Whether it’s a much-needed vacation or an extended trip for work, leaving home means making plans for your home comfort system. You don't need it while you’re on a trip, so you can adjust it as necessary to limit your energy use. At the same time, you shouldn't just shut it down for the entire duration of your trip.
For the most part, it’s better to leave your HVAC system on and adjust the temperature depending on the time of year. That way you can reduce energy costs without worrying about returning to an uncomfortable home. We’ll explain why you shouldn’t turn your HVAC system off as well as the best thermostat settings for different times of year.
Here’s Why You Avoid Leaving Your Thermostat on Hold
While you might be wanting to shut your HVAC system down before a trip, this can end up stirring up annoying problems by the time you return. This is notably true when the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re away from home.
For example, switching the HVAC system down in the summer could 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 in the winter, not using the furnace might lead to pipes freezing or even bursting. It’s an awful feeling to come home from a long trip only to come across substantial water damage close to a broken pipe.
Best Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can make temperature adjustments even as you come and go to work. Since you’re not home for 8 hours or more, 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 more. This means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, think about raising it to 76-77 while you’re gone.
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 costs by making an adjustment of 7-10 degrees.
Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Summer
If you leave for a longer trip in the middle of summer, you can make more significant adjustments. This ensures you don’t waste energy while still safeguarding your home from the issues that come with leaving it without air conditioning. Something like 5 degrees is recommended for brief trips while around 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 will offer great results.
Best 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 frequent winter thermostat setting, so turning it down to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while restricting how long your furnace operates.
Smart Thermostats Are Even Better: Benefits of a Smart Thermostat
One of the best ways to optimize your home’s HVAC system while out of the house is using a smart thermostat. This innovative type of programmable thermostat utilizes intelligent software to understand your preferred comfort habits. It applies these preferences and makes automatic adjustments to the schedule for maximum energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi compatibility, you can remotely adjust your HVAC system from a smartphone or tablet.
Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save energy and lower costs. To provide an example, certain models can monitor electricity prices to bolster heating or cooling when prices are more affordable. They can also work with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to refine how long your HVAC system needs to run. It’s the ideal tool to streamline how you control your comfort system. If you’re thinking about investing in a smart thermostat, there are multiple ways you can bring down your costs, essentially getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you are away from home, you can receive true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t stir up any trouble while you’re gone.
