Between a tropical vacation or a lengthy trip for work, leaving home means making plans for your heating and cooling system. You can’t use it if you’re on a trip, so you can adjust it as needed to conserve your energy use. Just the same, you don’t want to just shut it down for the entire time you’re gone.
In general, it’s better to leave your HVAC system going and adjust the temperature depending on the time of year. That way you can reduce energy costs without having to worry about returning to an uncomfortable home. We’ll review why you shouldn’t turn your HVAC system off as well as the best thermostat settings for summer and winter.
Here’s Why You Don’t Leave Your Thermostat Alone
While you might be tempted to shut your HVAC system down before a trip, this could end up causing annoying problems by the time you get back. This is notably true when the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re gone.
For example, turning the HVAC system off during the summer could cause very high humidity. Not only will your home feel muggy and uncomfortable when you return, but it may have also invited mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And in the winter, not using the furnace can lead to pipes icing over or even bursting. It’s exhausting to come home from a vacation only to find extensive water damage nearby a broken pipe.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can optimize the temperature even if you’re coming and going to work. Because you’re out of the house for 8 hours or more, it doesn’t help your monthly energy bill to keep an empty home at the same temperature you’d usually have. Generally, it’s recommended to adjust the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. Meaning that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, consider adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re at work.
But you may save even more if you try further adjustments to the temperature. According to the Department of Energy, you could save around 10% on your HVAC spending by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.
Best Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Summer
If you’re on an extended trip in the middle of summer, you can make larger adjustments. This helps you avoid using too much energy while still defending your home from the problems that come with leaving it uncooled. Something like 5 degrees is suitable for short trips while closer to 10 degrees is worthwhile if you’ll be out of town for 2 weeks or more. If you enjoy keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 will offer beneficial results.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Winter
To determine the ideal thermostat setting for a winter vacation, 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 protect your plumbing while minimizing how long your furnace runs.
Smart Thermostats Are Even Better: Advantages of a Smart Thermostat
An ideal strategy to manage your home’s HVAC system while out of the house is using a smart thermostat. This advanced type of programmable thermostat employs intelligent software to understand your usual comfort habits. It applies these preferences and makes automatic corrections to the schedule for maximum energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can remotely control your HVAC system using a mobile device or tablet.
Smart thermostats are packed with features to help you save on your energy bill. To provide an example, certain models can observe electricity prices to boost heating or cooling when prices are more affordable. They are compatible with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to optimize how long your HVAC system should run. It’s the ideal tool to simplify how you use your comfort system. If you’re thinking about investing in a smart thermostat, there are multiple ways you can reduce your costs, essentially getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you leave for vacation, you can enjoy true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t cause any trouble while you’re away from home.
