Whether it’s a tropical vacation or a lengthy trip for work, traveling means making plans for your home comfort system. You don't need it while you’re on a trip, so you can adjust the temperature as appropriate to minimize your energy use. Simultaneously, you don’t want to just leave it off for the entire time you're out of the house.
Instead, it’s ideal to leave your HVAC system running and adjust the temperature depending on whether it's winter or summer. That way you can lower energy costs without having to worry about returning to an uncomfortable home. We’ll walk you through why you shouldn’t turn 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 turn your HVAC system off before a trip, this can end up leading to annoying problems by the time you come back. This is particularly true in case the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re gone.
For instance, switching the HVAC system off in the summer could lead to very high humidity. Not only will your home feel gross when you return, but it might have also encouraged mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And over the winter, not using the furnace will sometimes lead to pipes freezing or even bursting. It’s an awful feeling to return home from a vacation only to discover substantial water damage near a broken pipe.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can optimize the temperature even if you’re coming and going to work. Since you’re away 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 recommended to adjust the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. Meaning that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, consider adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re out.
But you could save even more if you're open to further adjusting the temperature. As stated by the Department of Energy, you might save about 10% on your HVAC spending by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.
Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Summer
If you leave for a longer trip in the hottest part of summer, you can make larger adjustments. This helps you avoid using too much energy while still defending your home from the problems that come with leaving it without air conditioning. About 5 degrees is suitable for shorter trips while closer to 10 degrees is ideal if you’ll be out of town for 2 weeks or longer. If you like keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 will offer great results.
Best Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Winter
To try and find the best thermostat setting for a winter getaway, simply lower it by the same amount you would adjust it in summer. 68 is a popular winter thermostat setting, so lowering it to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while limiting how often your furnace runs.
A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Benefits of a Smart Thermostat
One of the best ways to manage your home’s HVAC system while away is using a smart thermostat. This innovative type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to understand your typical comfort habits. It learns these preferences and makes automatic changes to the schedule for higher energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi integration, you can remotely adjust your HVAC system with a mobile device or tablet.
Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save energy and lower costs. For instance, some models can observe electricity prices to increase 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 ideal tool to streamline how you use your comfort system. If you’re considering 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 are away from home, you can appreciate true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t cause any trouble while you’re gone.