Between a relaxing vacation or an extended trip for work, leaving home means making plans for your home comfort system. You can't use it if you’re on a trip, so you can make adjustments as needed to limit your energy use. Simultaneously, you don’t want to just leave it off for the entire time you're out of the house.
For the most part, it’s better to leave your HVAC system running and just raise or lower depending on whether it's winter or summer. That way you can lower energy costs without stressing about returning to an uncomfortable home. We’ll walk you through why you should leave your HVAC system on as well as the best thermostat settings for various times of year.
Here’s Why You Avoid Leaving Your Thermostat on Hold
While you might be tempted to turn your HVAC system off before a trip, this will sometimes end up stirring up annoying problems by the time you get back. This is particularly true if the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re gone.
For instance, turning the HVAC system off in the summer can produce very high humidity. Not only will your home feel like a swamp when you come back, but it may have also stimulated mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And in the winter, leaving the furnace off will sometimes lead to pipes freezing up or even bursting. It’s never fun to come home from a vacation only to come across extensive water damage near a broken pipe.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can make temperature adjustments even if you’re coming and going to work. Considering you’re out of the house for about 8 hours or longer, it doesn’t make sense to keep an empty home the same temperature as when you're home. In general, it’s recommended to turn up the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. Meaning that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, think about adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re out.
But you may save even more if you’re willing to further adjust the temperature. According to the Department of Energy, you may 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’re leaving for a lengthier trip in the hottest part of summer, you can make more significant adjustments. This helps you avoid using too much energy while still safeguarding your home from the hassles that come with leaving it uncooled. Around 5 degrees is appropriate for shorter trips while a larger adjustment of 10 degrees is best if you’ll be away from home for 2 weeks or more. If you enjoy keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 should offer the best results.
Best Thermostat Settings While On a Trip in Winter
To determine the most energy-efficient thermostat setting for a winter trip, just lower the temperature by the same amount you would adjust it in summer. 68 is a popular winter thermostat setting, so turning it down to 63-58 will protect your plumbing while restricting how long your furnace runs.
Smart Thermostats Are Even Better: Perks of Smart Thermostat Installation
A great way to optimize your home’s HVAC system while away from home is by investing in a smart thermostat. This innovative type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to understand your usual comfort habits. It applies these preferences and makes automatic changes to the schedule for maximum energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can remotely access your heating and cooling from a smart device like a phone or tablet.
Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save energy and lower costs. To provide an example, certain models can monitor electricity prices to bolster 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 planning on investing in a smart thermostat, there are different ways you can lower 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 gone.
