Many people take the thermostat in their home or business for granted, and simply set it to their desired temperature and leave it alone. Of course, conflicts can arise, such as when one person thinks it is too hot and the other person finds the environment too cold and you are constantly battling back and forth.
Consumers need to pay attention to how efficiently their air conditioning and heating systems perform to save money. As much as 42 percent of our home energy costs are attributed to heating and cooling according to the Energy Information Administration. Prudent homeowners and business owners will want to make sure they are doing what they can to reduce energy usage to save money.
You may be wondering if it is more efficient to set your thermostat to a constant temperature or if you should perhaps turn off your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system while you are away.
Set it and Forget it
Rather than periodically turning on for a few minutes at a time to keep the home at 72 degrees all day, your HVAC system will work more efficiently when it cools your home down from 78 to 72 when you return, for example.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) estimates that your HVAC will use from 3 to 5 percent less energy for every degree you increase the thermostat, and recommends people to set their thermostats to at least 78 degrees when going out when it's hot. During the winter, it's a good idea to set your thermostat to 68 degrees.
Benefits of a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat gives you exquisite control over your cooling and heating. This means, for example, that you can set it to a lower temperature during the weekends or three-day holidays when the family will be home, while running slightly higher when everyone is off at school and work during the week.
Remember to ask your HVAC professional to make sure that your programmable thermostat will work equally well with both heating and air conditioning. Some programmable thermostats don't work as well with heat pumps, and this can cause you problems during the winter.
Of course, thermostats and temperature settings are only part of the picture when it comes to efficiently heating and cooling your building.
At David Gray Heating & Air, we carry a variety of Programmable Thermostats to assist you with making your HVAC system run more efficiently. We carry such notable thermostat brands as Amana, Carrier, Honeywell and Trane, and can help you determine the best one for your home or business. If you have any questions or concerns about using a programmable thermostat or would like one of our professionally trained technicians to come by and install one for you, please call us today for an appointment.