you’d usually have. As a general rule, it’s encouraged to raise the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. That means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, try raising it to 76-77 while you’re gone.
But you can save even more if you try further adjustments to the temperature. As reported by the Department of Energy, you could save about 10% on your HVAC spending by increasing the adjustment to 7-10 degrees.
Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Summer
If you're on an extended trip in the heart of summer, you can make larger adjustments. This helps you avoid using too much energy while still defending your home from the issues that come with leaving it uncooled. About 5 degrees is appropriate for brief trips while around 10 degrees is best if you’ll be away from home for 2 weeks or longer. If you prefer keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 will offer beneficial results.
Recommended Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Winter
To try and find the ideal thermostat setting for a winter getaway, consider lowering the temperature by the same amount you would adjust it in summer. 68 is a common winter thermostat setting, so lowering it to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while limiting how frequently your furnace runs.
A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Benefits of a Smart Thermostat
An ideal strategy to optimize your home’s HVAC system while away is using a smart thermostat. This advanced type of programmable thermostat utilizes intelligent software to track your usual comfort habits. It applies these preferences and makes automatic adjustments to the schedule for higher energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can remotely control your HVAC system with a mobile device or tablet.
Smart thermostats are stuffed with features to help you save on your energy bill. For instance, some models can monitor electricity prices to increase heating or cooling when prices are more affordable. They can also work with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to fine-tune how long your HVAC system has to run. It’s the optimal tool to streamline how you control your comfort system. If you’re planning on investing in a smart thermostat, there are multiple ways you can lower your costs, essentially getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you are away from home, you can receive true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t stir up any trouble while you’re away.
