Whether it’s a relaxing vacation or an extended trip for work, traveling means making preparations for your heating and cooling system. You won’t be using it while you’re not home, so you can adjust it as appropriate to minimize your energy use. Just the same, you don’t want to just shut it down for the entire time you're out of the house.
In general, it’s better to leave your HVAC system running and adjust the temperature depending on the season. That way you can reduce energy costs without having to worry about coming back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll explain why you should avoid turning your HVAC system off as well as the most energy-efficient thermostat settings for summer and winter.
Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Thermostat on Hold
While you might be tempted to leave your HVAC system off before a trip, this will sometimes end up stirring up annoying problems by the time you come back. This is particularly true when the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re gone.
For instance, turning the HVAC system down during the summer will sometimes lead to very high humidity. Not only will your home feel muggy and uncomfortable when you have returned, but it could have also stimulated mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And in the winter, leaving the furnace off might lead to pipes freezing or even bursting. It’s never fun to come home from a long trip only to discover considerable water damage nearby a broken pipe.
Best Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can make temperature adjustments even as you come and go to work. Since you’re away for about 8 hours or longer, it doesn’t help your monthly energy bill to keep an empty home heated or cooled as if you were there. Generally, it’s encouraged to raise the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. This means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, consider raising it to 76-77 while you’re out.
But you could 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 making an adjustment of 7-10 degrees.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While on a Trip in Summer
If you leave for an extended trip in the heart of summer, you can make bigger adjustments. This ensures you don’t waste energy while still safeguarding your home from the hassles that come with leaving it without air conditioning. About 5 degrees is suitable for short trips while around 10 degrees is best if you’ll be gone for 2 weeks or longer. If you enjoy keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 should offer the best results.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Winter
To determine the best thermostat setting for a winter getaway, consider lowering the temperature by the same amount you would raise it in summer. 68 is a common winter thermostat setting, so turning it down to 63-58 will keep your plumbing safe while restricting how often your furnace runs.
A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Perks of a Smart Thermostat
An ideal strategy to manage your home’s HVAC system while away is by investing in a smart thermostat. This special type of programmable thermostat utilizes intelligent software to track your typical comfort habits. It gradually understands these preferences and makes automatic changes to the schedule for higher energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can remotely control your heating and cooling from a smart device like a phone or tablet.
Smart thermostats are stuffed with features to help you save energy and lower costs. For instance, specific models can monitor electricity prices to boost heating or cooling when prices are lowest. They are compatible with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to optimize how long your HVAC system has to run. It’s the optimal tool to simplify how you use your comfort system. If you’re planning on investing in a smart thermostat, there are a variety of ways you can lower your costs, in essence getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you are away from home, you can receive true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t cause any trouble while you’re gone.