From a much-needed vacation or a long trip for work, taking a trip means making plans for your HVAC system. You won’t be using it as long as you’re away, so you can make adjustments as appropriate to conserve your energy use. At the same time, you don’t want to just shut it down for the entire time you're out of the house.
Instead, it’s best to leave your HVAC system going and just raise or lower depending on whether it's winter or summer. That way you can lower energy costs without stressing about coming back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll review why you should leave your HVAC system on as well as the best thermostat settings for various times of year.
Here’s Why You Don't Leave Your Thermostat on Hold
While you may be inclined to shut your HVAC system down before a trip, this could end up causing costly problems by the time you get back. This is especially true if the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re out of town.
For instance, shutting the HVAC system off in the summer can cause very high humidity. Not only will your home feel muggy and uncomfortable when you have returned, but it could have also encouraged mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And during the winter, not using the furnace can lead to pipes icing over or even bursting. It’s exhausting to get home from a long trip only to find considerable water damage nearby a broken pipe.
Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can adjust the temperature even if you’re coming and going to work. Considering you’re away for 8 hours or more, it doesn’t seem sensible to keep an empty home heated or cooled as if you were there. Generally, it’s suggested to turn up the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. This means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, consider adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re out.
But you can save even more if you’re willing to further adjust the temperature. As stated by the Department of Energy, you could save about 10% on your HVAC costs by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Summer
If you're on a longer trip in the middle of summer, you can make larger adjustments. This ensures you don’t waste energy while still safeguarding your home from the hassles that come with leaving it un-air conditioned. Around 5 degrees is suitable for brief trips while closer to 10 degrees is best if you’ll be out of town for 2 weeks or more. If you like keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 should offer beneficial results.
Best Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Winter
To determine the ideal thermostat setting for a winter getaway, consider lowering the temperature by the same amount you would increase it in summer. 68 is a popular winter thermostat setting, so turning it down to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while minimizing how long your furnace operates.
A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Benefits of a Smart Thermostat
An ideal strategy to regulate your home’s HVAC system while out of the house is with a smart thermostat. This special type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to monitor your usual comfort habits. It gradually understands these preferences and makes automatic corrections to the schedule for maximum energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi integration, you can remotely adjust your heating and cooling with a mobile device or tablet.
Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save even more. For example, certain models can track electricity prices to boost heating or cooling when prices are lowest. They can also work with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to fine-tune how long your HVAC system needs to run. It’s the perfect tool to streamline how you use your comfort system. If you’re considering 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 leave for vacation, you can appreciate true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t stir up any trouble while you’re away from home.