From a relaxing vacation or a long trip for work, leaving home means making plans for your home comfort system. You don't need it as long as you’re on a trip, so you can make adjustments as needed to limit your energy use. Just the same, you shouldn't just leave it off for the entire time you're gone.
Instead, it’s better to leave your HVAC system on and adjust the temperature depending on whether it's winter or summer. That way you can minimize energy costs without having to worry about getting back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll explain why you should leave your HVAC system on as well as the best thermostat settings for various times of year.
Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Thermostat on Hold
While you may be tempted to shut your HVAC system down before a trip, this could end up stirring up annoying problems by the time you come back. This is notably true if the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re away from home.
For instance, shutting the HVAC system off during the summer will sometimes cause 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 during the winter, letting your house get cold might lead to pipes freezing or even bursting. It’s exhausting to get home from a long trip only to discover substantial water damage close to 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 8 hours or more, it doesn’t seem sensible to keep an empty home heated or cooled as if you were there. Generally, it’s encouraged to turn up the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. That means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, think about raising it to 76-77 while you’re at work.
But you can save even more if you're open to further adjusting the temperature. According to the Department of Energy, you could save about 10% on your HVAC spending by making an adjustment of 7-10 degrees.
Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Summer
If you’re leaving for a longer trip in the middle of summer, you can make more significant adjustments. This helps you avoid using too much energy while still defending your home from the hassles that come with leaving it without air conditioning. About 5 degrees is recommended for brief trips while around 10 degrees is worthwhile if you’ll be gone for 2 weeks or longer. If you like keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 can offer beneficial results.
Best Thermostat Settings While On a Trip in Winter
To figure out the best thermostat setting for a winter vacation, just lower the temperature by the same amount you would adjust it in summer. 68 is a common winter thermostat setting, so turning it down to 63-58 will keep your plumbing safe while minimizing how long your furnace runs.
A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Benefits of Smart Thermostat Installation
One of the best ways to manage your home’s HVAC system while out of the house is using a smart thermostat. This special type of programmable thermostat utilizes intelligent software to understand your preferred 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 access your HVAC system using a mobile device or tablet.
Smart thermostats are stuffed with features to help you save energy and lower costs. For instance, specific models can track electricity prices to boost heating or cooling when prices are lowest. They are compatible with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to fine-tune how long your HVAC system needs to run. It’s the optimal tool to streamline how you control your comfort system. If you’re planning on investing in a smart thermostat, there are different ways you can bring down 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 cause any trouble while you’re away.