From a relaxing vacation or a long trip for work, taking a trip means making preparations for your HVAC system. You won’t be using it while you’re on a trip, so you can adjust the temperature as appropriate to conserve your energy use. At the same time, you don’t want to just leave it off for the entire duration of your trip.
Instead, it’s best to leave your HVAC system running and just raise or lower depending on whether it's winter or summer. That way you can minimize energy costs without having to worry about coming back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll walk you through why you should avoid turning your HVAC system off as well as the best thermostat settings for various times of year.
Here’s Why You Don't Leave Your Thermostat on Hold
While you might be tempted to turn your HVAC system off before a trip, this could end up stirring up costly problems by the time you return. This is particularly true in case the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re gone.
For instance, switching the HVAC system down in the summer can cause very high humidity. Not only will your home feel gross when you come back, but it could have also invited mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And in the winter, not using the furnace can lead to pipes icing over or even bursting. It’s exhausting to return home from a vacation only to find extensive water damage near a broken pipe.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can adjust the temperature even when you're just going to work. Because you’re not home for about 8 hours or longer, it doesn’t seem sensible to keep an empty home at the same temperature you’d usually have. Generally, it’s suggested to adjust the thermostat by 5 degrees or more. That means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, think about adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re out.
But you can save even more if you try further adjustments to the temperature. As stated by the Department of Energy, you may save around 10% on your HVAC expenses by increasing the adjustment to 7-10 degrees.
Best Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Summer
If you’re leaving for a lengthier trip in the heart of summer, you can make bigger adjustments. This helps you avoid using too much energy while still protecting your home from the problems that come with leaving it uncooled. Something like 5 degrees is appropriate for short trips while closer to 10 degrees is ideal if you’ll be gone for 2 weeks or more. If you like keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 can offer beneficial results.
Best Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Winter
To figure out the ideal thermostat setting for a winter getaway, consider lowering the temperature by the same amount you would increase it in summer. 68 is a common winter thermostat setting, so lowering it to 63-58 will protect your plumbing while limiting how long 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 out of the house is with a smart thermostat. This advanced type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to monitor your preferred comfort habits. It learns these preferences and makes automatic adjustments to the schedule for higher energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi integration, you can remotely access your HVAC system from a smart device like a phone or tablet.
Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save even more. For instance, specific models can track 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 needs to run. It’s the optimal tool to enhance how you use your comfort system. If you’re thinking about investing in a smart thermostat, there are a variety of ways you can reduce your costs, in essence 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 stir up any trouble while you’re gone.