Summer thermostat settings
Summer has been a little reluctant to show itself this year. We think that may be because it’s especially monstrous this year. Be ready. Is now a good time to get your programmable thermostat all set with the ideal summer temperature schedule?
If you already have a programmable thermostat, you know what an asset it is for comfort and energy savings. There are many sleek, attractive, and smartphone compatible options available. The thermostats allow three basic types of scheduling: Every day same setting, five days of the same setting with another weekend setting, and five days of the same with different settings for Saturday and Sunday. Usually the thermostats allow for four different temperature settings each day.
Setting your programmable thermostat:
- The first temperature setting of the day will be for the morning as the family or business begins operation. Set that temp for 15-30 minutes before you need it to give the system time to make the adjustment.
- When the home is left unoccupied, set temperatures to rise 10-18 degrees. Each degree you set the thermostat back for the full 8 hours while you are gone can cut energy costs considerably.
- 15-30 minutes before you are headed home, set the thermostat to hit your ideal comfort temperature.
- Finally, set the temperature before bed to rise somewhat while you sleep as much as you are comfortable.
Avoid setting your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling, and therefore, unnecessary expense. A common misconception associated with thermostats is that an air conditioner works harder than normal to cool the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house rises above its normal temperature, it will gain heat from the surrounding environment more slowly. This requires less total cooling, saving you energy and money.