What should I set my temperature on my thermostat when I'm away?

Question

Say I'm on vacation or something, what should I set it to to save energy?

Answer 1

We always set ours to 78F in summer and 65F in the winter.

Answer 2

Josh, it's no wonder we have an energy crisis, judging from some of the ridiculous answers you'e received. Pay no attention to them, and listen to me.

First of all, the idea that the only way to save energy is to leave the thermostat where it is set, is patently absurd. This would be like saying the only way to save gas is to keep your engine going at a constant 2,500 RPM -even if you're not using the car!

Which leads us to the point that saving energy, like most everything else, is a relative kind of thing. Let's start with your vacation: how long will you be gone? The weekend? 2 weeks? A month? If just a day or so, you may not want to move the thermostat much at all if the difference between onside and outside temperature isn't very great. The reason for this is that whatever change you make will need to be reversed when you get back, and the energy used to do so may be about the same as what you saved. On the other hand, if you're outta there for a week or longer, then lowering (heat) or raising (A/C) the thermostat begins to make some sense.

You need to keep in mind that both heat and a/c put out the same heated or cooled air no matter what the thermostat is set for. That is, if it is very cold outside, setting the thermostat for 90 degrees will not make the house get warmer any faster than setting it for 75. The furnace or heat pump puts out 100 degree (or whatever) air either way.

Likewise, if its 100 out there, turning the a/c to 65 will not result in chilling the place faster than setting it for 90; the a/c will put out 60 degree (or whatever) air either way.

People actually believe, bless their pea-pickin' little hearts, that their furnaces and a/c's somehow send hotter or colder air depending on where the thermostat is set, but it is not like the burners on your stove with a numbered range of heat settings. With certain exceptions (see note below) your heat and a/c are "one trick ponies," all or nothing devices.

So what REALLY happens? TIME passes, that's what happens. If you have a 60 degree house, and flood it with 100 degree air, it will obviously take longer to heat it to 90 then to 70, right? Right. So, in other words, your heat and a/c consume the SAME amount of power whether you want to raise or lower the temperature 1 degree or 20. It uses more energy to make a change of 20 degrees rather than 1 degree simply because the systems are running longer to do it.

This is just like driving a rental truck with a top speed set at 55 mph. You'll use less gas on a 50 mile trip than you use on a 100 mile trip.

That's why the length of your vacation matters: If you're away from just a day or 2, the inside temperature change with the system turned down may not be very much. If your system doesn't run often to maintain that temperature when you're THERE, then no reason to change anything. On the other hand, if your system can barely keep up (running most of the time) while you're home, it makes sense to change the setting if you are going to be away for an extended period of time.

There are other factors here, of course. At this time of year where I live, the outdoor temperature tends to range between 50 at night and 85 in the day, and the house (doors and windows open) therefore ranges between 65 and 80, so I run nothing at all whether I'm home or away. But what's it like where YOU live? If its hotter'n blazes and you have very little insulation, your a/c is probably running most of the time anyway. So, OK, turn that puppy OFF while you're away and give it a vacation, too.

To boil it all down and simplify everything, ask yourself how long your heat or a/c runs (or cycles on and off) to maintain the inside temperature you like. If the answer is "not much" than -unless there's a very serious change in outdoor temps- there's less to be saved by changing anything. But if the answer is, "a lot," then yes, you can get a savings.

(Note: some contractor or HVAC specialist is going to read what I said and challenge the business about heat or a/c always supplying the same temperature air not matter how you set the thermostat. As a matter of fact, some heating systems use heating elements (like the hot wires in a toaster) to boost air temp and supplement the main heat source or shorten the rise time. And some specialized A/C systems have a similar capability, as well as window type units with "high" and "low" settings. I'm talking about normal, central, domestic heating and cooling dynamics here, OK?)

Answer 3

If I an gone for 3 days or more
I live in Rochester NY cold winters , nice summers 85 tops
Winter 55 degrees ( open under sink doors in bathrooms and kitchen)
Summer 80 degrees
Water heater on low

Answer 4

75 degrees. This will help to save money by not sucking to much energy and will keep your house fresh at a normal temperature also if you have pets in the house 75 will be nice for them.

Answer 5

Depending on where you live. I live in FL and I set mine to 80 to go on vacation. Figure out at what temp it doesn't come on very often. Often this temp won't be a nice one to live in but is ok for plants. Ya know, probably 5 or 10 above what you normally set it to.

Answer 6

I turn my air off if I going to be gone more than a couple of days is warm weather. I turn my heater to 45 degrees if I am going to be gone more than a couple of days. You need to know where your pipes are to turn the heater that low. If you have plumbing in outside wall or in the attic and it gets very cold the 45 degree house might not keep them from freezing.

Answer 7

the only way to save energy is to leave it at the same setting all the time. good luck and best wishes.

Answer 8

house or apartment? do you have to worry about pipes freezing? If not what do you have to keep warm? And where do you live and how long will you be gone. We live in minn. and it gets very cold here and must keep pipes warm so we dont set it lower than 50 or so.

Answer 9

why not turn it down as far as it will go? What are you heating or cooling off?

When you get home you can adjust the temperature and within a few minutes it will be a the desired temp.

Save your money!

Answer 10

sixty 5-sixty six stages F. (this is 18.3 to 18.8 stages C) sixty seven-sixty 8 is notably darn comfortable, yet i'm able to certainly guard sixty 5-sixty six with a sweater on. I turn it right down to sixty two-sixty 3 whilst i'm long previous for paintings.

Answer 11

68 Degree's.Thats what most Furnace/Heating/Cooling industry manufacturers recommend. Not too hot but will protect your plumbing from freezing or wasting energy and fuel costs either winter or summer.............