In our last column, we discussed how warm a home can get during the summer months and the proper way to set your thermostat to combat that. In this part, we will talk about our best tips for your home comfort and why we might recommend a programmable thermostat.
Dialing in Comfort
Let’s say that you are comfortable at 74 degrees during the summer. When it’s warmer than that, you start getting uncomfortable and reach your limit at around 78 degrees. A good approach might be to raise the temperature setting on your thermostat to 78 or so when you expect to be gone for more than a couple of hours, then reset it to your preferred temperature on your return.
It’s worth pointing out that setting your thermostat to a temperature lower than the temperature you want won’t speed up the cooling process. If you are trying to cool your home to 74 degrees, the proper setting on your thermostat is 74.
Use a Programmable Thermostat
Programmable or smart thermostats allow you to set a heating and cooling schedule. Let’s take the same scenario: you like 74 degrees and are pretty uncomfortable at 78 degrees. If you have a consistent schedule, your programmable thermostat can switch to an “away” mode at a given time, switch back to “home” mode at another time, and switch to “asleep” mode at a third time. Some thermostats can provide up to six “switches” per day.
Say you leave for work at 7:45 AM and return home at about 5:15 PM. Your thermostat can switch to away mode at 7:45 AM (or maybe even 7:30 or 7:15 since you probably won’t notice the difference immediately). Then, it can switch to “home” mode at 4:30 or 4:45 PM to provide a comfort “head start” before you return. Finally, it can switch to “asleep” mode at 9:30 or 10:00 PM or a time appropriate for your schedule. Each mode has the temperature setting that you choose.
Many smart thermostats also have a Wi-Fi connection that will allow you to modify the temperature setting using your phone, tablet, or computer from anywhere you have an internet connection. Got off work early? No problem. Grab your phone and change the temperature setting ahead of schedule.
Keeping your home close to your comfort zone is a great way to stay comfortable during temperature extremes. The good news is that taking this approach may even save energy. Contact your trusted HVAC professional to see what is right for your home.
