Whether it’s a much-needed vacation or an extended trip for work, traveling means making preparations for your HVAC system. You won’t be using it as long as you’re away, so you can adjust it as appropriate to minimize your energy use. Just the same, you shouldn't just leave it off for the entire duration of your trip.
Instead, it’s better to leave your HVAC system running and just make adjustments depending on the season. That way you can minimize energy costs without worrying 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 ideal thermostat settings for summer and winter.
This Is Why You Avoid Leaving Your Thermostat on Hold
While you may be tempted to turn your HVAC system off before a trip, this could end up leading to big problems by the time you come back. This is especially true in case the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re out of town.
For instance, shutting the HVAC system off during the summer will sometimes cause very high humidity. Not only will your home feel gross when you return, but it could have also invited mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And over the winter, not using the furnace could lead to pipes icing over or even bursting. It’s an awful feeling to come home from a long trip only to find extensive water damage close to a broken pipe.
Best Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can optimize the temperature even when you're just going to work. Because 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. In general, it’s suggested to raise the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. Meaning that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, try raising 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 reported by the Department of Energy, you might save around 10% on your HVAC expenses by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.
Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While on a Trip in Summer
If you’re leaving for an extended trip in the heart of summer, you can make bigger adjustments. This prevents wasting energy while still defending your home from the problems that come with leaving it un-air conditioned. About 5 degrees is suitable for brief trips while a larger adjustment of 10 degrees is best if you’ll be out of town for 2 weeks or longer. If you enjoy keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 should offer the best results.
Best Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Winter
To try and find the most energy-efficient thermostat setting for a winter vacation, simply lower it by the same amount you would raise it in summer. 68 is a common winter thermostat setting, so lowering it to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while restricting how often your furnace runs.
Smart Thermostats Are Even Better: Perks of a Smart Thermostat
A great way to optimize your home’s HVAC system while out of the house is using a smart thermostat. This advanced type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to understand your typical comfort habits. It applies these preferences and makes automatic adjustments to the schedule for higher energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can remotely adjust your HVAC system using a smart device like a phone or tablet.
Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save even more. For example, certain 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 simplify how you use your comfort system. If you’re thinking about investing in a smart thermostat, there are multiple ways you can bring down 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 away from home.