From a tropical vacation or an extended trip for work, traveling means making preparations for your heating and cooling system. You can't use it while you’re not home, so you can adjust it as necessary to limit your energy use. At the same time, you don’t want to just shut it down for the entire time you're gone.
For the most part, it’s better to leave your HVAC system going and just raise or lower depending on the season. That way you can lower 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 ideal thermostat settings for different times of year.
This Is Why You Don't Leave Your Thermostat Alone
While you may be wanting to shut your HVAC system down before a trip, this could end up leading to costly problems by the time you come back. This is especially true in case the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re away from home.
For example, turning the HVAC system off in the summer will sometimes produce very high humidity. Not only will your home feel gross when you have returned, but it might have also encouraged 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 never fun to come home from a vacation only to discover considerable water damage near a broken pipe.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can adjust the temperature even if you’re coming and going to work. Because you’re away for 8 hours or more, it doesn’t help your monthly energy bill to keep an empty home heated or cooled as if you were there. As a general rule, it’s recommended to turn up the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. Meaning that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, think about increasing it to 76-77 while you’re out.
But you can save even more if you're open to further adjusting the temperature. As reported by the Department of Energy, you may save nearly 10% on your HVAC expenses by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.
Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Summer
If you’re leaving for a lengthier trip in the middle of summer, you can make bigger adjustments. This helps you avoid using too much energy while still safeguarding your home from the hassles that come with leaving it without air conditioning. About 5 degrees is suitable for brief trips while around 10 degrees is worthwhile if you’ll be gone for 2 weeks or more. If you like keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 should offer great results.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Winter
To figure out the most energy-efficient thermostat setting for a winter trip, simply lower it by the same amount you would raise it in summer. 68 is a frequent winter thermostat setting, so turning it down to 63-58 will keep your plumbing safe while restricting how frequently your furnace operates.
A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Benefits of Smart Thermostat Installation
One of the best ways to manage your home’s HVAC system while away is using a smart thermostat. This advanced type of programmable thermostat utilizes intelligent software to track your typical comfort habits. It learns 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 from a mobile device or tablet.
Smart thermostats are stuffed with features to help you save even more. For example, some models can track electricity prices to boost heating or cooling when prices are more affordable. They can be used with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to refine how long your HVAC system has to run. It’s the optimal tool to enhance how you control your comfort system. If you’re planning on investing in a smart thermostat, there are different ways you can reduce your costs, effectively 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 gone.