From a relaxing vacation or an extended trip for work, traveling means making preparations for your heating and cooling system. You don’t need it as long as you’re away, so you can adjust it as appropriate to minimize your energy use. At the same time, you don’t want to just turn it off for the entire duration of your trip.
For the most part, it’s best to leave your HVAC system running and adjust the temperature depending on the season. That way you can reduce 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 different times of year.
Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Thermostat on Hold
While you might be inclined to turn your HVAC system off before a trip, this could end up causing big problems by the time you come back. This is particularly true when the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re out of town.
For instance, shutting the HVAC system off in the summer will sometimes lead to very high humidity. Not only will your home feel muggy and uncomfortable when you come back, but it could have also invited mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And during the winter, leaving the furnace off might lead to pipes icing over or even bursting. It’s an awful feeling to come home from a long trip only to discover considerable water damage close to a broken pipe.
Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can optimize the temperature even as you come and go to work. Because you’re out of the house for about 8 hours or longer, it doesn’t seem sensible to keep an empty home the same temperature as when you’re home. As a general rule, it’s recommended to turn up the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. That means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, consider increasing it to 76-77 while you’re at work.
But you could save even more if you try further adjustments to the temperature. According to the
Department of Energy, you might save about 10% on your HVAC spending by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.
Best Thermostat Settings While on a Trip in Summer
If you leave for a lengthier trip in the middle of summer, you can make larger adjustments. This ensures you don’t waste energy while still safeguarding your home from the problems that come with leaving it without air conditioning. About 5 degrees is suitable for brief trips while closer to 10 degrees is worthwhile if you’ll be away from home for 2 weeks or longer. If you enjoy keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 can offer the best results.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Winter
To try and find the best thermostat setting for a winter trip, consider lowering the temperature by the same amount you would raise it in summer. 68 is a frequent winter thermostat setting, so turning it down to 63-58 will protect your plumbing while restricting how frequently your furnace operates.
A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Advantages of a Smart Thermostat
A great way to manage your home’s HVAC system while away from home is with a
smart thermostat. This innovative type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to understand your usual comfort habits. It learns these preferences and makes automatic adjustments to the schedule for better energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi compatibility, you can remotely control your HVAC system with a smartphone or tablet.
Smart thermostats are packed with features to help you save on your energy bill. For example, some models can observe electricity prices to increase heating or cooling when prices are more affordable. They are compatible with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to fine-tune how long your HVAC system should run. It’s the perfect tool to enhance how you use your comfort system. If you’re considering investing in a smart thermostat, there are a variety of ways you can lower your costs, in essence getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you leave for vacation, you can enjoy true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t stir up any trouble while you’re gone.
