When you go away in the winter, there isn’t any need to keep your place as warm as it usually is. If you turn down the thermostat before you go away, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by cutting down on your energy usage. Many people in the industry recommend that you keep your heat on when you’re on vacation rather than turn it off completely; it’s often recommended that you set your thermostat between 50 and 60 degrees.
Why the Heat Should Stay On
There are few reasons why it can be a smarter idea to leave the heat on rather than turn it off. If you turn your heat completely off, there’s a chance that your pipes may freeze. In our area of California, it doesn’t typically get that cold, but there is a chance that a cold spell will affect the region. If it does when your heat isn’t on, your pipes could freeze. This could lead to broken faucets, burst pipes, and leaky plumbing.
Without heat, your home can get very cold. The temperatures can drop significantly at night, and during a winter day, the sun doesn’t shine as long as it would in the summer. This can make it more difficult for your home’s temperature to rise on its own. When you get back from your vacation, you’ll likely come back to a frigid environment. It could take many hours for your home to get to a comfortable temperature, and your heater will have to work very hard to raise the temperature.
Furthermore, animals and plants generally have temperatures in which they remain comfortable and thrive, and if the temperature in your house gets too low, they may be negatively affected.
An Ideal Range
To avoid the problems that were just mentioned, you should keep your home cool, but not too cool. Setting your thermostat between 50 and 60 degrees can be a wise move. This can help you save some money and be more energy-efficient by cutting down on your energy consumption.
At 50 degrees, your home might be cold, but there would be very little risk of freezing pipes. There would be enough heat in your home to combat extreme temperatures at night. To make this scenario even less likely, you can open any cupboards that house plumbing. This allows the heat in your home to more easily reach your pipes.
In addition, setting your thermostat in this recommended range ensures that the home won’t be too cold when you get back. It could still take some time to get your home to your preferred temperature, but at least you’ll be somewhat comfortable as you wait for things to heat up. It’s much more reasonable to have your heater heat things up by ten or 15 degrees instead of 20 degrees or more.
Consider Smart Technology
There is a way to warm things up at your home a few hours before you return. If you have a smart thermostat installed, you can use a mobile device to connect by wi-fi and program your heater to turn on at a certain time. In general, smart thermostats can be very convenient. They make it easy to make adjustments whenever you’d like, even if you’re away from home. They also allow you to input your preferred temperatures for different periods of the day. For instance, you might want your home to be warm when you wake up and come home in the evening; in contrast, you can keep it a bit cooler when you’re gone during the day and when you’re sleeping.
Ready to Help
If you have any questions regarding your thermostat or would like to schedule a tune-up at your place in Northridge, just let us know at Kahn Air Conditioning. We enjoy being a resource for our community, and our services include the installation, repair, and replacement of heating and cooling units, air purifiers, and generators. In addition to traditional HVAC systems, we also sell and install ductless heat pumps, which can provide heating and cooling in one compact unit. We’re proud to have been in the business for almost 60 years. Call Kahn Air Conditioning anytime for more information.
