Between a tropical vacation or an extended trip for work, traveling means making plans for your home comfort system. You can't use it if you’re not home, so you can adjust the temperature as appropriate to minimize your energy use. Just the same, you don’t want to just turn it off for the entire time you're gone.
For the most part, it’s best to leave your HVAC system on and just raise or lower depending on whether it's winter or summer. That way you can lower energy costs without worrying about returning to an uncomfortable home. We’ll explain why you should avoid turning your HVAC system off as well as the best thermostat settings for summer and winter.
Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Thermostat on Hold
While you could be inclined to shut your HVAC system down before a trip, this can end up leading to big problems by the time you get back. This is notably true in case the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re away from home.
As an example, switching the HVAC system off in the summer will sometimes cause very high humidity. Not only will your home feel like a swamp when you return, but it might have also invited mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And over the winter, letting your house get cold could lead to pipes freezing up or even bursting. It’s never fun to come home from a long trip only to come across considerable water damage near a broken pipe.
Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can adjust the temperature even when you're just going to work. Since you’re away for 8 hours or more, it doesn’t seem sensible to keep an empty home at the same temperature you’d usually have. Generally, it’s recommended to raise the thermostat by 5 degrees or more. This means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, consider raising it to 76-77 while you’re at work.
But you can 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 costs by making an adjustment of 7-10 degrees.
Best Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Summer
If you’re leaving for a longer trip in the middle of summer, you can make larger adjustments. This helps you avoid using too much energy while still safeguarding your home from the problems that come with leaving it uncooled. Something like 5 degrees is recommended for brief trips while closer to 10 degrees is worthwhile if you’ll be out of town for 2 weeks or more. If you like keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 can offer great results.
Recommended Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Winter
To figure out the most energy-efficient thermostat setting for a winter vacation, consider lowering the temperature by the same amount you would raise it in summer. 68 is a popular winter thermostat setting, so adjusting to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while minimizing how long your furnace runs.
A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Advantages of Smart Thermostat Installation
One of the best ways to optimize your home’s HVAC system while away from home is using a smart thermostat. This innovative type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to track 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 HVAC system with a mobile device or tablet.
Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save even more. For instance, specific models can observe electricity prices to bolster heating or cooling when prices are lowest. They are compatible with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to fine-tune how long your HVAC system should run. It’s the ideal tool to simplify how you control your comfort system. If you’re thinking about investing in a smart thermostat, there are multiple ways you can lower your costs, effectively 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 stir up any trouble while you’re away from home.