With fall in full swing, it’s time to get your programmable thermostat ready for shorter days and cooler temperatures. No matter how many adjustments you make to a manual thermostat every day, you simply can’t beat the efficiency and performance of a programmable model. Proper use of these units that automate temperature changes has been proven to reduce energy costs significantly and free homeowners from making constant adjustments to keep the house comfortable.
During winter, you can save on heating costs by setting the indoor temperature below 68 degrees. Most programmable thermostats allow up to six individual temperature adjustments during each 24-hour period, so you’ve got lots of opportunities to customize indoor comfort to fit your household’s particular needs at any given time. Here are a few suggestions for a daily temperature schedule:
- Make 68 degrees the baseline temperature for the hours during which the house is occupied and people are awake. Program the unit to bring the temperature to 68 about an hour before people generally wake up in the morning.
- As occupants begin leaving the home for work or school, set the temperature back at least 10 degrees for the long daytime span in which no one is home. Return the indoor temperature to 68 degrees one hour before people start coming home in the evening.
- Overnight, when occupants are usually in bed under blankets, push temperatures further down. For most households, a 15-degree drop to around 53 degrees keeps the home acceptably comfortable while taking advantage of the extended overnight time period to maximize energy savings.
- Remember to make full use of your programmable thermostat’s options, like the “vacation” mode that maintains a single, efficient temperature while you’re away from home. You can use the “override” function to depart from programmed temperatures and temporarily bump the temperature up or down. The thermostat automatically reverts to the schedule at the next programmed change.
Ask the pros at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company for more information about using your programmable thermostat to keep your home comfortable and this winter.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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