Did you know that setting your thermostat correctly can help to optimize energy efficiency while also keeping your home and family comfortable? It’s true, and we are highlighting some of our best tips for optimizing your thermostat settings.
If you ever suspect that something is wrong with your air conditioner, give our team a call for air conditioning repair in Buford. Sometimes air conditioner problems are actually thermostat problems, and we can check out both your AC and accompanying thermostat. In the meantime, you can keep reading to learn more about how to set your thermostat in each season as well as other tips for saving money on energy costs.
Summer Settings
In the summer, you should set your air conditioner to 78° at the lowest for cooling. We know that many homeowners prefer to have their homes a little cooler. However, each degree lower that you set the thermostat is more money you are spending on energy costs.
78° is an ideal setting for keeping your home comfortable while also conserving energy and reducing strain on your air conditioning unit. It is also important to understand that your air conditioner can only realistically cool your house about 20° lower than what the outdoor air temperature is.
If the outdoor temperature is 98°, then 78° really is the lowest that you should set your thermostat. Otherwise, your air conditioner is working and against unrealistic expectations that it is simply cannot meet.
Winter Settings
In the winter, the highest that you want to set your thermostat is 68° for heating. Again, we know that many of you may want to set your thermostat a little higher so that you stay warmer. However, 68° strikes a balance between keeping your home warm and conserving energy so that your heater doesn’t have to work as hard.
You can employ other ways to stay warm and elevate your comfort. Layer your clothes, put on hats and socks, and use blankets to be more comfortable. If you’re not used to having the thermostat set this low, you can also adjust it by a degree at a time over a period of several weeks so that the change doesn’t happen all at once.
Additional Recommendations
Aside from these general settings, we also recommend that you adjust your thermostat according to whether or not you are at home. In the summer you can set your thermostat even higher while you are away from home. This can save you money since you won’t be cooling an empty house.
In the winter, you can set your thermostat a little lower when you are away from home so that you are not heating an empty house. However, in the wintertime, you never want to turn your heater completely off because it does help to prevent frozen pipes. We recommend that you never set your thermostat lower than about 54° in the wintertime when you plan to be away from home.
You can also set your thermostat slightly higher or lower when you are asleep at night. This can help you save a little bit on your energy costs while also staying reasonably comfortable. If you don’t already have a smart thermostat, investing in one is a great way to automate all of these settings. You can pre-select when you want the temperatures to go up and down based on when you will be awake and asleep or away from home and actually at home.
Your Comfort Is OUR Business. Contact the team at Snellville Heating today to schedule an appointment for the highest quality HVAC services.
