With fall in full swing, now is a great time to maximize your HVAC system’s efficiency with renewed thermostat settings. Given the variety of temperatures that we experience here in Denver during the fall, figuring out how to properly set your thermostat can be quite a challenge.
If you’re able to master your thermostat during this season, though, you’ll likely be able to enjoy much lower utility bills given the open-window-worthy autumn weather that this region experiences. To help you utilize your thermostat to its fullest, here are some tips from Summit Heating & A/C for good thermostat management.
Aim For Cool Nights
For most people, a cool bedroom equals a good night of sleep. This is why individuals tend to run their air conditioner more at night than they do during the day. The good news is that fall brings with it chilly nights that make for perfect sleeping conditions.
Therefore, to help save energy, it makes sense to turn off your HVAC system entirely during fall nights and simply use blankets on your bed to achieve your desired sleeping temperature. This will result in several hours where your HVAC system doesn’t have to run at all, resulting in significant energy savings.
Although your home will likely be a little cool when you wake up, all you have to do is run the furnace for a little while to help reduce the chill.
Try to Avoid Major Temperature Swings
There’s no denying that the temperature can vary quite widely during the fall in Denver. As tempting as it may be to try to respond to these temperature swings with your HVAC system on an ongoing basis, we at Summit Heating & A/C recommend that you keep your temperature settings as consistent as possible.
If you try to adjust your thermostat every time there’s a variance in temperature, your HVAC system will have to work extra hard to keep up with your preferences. However, if you maintain consistency in your temperature settings, your HVAC system will be able to recover more effectively, ensuring that your home stays comfortable without using excess energy.
Find a Program That Works
Although programmable thermostats from Summit Heating & A/C are nice to have throughout the year, they are especially handy during the fall. With rapidly changing temperatures, it can be difficult to predict what the temperature will be when you’re on your way home from work. Although you can try to predict the correct temperature to keep your home comfortable, you could be wrong, leading to excess energy usage and an uncomfortable home.
If you have a programmable thermostat, though, you can easily account for varying temperatures by simply programming the times when you want your home to achieve certain temperatures. Then you can know, without a doubt, that your home will be at your ideal temperature when you come home, whether the temperature outside is 30 or 80.
More advanced programmable thermostats, including smart thermostats, take things a step further by sensing the outside temperature in addition to the inside temperature. This allows these thermostats to more accurately control your HVAC system to ensure that any temperature variances outside don’t cause the air in your home to be uncomfortable.
Check Your Batteries
Fall is an incredibly fun time of year. With so many unique outdoor activities to participate in, you may find yourself spending very little time at home. Plus, when fall is over, you’ll suddenly find yourself in the midst of the holiday season, busy with parties, shopping, and other activities. With so much upcoming busyness, it’s a good idea to take a few moments to replace the batteries in your thermostat.
Although some thermostats are powered by the HVAC system, many programmable thermostats use basic AA batteries to keep track of the time, the current temperature, and to send signals to your HVAC system to tell it when to turn off and on. If the batteries in your thermostat die, you could find yourself in an uncomfortable home, especially with rapidly changing fall temperatures.
Fortunately, replacing the batteries in your programmable thermostat is quite easy. Although different models differ somewhat in the exact procedure, most models feature some type of removable battery compartment that you can easily slide out. Pop in some fresh batteries, check to make sure that your settings have been maintained, and you’ll be good to go for several more months.
Determine Winter Temperatures
Deciding on the best winter thermostat settings when the air is frigid is a bit like going grocery shopping on an empty stomach. In both cases, you’re unlikely to make decisions that will best meet your needs or the needs of your wallet. Therefore, before the coldest temperatures arrive, it’s a good idea to decide on what thermostat settings you’ll use so that you aren’t as tempted to change them on a cold day.
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends a winter thermostat setting of 68 degrees. This setting is low enough to prevent your heater from running constantly and high enough to ensure that you won’t have to make major lifestyle changes just to stay comfortable in your own home. Of course, as mentioned above, your nighttime temperature settings can be even lower as your body heat will suffice to supply most of your heating needs.
As the temperature continues to drop in the fall, you can test these temperature settings to see if they work for you. You may find that you can select an even lower temperature during the day with little to no loss in comfort. Of course, if you have a programmable thermostat, you can also select lower temperatures while you’re away from home.
We Love Fall As Much As You
At Summit Heating & A/C, we love fall just as much as you do. That’s why we want you to have an enjoyable fall through the use of good thermostat settings that will keep your home comfortable and reduce your energy use. Beyond thermostat settings, though, we have other ways to improve your home’s comfort.
To ensure that the HVAC system behind your thermostat is operating properly, we offer expert maintenance, repairs, and installation on all types of air conditioners and furnaces. This includes non-traditional HVAC equipment, such as heat pumps. In addition, we offer high-efficiency air filters and air purifiers to help your home’s indoor air be as clean as possible. On top of that, our expert technicians can install a new water heater for you, providing you with comfort in multiple ways.
We stand behind every repair that we complete, which is why we have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. All of our technicians are NATE-certified, meaning that they have the experience and expertise to take on any problem.
In addition, all of our technicians take part in ongoing training to ensure they’re ready to repair and maintain the newest HVAC equipment. This holistic approach to satisfaction has earned us countless five-star reviews from our customers. If you want to learn more about how to properly use your thermostat, give us a call at Summit Heating & A/C today.
