Spring weather is lovely, but it’s a sign that the heat and humidity of summer aren’t far behind. This means that spring is the right time to transition from heating to cooling your home. Here’s some helpful advice on how to prepare your home and thermostat for the approaching change in weather and temperature:
Upgrade a New Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat makes maintaining a comfortable home much more convenient. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) also advises homeowners that using a programmable model can reduce their annual energy bills by up to 10 percent. When you upgrade, choose a thermostat that matches your type of HVAC equipment, and best suits your family’s usual weekly schedule.
Optimize Your Home and Thermostat for Savings
For the greatest energy savings, the DOE recommends programming your thermostat with different temperature setbacks for specific periods: when you’re home and active, and when the house isn’t occupied or everyone is sleeping. The savings this generates can add up quickly, because a one-degree temperature increase for eight hours a day equates to a one-percent drop in annual energy usage. Here’s how to maximize your savings without losing out on comfort:
- Use 78°F as the temperature setting when you’re at home and active.
- Raise the setting to 85°F during periods when you’re normally sleeping or not at home.
- Experiment to see if you can comfortably raise these guideline temperature settings to save more energy. Only do it in one- or two-degree increments, so you don’t overwork your cooling system.
- Don’t use your thermostat’s override function to cool the house down quickly by making a big temperature reduction. This won’t make the cooling process any faster, but it can lower the temperature too much and waste energy.
- Use the ceiling fans in occupied rooms and you can raise the thermostat’s temperature setting by up to four degrees. Just make sure the blades are turning counter-clockwise, so they create downward air movement that boosts comfort by cooling the skin.
For expert help preparing your Indianapolis home for the coming cooling season, contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg and Indianapolis, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
