If you’re聽getting ready聽to聽go on聽vacation, your聽mind聽might聽lean toward聽packing your suitcase and聽ensuring聽any聽travel arrangements are聽in place. But聽you'll also want聽to prepare the house for聽your time away聽as well.

One聽typical聽question people聽share聽is this: What ]聽adjust聽my thermostat to while聽I'm on vacation? Your聽goal聽might聽be to聽conserve energy, but聽try and avoid completely turning聽off your HVAC system. The furnace or聽AC unit聽should still聽run a little to聽prevent聽excessive聽heat or cold, depending on the season. Here’s what you聽need to聽know聽about setting your thermostat when you聽leave on聽vacation.

Adjusting聽the Thermostat for a Summer Vacation

If you’re聽taking a trip聽at the聽height聽of summer, you聽can generally聽expect the temperature inside your house to聽go up聽as it gets聽warmer聽outside each day.聽Without air conditioning, the temperature聽can聽quickly聽exceed聽90 degrees inside—not聽exciting聽news if you’re聽worried聽about聽fragile聽items.

A good聽guideline聽is to聽increase聽the thermostat 5 to 10 degrees聽warmer聽than you聽typically聽do聽over the course of聽the day without聽reaching above聽85 degrees. This is聽the perfect聽compromise between聽saving聽energy and protecting聽everything inside your home.

If you聽own聽a聽programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat,聽keep in mind聽that a “temporary” hold聽is supposed to聽continue聽your聽typical聽schedule at the next programmed time. So you聽should聽try聽the “permanent” or “vacation” hold setting when聽going on vacation聽to聽make sure聽your聽preferred聽temperature sticks.

Adjusting聽the Thermostat for a Winter Vacation

To聽figure out聽the聽best聽thermostat setting when聽traveling聽in the winter,聽implement聽the same聽method聽recommended聽above, but聽in the opposite direction—that is,聽set聽the temperature 5 to 10 degrees聽colder聽than you聽usually聽do聽over the course of聽the day without聽falling聽under聽60 degrees.

The聽biggest聽reason to聽heat your home聽while you’re聽away聽is to聽minimize the risk of聽frozen pipes.聽Any聽plumbing that runs聽alongside聽exterior walls and聽inside聽unfinished聽spaces is聽at risk.聽Holding聽the temperature at 60 degrees or聽higher聽limits聽this risk. Another聽smart聽idea is to聽have聽the cupboard doors open to help warm air聽move聽around the pipes聽beneath聽your聽kitchen and bathroom sinks. You聽will聽also want to聽shut聽off the water at the聽main聽shut-off valve to聽avoid聽a plumbing聽emergency聽while you’re聽away.

Adjusting聽a Smart Thermostat Before聽Taking a聽Vacation

If you don’t already聽have聽a Wi-Fi or “smart” thermostat, this聽can聽be聽an ideal聽time to upgrade. The latest聽advancements聽in thermostat聽technology聽offer聽outstanding聽benefits, both while you’re at home and聽away.

For example, you can聽follow up聽on the temperature remotely聽with聽your tablet or smartphone.聽Find out聽how聽often聽the AC or furnace has been聽running聽in your absence as it聽holds聽the temperature you聽set聽before you left. If you’re聽unsatisfied聽with what you聽discover, you can聽control聽the thermostat from聽anywhere聽with聽your internet-enabled device. You can even set a comfortable temperature聽to聽resume when you’re聽close to聽an hour away from home.

For even聽greater聽peace of mind, Wi-Fi thermostats聽alert聽you of聽unexpected聽environmental聽changes,聽like聽a higher-than-expected temperature or聽increased聽moisture while you’re聽out of the house.

Other聽Vacation Recommendations

Keep these聽components聽in mind to聽make sure聽your home is good to go before聽leaving聽on your trip:

Consider聽any delicate paintings, electronics or houseplants that聽are聽sensitive聽to聽extreme聽temperatures.
If you’re leaving pets at home or have聽arranged聽to have a house sitter聽visit, you聽may聽want to leave the temperature聽closer to聽normal—such as 80 degrees in the summer and 65 degrees in the winter—so the聽conditions are聽comfortable enough for them.
Shut聽your blinds and drapes聽to help keep the hot sun or cold winter air聽out of聽your home. This聽is also a good idea if you want privacy because it聽stops聽prying eyes from聽peering聽inside while you’re聽away from home.
schedule聽HVAC maintenance聽before you聽leave聽to聽make sure聽your system聽works聽efficiently聽and is unlikely to聽encounter聽any聽problems聽while you’re聽away.

Contact聽天美传媒

Whether you聽want to ask聽thermostat-related questions or are聽hoping聽to聽schedule聽HVAC maintenance before your聽upcoming聽vacation, the HVAC聽professionals聽at 天美传媒 are here to聽help. We can聽suggest聽a new thermostat for your needs and even install it and聽teach you聽how聽to make the most of its features. Our services聽encompass聽all your HVAC聽needs, from maintenance and repair to installation and replacement.聽颁辞苍迟补肠迟听耻蝉聽today to聽share聽questions or聽schedule聽a visit from one of our聽certified聽heating and cooling technicians.