From a tropical vacation or a lengthy trip for work, taking a trip means making plans for your heating and cooling system. You won’t be using it while you’re on a trip, so you can adjust the temperature as appropriate to limit your energy use. At the same time, you shouldn't just leave it off for the entire duration of your trip.
Instead, it’s ideal to leave your HVAC system on and adjust the temperature depending on the time of year. That way you can lower energy costs without stressing about coming back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll review why you shouldn’t turn your HVAC system off as well as the best thermostat settings for different times of year.
Here’s Why You Don't Leave Your Thermostat on Hold
While you could be inclined to turn your HVAC system off before a trip, this could end up stirring up big problems by the time you come back. This is especially true in case the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re out of town.
For instance, shutting the HVAC system off in the summer could lead to very high humidity. Not only will your home feel gross when you have returned, but it may have also stimulated mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And over the winter, leaving the furnace off can lead to pipes icing over or even bursting. It’s never fun to get home from a vacation only to come across substantial water damage nearby a broken pipe.
Best Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can make temperature adjustments even when you're just going to work. Because you’re away for around 8 hours or so, it doesn’t seem sensible to keep an empty home heated or cooled as if you were there. Generally, it’s encouraged to adjust the thermostat by 5 degrees or more. This means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, think about adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re gone.
But you may save even more if you're open to further adjusting the temperature. As reported 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 leave for an extended trip in the heart of summer, you can make bigger adjustments. This prevents wasting energy while still safeguarding your home from the hassles that come with leaving it uncooled. Something like 5 degrees is suitable 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 can offer the best results.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While On a Trip in Winter
To determine the most energy-efficient thermostat setting for a winter getaway, consider lowering the temperature by the same amount you would adjust it in summer. 68 is a frequent winter thermostat setting, so lowering it to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while minimizing how frequently your furnace operates.
A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Benefits of a Smart Thermostat
A great way to regulate your home’s HVAC system while away is with a smart thermostat. This special type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to monitor your preferred comfort habits. It gradually understands these preferences and makes automatic changes to the schedule for maximum energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi compatibility, you can remotely control your HVAC system from a smart device like a phone or tablet.
Smart thermostats are stuffed with features to help you save on your energy bill. To provide an example, specific models can track electricity prices to bolster heating or cooling when prices are more affordable. They are compatible with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to optimize how long your HVAC system needs to run. It’s the perfect tool to simplify how you use your comfort system. If you’re thinking about investing in a smart thermostat, there are a variety of ways you can reduce your costs, in essence 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 gone.