From a tropical vacation or a long trip for work, taking a trip means making preparations for your heating and cooling system. You don't need it while you’re away, so you can make adjustments as appropriate to minimize your energy use. Simultaneously, you shouldn't just shut it down for the entire time you're out of the house.
In general, it’s best to leave your HVAC system going and adjust the temperature depending on the season. That way you can lower energy costs without having to worry about coming back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll explain why you shouldn’t turn your HVAC system off as well as the ideal thermostat settings for various times of year.
Here’s Why You Don't Leave Your Thermostat on Hold
While you may be tempted to leave your HVAC system off before a trip, this could end up leading to costly problems by the time you get back. This is particularly true if the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re away from home.
For example, turning the HVAC system down during the summer can lead to very high humidity. Not only will your home feel muggy and uncomfortable when you return, but it might have also stimulated mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And during the winter, not using the furnace might lead to pipes freezing up or even bursting. It’s an awful feeling to return home from a nice trip only to find substantial water damage nearby a broken pipe.
Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can optimize the temperature even when you're just going to work. Considering 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 recommended to adjust the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. This means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, try raising it to 76-77 while you’re at work.
But you may save even more if you're open to further adjusting the temperature. As stated by the Department of Energy, you might save around 10% on your HVAC spending by making an adjustment of 7-10 degrees.
Best Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Summer
If you’re leaving for a longer trip in the heart of summer, you can make bigger adjustments. This ensures you don’t waste energy while still defending your home from the issues that come with leaving it uncooled. Something like 5 degrees is recommended for short trips while a larger adjustment of 10 degrees is worthwhile if you’ll be away from home for 2 weeks or more. If you like keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 should offer great results.
Best Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Winter
To figure out the best thermostat setting for a winter getaway, just lower the temperature by the same amount you would adjust it in summer. 68 is a popular winter thermostat setting, so lowering it to 63-58 will protect your plumbing while limiting how frequently your furnace runs.
A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Advantages of a Smart Thermostat
One of the best ways to manage your home’s HVAC system while out of the house is with a smart thermostat. This advanced type of programmable thermostat employs intelligent software to understand your typical comfort habits. It gradually understands these preferences and makes automatic changes to the schedule for maximum energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi integration, you can remotely adjust your heating and cooling from a smart device like a phone or tablet.
Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save energy and lower costs. To provide an example, some models can observe electricity prices to boost heating or cooling when prices are lower. They can be used with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to optimize how long your HVAC system needs to run. It’s the perfect tool to enhance how you control your comfort system. If you’re planning on investing in a smart thermostat, there are a variety of ways you can reduce your costs, essentially getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you leave for vacation, you can receive true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t cause any trouble while you’re away from home.
