Why Are Thermostat Settings So Tough?
You’ve heard it time and time again. Dads guard thermostats with their lives and never budge. Now, it’s your turn and you’re asking: “what temperature should I set my thermostat to for the winter?”
Homeowners everywhere tinker with it every year, only to cause controversy in their own home; however, as your trusted HVAC company, Hammock’s AC is here with the final answer to the best seasonal thermostat settings to suit your HVAC system. Are you ready for the best seasonal thermostat settings? The answer could be surprising!
General Recommendations
WINTER
Daylight hours if someone is home: 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit
Daylight if no one is home or you’re sleeping at night: 62-66 degrees Fahrenheit
SUMMER
Daylight hours if someone is home: 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit
Daylight hours if no one is home or if you’re sleeping: 76-82 degrees Fahrenheit
Hammock’s AC would like to emphasize these are simply only the recommended “best” seasonal thermostat settings to keep your home running at its best capacity possible. As expected, edit your settings to best fit your home and family.
Smart Thermostat Settings
First, let’s dissect the reasoning behind the winter’s recommended settings and how to properly acclimate your family. Every family member has a preferred temperature. When each family member tries to set it to their favorite temperature, you’re only increasing your power bill for the month. A few steps to start saving money this winter can be broken down into four small changes. First, set your thermostats to the highest temperature everyone wants. Then, once adjusted, lower the temperature in your home by one degree until the optimum power-saving temperature is reached. According to this article from the U.S. Department of Energy, decreasing a home’s temperature only by one degree can reduce a home’s energy bill by 1%. While this may seem like a low number, the savings over an extended period of time can reach possibly up to 10% if you leave your home colder or hotter (depending on the season).
Next, let’s breakdown the summer temperatures. If nobody is home, your air conditioning will cool off very little. It will work hard and long while the summer melts everything in its path. In Acworth, our temperatures can reach scorching numbers by June or July and send your power bill through the roof. You want to relieve yourself of some of the financial pain, but you also don’t want to sweat where you’re supposed to be the most comfortable. As mentioned before, acclimating your family up a degree each week can yield great results if done correctly.
Upgrade Your Equipment
Manually setting your thermostat can become a tiresome task. You can forget to reset it to a higher temperature before you leave for work, keep it stuck on one setting constantly, or walk into a boiling home if you turn your AC off during the day. For the winter, it could be too cold and force you into extra layers. However, that’s when a smart or digital thermostat can save the day. These thermostats can learn your schedule, be controlled from your mobile phone, and sometimes send you statistics about energy consumption.
On top of this change, upgrading your furnace and air conditioning to a set that is more energy-efficient. The largest improvement comes from a matching set (i.e. the same make and model) that will work at a better rate throughout your home. This particular change can be a pricey upfront cost, but will eventually pay for itself in savings after a few years. Luckily, some financing offers are available.
Any More Questions?
If you have any questions involving how to best cool or heat your home, call Hammock’s AC and speak with one of our seasoned technicians. We can inform, inspect, or repair any cooling system in most cases quickly. Remember, we’re not comfortable until you are!
