Whether it’s a tropical vacation or an extended trip for work, traveling means making preparations for your home comfort system. You can't use it while you’re not home, so you can make adjustments as needed to limit your energy use. Simultaneously, you don’t want to just shut it down for the entire time you're gone.
Instead, it’s best to leave your HVAC system running and just make adjustments depending on whether it's winter or summer. That way you can reduce energy costs without having to worry about returning to an uncomfortable home. We’ll explain why you should avoid turning your HVAC system off as well as the ideal thermostat settings for various times of year.
This Is Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Thermostat Alone
While you may be wanting to leave your HVAC system off before a trip, this could end up leading to annoying problems by the time you return. This is notably true when the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re out of town.
For example, turning the HVAC system off in the summer could cause very high humidity. Not only will your home feel muggy and uncomfortable when you have returned, but it might have also invited mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And during the winter, letting your house get cold can lead to pipes freezing or even bursting. It’s exhausting to come home from a long trip only to come across extensive water damage near a broken pipe.
Best Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can adjust the temperature even when you're just going to work. Since you’re not home for 8 hours or more, it doesn’t help your monthly energy bill to keep an empty home the same temperature as when you're home. In general, it’s recommended to turn up the thermostat by 5 degrees or more. That means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, try increasing it to 76-77 while you’re at work.
But you can save even more if you're open to further adjusting the temperature. As stated by the Department of Energy, you may save about 10% on your HVAC costs by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.
Best Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Summer
If you’re leaving for an extended trip in the heart of summer, you can make more significant adjustments. This helps you avoid using too much energy while still protecting your home from the issues that come with leaving it uncooled. Around 5 degrees is recommended for shorter trips while around 10 degrees is worthwhile 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.
Recommended Thermostat Settings While On a Trip in Winter
To determine the most energy-efficient thermostat setting for a winter trip, just lower the temperature by the same amount you would increase it in summer. 68 is a frequent winter thermostat setting, so lowering it to 63-58 will keep your plumbing safe 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 by investing in a smart thermostat. This advanced type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to track your usual comfort habits. It learns these preferences and makes automatic adjustments to the schedule for higher energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can remotely access your heating and cooling with a mobile device or tablet.
Smart thermostats are stuffed with features to help you save even more. For example, certain models can observe electricity prices to increase heating or cooling when prices are lower. They are compatible with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to optimize how long your HVAC system has to run. It’s the perfect tool to streamline how you control your comfort system. If you’re considering investing in a smart thermostat, there are a variety of ways you can bring down your costs, essentially 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 cause any trouble while you’re gone.
