Whether it’s a tropical vacation or a long trip for work, traveling means making preparations for your heating and cooling system. You can't use it while you’re not home, so you can make adjustments as appropriate to minimize your energy use. Just the same, you shouldn't just shut it down for the entire time you're out of the house.
In general, it’s ideal to leave your HVAC system on and just raise or lower depending on the time of year. That way you can reduce 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 Don't Leave Your Thermostat Alone
While you may be tempted to turn your HVAC system off before a trip, this could end up stirring up annoying problems by the time you return. This is notably true if the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re gone.
For example, turning the HVAC system down in the summer could cause very high humidity. Not only will your home feel like a swamp when you return, but it could have also encouraged mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And in the winter, not using the furnace will sometimes lead to pipes icing over or even bursting. It’s exhausting to get home from a nice trip only to discover extensive water damage nearby a broken pipe.
Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can optimize the temperature even when you're just going to work. Considering you’re not home for 8 hours or more, it doesn’t help your monthly energy bill 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. Meaning 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’re willing to further adjust the temperature. As reported by the Department of Energy, you may save about 10% on your HVAC spending by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.
Best Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Summer
If you're on a longer trip in the hottest part of summer, you can make more significant adjustments. This ensures you don’t waste energy while still protecting your home from the problems that come with leaving it un-air conditioned. About 5 degrees is appropriate for short trips while closer to 10 degrees is best 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 can offer the best results.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Winter
To figure out the ideal thermostat setting for a winter trip, consider lowering the temperature by the same amount you would increase it in summer. 68 is a popular winter thermostat setting, so lowering it to 63-58 will keep your plumbing safe while restricting how frequently your furnace operates.
Smart Thermostats Are Even Better: Benefits of Smart Thermostat Installation
One of the best ways to manage your home’s HVAC system while away from home is with a smart thermostat. This advanced type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to monitor your usual comfort habits. It gradually understands these preferences and makes automatic adjustments to the schedule for maximum energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi compatibility, you can remotely access your heating and cooling from a smart device like a phone or tablet.
Smart thermostats are packed with features to help you save even more. For instance, some models can track electricity prices to bolster heating or cooling when prices are lower. They can also work with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to optimize how long your HVAC system has to run. It’s the ideal tool to simplify how you use your comfort system. If you’re thinking about investing in a smart thermostat, there are different ways you can reduce 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 away.