Feeling the burn? Wish you had a way to cool better? Exhausted by energy bills? Here are the best summer thermostat settings to get it all under control.
Daily Temperature Settings
The U.S. Department of Energy suggests setting your thermostat to 78 degrees. This is a good baseline to start from, and then you can adjust from there. For best efficiency, limit the amount of change throughout the day. If you ask your AC to drop from 85 to 70 at 5 p.m., it will do it. But it’s going to cost you in energy and stress on the machine. Set your thermostat to a higher temperature while you’re away or at work, to help you save money.
Finding the Right Temperature
Of course, people who are particularly sensitive to temperature fluctuations might need settings that remain fairly constant throughout the day. This is also true for your pets. During the summer, keep an eye out for signs that your pet is suffering from too much heat, including:
- excessive bathing
- sitting on or near vents
- constant panting
- lack of energy for normal activities
A slight change to your settings can make a big difference in everyone’s comfort.
Using the AC While on Vacation
If you’re planning a long trip, you might think that this is your chance to save big on your utility bill. But before you turn it off completely, keep in mind that your AC controls humidity as well as temperature. When the house will be completely empty for several days, feel free to kick the thermostat up a few notches. Keeping it on will ensure that it continues to operate as designed, and help you avoid coming back to a soupy mess.
Improve Energy Efficiency With a Programmable Thermostat
Anyone with a manual thermostat knows what it’s like to come in after a long day at work to discover the house is unpleasantly hot. You could turn it down before you leave, but that just costs you money for cooling you don’t get to enjoy. Instead, you can get a programmable thermostat that will change the temperature automatically. Most current models have the ability to adjust temperature gradually instead of full-blast. This means you’ll often notice some savings on your bill when you make the upgrade.
How to Maximize Cooling
The AC settings aren’t the only part of keeping cool during the summer. Make sure you’re setting yourself up for comfort and efficiency with these tips:
- Dress appropriately for the weather
- Use ceiling fans to recirculate cooled air
- Stick to thermostat settings you can handle
- Get your air conditioner serviced once a year
Being realistic about your need for cooling can help you avoid a lot of wasted energy and money.
A hot, humid summer takes a good AC system for cooling. With these tips to help you minimize expenses and maximize output, you’ll enjoy it even more. To learn more about how to make your home’s air conditioning as efficient as possible, contact Master Plumbing, Heating & Cooling.
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