Programmable thermostats are definitely a boon that has made life easy. But close on its feet is also the fact that many people are not aware of the ideal temperature settings that would get the maximum savings. As such, even with a thermostat that is guaranteed for optimum performance, one is unable to make the most of it. The problem is not being able to program it correctly; rather, it is more about using incorrect temperature settings. Below is a guide that will help you figure out the best temperature setting that you should be using on the thermostat.
Ideal Temperature Setting During Summers
During summers, the human body is most comfortable when the indoor temperatures hover near 78 degrees Fahrenheit or 26 degrees Centigrade. This setting is the best only when you are inside the house during waking hours. It will help you stay cool and also avoid unusually high power bills. If you still feel uncomfortable, it is probably due to humidity. So what you need in that case is a good dehumidifier.
When you are sleeping, you can program the thermostat a few degrees higher as it is a good practice to save energy. Following this practice for intervals of 8 hours will drastically scale back the cost of cooling your home. The key is to remember that you don’t go overboard on fixing high temperatures, as that will make your AC work harder when the interval ends.
Ideal Temperature Setting During Winters
During winters, one wants to stay nice, warm, and cozy without piling on layer after layer of clothing. When awake, the furnace or the heat pump will give you maximum comfort inside the house at around 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Lowering the temperature a couple of degrees at night, while you sleep, will help bring down the electricity bills. Following this practice for 8-hour intervals will maximize your savings. In case you live in an area where the winters are mild and not severe, you can also get away without using your heating equipment at all. All you need then is just an additional layer of clothing.
Ideal Temperature Setting When You Are Away
If you are planning to go out for an extended period of time, like a weekend or a long holiday, you need to adjust your thermostat. It is important to do so, so that, it does not continue to heat or cool the home as if everyone was inside. That would be sheer wastage of electricity. Programmable thermostats have a hold or vacation mode, which allows the homeowners to fix a constant temperature. Usually, in summers, this temperature would be several degrees higher than what you would normally keep. In winters, the situation would reverse, and it would be several degrees lower than expected.
Why Use The Vacation Or Hold Mode When Away From Home?
Shutting down your heating and cooling system completely when away from home for a couple of days or more is not advisable. It is primarily because turning off the system can result in high humidity and consequently, mold growth. It happens because the air is unable to circulate when you shut down your unit. If you don’t want to come back to a home that not only smells bad but whose indoor air quality has also gone for a toss, remember to use the vacation mode on the thermostat.
Yet another reason for not shutting down your heating and cooling system is that even when you are away, it will make the home look lived in. Consequently, it will act as a deterrent to miscreants planning some illegal activity.
Always Keep An Eye On Humidity
Most of us don’t take into account the effects of humidity on the temperature. How comfortable we feel inside the home does not solely depend on the temperature. Humidity plays an equally big part in seeing to it. In summers, The humidity is naturally high. What you need at this time is to maintain the humidity at around 30% to 50% through dehumidification. Even EPA recommends the same. It will not make you feel clammy, hot, and bothered when indoors.
Similarly, in winters, the humidity is naturally low, so much so that the air feels naturally dry. The need of the hour is maintaining humidity levels around 30% to 40% through humidification of the home.
Maintaining the appropriate humidity level inside the home will go a long way in contributing to the comfort of your family. Failing to pay due attention to it will make the hot summer months extremely clammy and the cold winter months shockingly dry. Thankfully the modern-day heating and cooling systems take care of this aspect. However, some homes may require an additional humidifier and dehumidifier to bring thigs up to notch. Your local HVAC technician can help you gauge the situation and give correct advice.
Programmable Thermostat A Must Have
Using a programmable thermostat is always the best option. Once you program it as per your need, you don’t have to worry about readjusting it frequently. It adjusts the home temperature along with humidity as per the program that you have set. On the other hand, a manual thermostat will require constant intervention to maintain the appropriate temperature. If you forget to make changes to the manual thermostat, it will continue to run as before irrespective of what is really needed at that time.
Needless, to say programmable thermostats make your work easy. As long as you set the temperature sensibly for the different times of the day, you have nothing to worry about. Your thermostat will take care of the rest.
Closing Thoughts
If your home feels uncomfortable even with a perfectly working heating and cooling system, it is most probably because of incorrect temperature setting on the thermostat. Once you correct the settings as advised above, you will not only feel a drastic change in the comfort level of your home, but there will also be a sharp decline in your power bills.
If you have any questions or concerns in anything related to your HVAC system, contact Aztil AC at +1-888-729-8452.
