From a tropical vacation or an extended trip for work, taking a trip means making preparations for your heating and cooling system. You don't need it while you’re not home, so you can adjust the temperature as appropriate to limit your energy use. At the same time, you shouldn't just turn it off for the entire duration of your trip.

In general, it’s best to leave your HVAC system running and adjust the temperature depending on the season. That way you can lower energy costs without worrying about returning to an uncomfortable home. We’ll walk you through why you should avoid turning your HVAC system off as well as the ideal thermostat settings for various times of year.

This Is Why You Avoid Leaving Your Thermostat Alone

While you could be inclined to turn your HVAC system off before a trip, this will sometimes end up causing big problems by the time you come back. This is notably true if the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re away from home.

For example, turning the HVAC system down in the summer can produce very high humidity. Not only will your home feel muggy and uncomfortable when you have returned, but it may have also invited mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.

And over the winter, leaving the furnace off might lead to pipes freezing up or even bursting. It’s exhausting to return home from a long trip only to come across substantial water damage nearby a broken pipe.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While at Work

You can optimize the temperature even when you're just going to work. Since you’re out of the house for around 8 hours or so, it doesn’t make sense to keep an empty home at the same temperature you’d usually have. In general, it’s recommended to raise the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. That means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, consider adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re at work.

But you may save even more if you try further adjustments to the temperature. According to the Department of Energy, you may save about 10% on your HVAC costs by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Summer

If you leave for an extended trip in the middle of summer, you can make larger adjustments. This helps you avoid using too much energy while still defending your home from the issues that come with leaving it uncooled. Around 5 degrees is recommended for brief trips while a larger adjustment of 10 degrees is best if you’ll be away from home for 2 weeks or longer. If you prefer keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 can offer the best results.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While On a Trip in Winter

To determine the ideal thermostat setting for a winter vacation, just lower the temperature by the same amount you would increase it in summer. 68 is a frequent winter thermostat setting, so adjusting to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while limiting how frequently your furnace runs.

A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Advantages of Smart Thermostat Installation

An ideal strategy to regulate your home’s HVAC system while away is using a smart thermostat. This advanced type of programmable thermostat employs intelligent software to track your usual comfort habits. It gradually understands these preferences and makes automatic corrections to the schedule for higher energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi compatibility, you can remotely access your HVAC system with a smart device like a phone or tablet.

Smart thermostats are stuffed with features to help you save energy and lower costs. For example, certain models can monitor electricity prices to bolster heating or cooling when prices are lowest. They are compatible with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to fine-tune how long your HVAC system should run. It’s the ideal tool to streamline how you use your comfort system. If you’re considering investing in a smart thermostat, there are multiple ways you can lower your costs, effectively getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you leave for vacation, you can receive true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t stir up any trouble while you’re away.