Whether it’s a tropical vacation or a lengthy trip for work, taking a trip means making plans for your HVAC system. You can't use it while you’re not home, so you can make adjustments as necessary to conserve your energy use. Just the same, you don’t want to just leave it off for the entire time you're out of the house.
Instead, it’s ideal to leave your HVAC system on and just raise or lower depending on the season. That way you can reduce energy costs without worrying about returning to an uncomfortable home. We’ll review why you should avoid turning your HVAC system off as well as the most energy-efficient thermostat settings for different times of year.
This Is Why You Avoid Leaving Your Thermostat on Hold
While you may be inclined to leave your HVAC system off before a trip, this can end up leading to annoying problems by the time you come back. This is particularly true in case the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re out of town.
For example, shutting the HVAC system off in the summer will sometimes lead to very high humidity. Not only will your home feel gross when you come back, but it might have also encouraged mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And during the winter, not using the furnace can lead to pipes freezing or even bursting. It’s an awful feeling to return home from a vacation only to find extensive water damage near a broken pipe.
Best Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can make temperature adjustments even as you come and go to work. Because you’re away for around 8 hours or so, it doesn’t help your monthly energy bill to keep an empty home at the same temperature you’d usually have. As a general rule, it’s recommended to turn up the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. This means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, think about adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re at work.
But you can save even more if you try further adjustments to the temperature. As stated by the Department of Energy, you may save about 10% on your HVAC costs by increasing the adjustment to 7-10 degrees.
Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Summer
If you leave for an extended trip in the middle of summer, you can make larger adjustments. This ensures you don’t waste energy while still defending your home from the hassles that come with leaving it without air conditioning. About 5 degrees is suitable for shorter trips while a larger adjustment of 10 degrees is worthwhile if you’ll be gone for 2 weeks or more. If you prefer keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 can offer great results.
Best Thermostat Settings While On a Trip in Winter
To figure out the most energy-efficient thermostat setting for a winter trip, consider lowering the temperature by the same amount you would increase it in summer. 68 is a frequent winter thermostat setting, so lowering it to 63-58 will keep your plumbing safe while limiting how frequently your furnace runs.
A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Benefits of a Smart Thermostat
One of the best ways to regulate your home’s HVAC system while out of the house is by investing in a smart thermostat. This innovative type of programmable thermostat employs intelligent software to track your typical comfort habits. It gradually understands these preferences and makes automatic adjustments to the schedule for maximum energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can remotely access your heating and cooling with a smartphone or tablet.
Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save even more. To provide an example, specific models can monitor electricity prices to increase heating or cooling when prices are lower. They can also work with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to optimize how long your HVAC system needs to run. It’s the optimal tool to simplify how you control your comfort system. If you’re planning on investing in a smart thermostat, there are a variety of ways you can bring down your costs, essentially getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you are away from home, you can enjoy true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t stir up any trouble while you’re away from home.