Whether you have a large house or not, keeping your thermostat at a consistent temperature not only saves money, but people in the house tend to be more comfortable overall. One of the most common questions we get is what is the recommended thermostat settings for winter and summer?
Now, this can be all relative because what’s warm for one may not be for another but your heating and cooling system does have an optimal temperature for both winter and summer. Heat pumps can only be regulated within about 3° of each other meaning that if you have the thermostat settings at 70° it could go up to 73° or down to 67° all within the same day.
The simple solution is to adjust the thermostat according to your habits, preference, and the temperature outside. Obviously, the closer your thermostat setting is to the outside temperature the more you’ll save, but the number of days the outside matches the inside is so few for the Pacific Northwest is that that’s almost a moot point.
Ideal thermostat settings for the summer.
First consider what temperature will provide you with the most personal comfort? Typically between 68° and 70° is the most comfortable for our bodies year-round. However, in the hot summer months, setting your thermostat a little higher to maybe 74° or even 76° could save you quite a bit of money and will feel cool, especially if it’s over 80° outside.
During the warm weather months, it’s generally recommended that you set your home’s cooling system to between 76° and 78°F when you are home. If you’re going to be away from the house for four or more hours, consider raising the settings of the cooling system only kicks on if it tops 85° or more.
For every degree higher that you set your thermostat over 78° in the summer months, you could save about 6 to 8% on your total home utility energy bill. Keeping it higher in the summer and cooler in the winter will balance out those utility bills a little bit better.
Ideal thermostat settings for the winter.
Similar to summer, set the temperature so that you are comfortable when you are home and lower the temperature when you are not there. A lot of people think that they’re going to be using more energy bringing the temperature back up to a certain degree once they are home but this actually has the adverse effect. Keeping it lower actually burns less energy and keeping at a consistently higher temperature when you’re not home. It won’t take long for the entire house to warm up to the temperature that you desire so keep it lower when you’re not at home, especially if you are away from the home four or more hours a day.
According to energy.gov, turning your thermostat lower by 10° or 15° for eight hours per day can help reduce your energy usage by up to 15% per year. That means that when you are home and you are awake, having a temperature of around 68° during the winter and then lowering it to 60° during when you are sleeping or when you are away.
Indoor humidity can also play a role in the comfort of the air in your home. Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air and is best considered in relation to the temperature. As temperatures go up or down, the air can hold more or less water. There are simple solutions you can do to manage indoor humidity.
The ideal humidity is between 45% and 55%. Anything over 60% is considered high. In the summer you can optimize the humidity level by discontinuing humidifiers, use your air conditioner to remove moisture indoors and use exhaust fans. In the winter you can use a portable room humidifier, use live houseplants, place water basins near your heating systems or simply install a whole-house humidifier.
Finding that ideal temperature setting might take a little bit of work especially on a new HVAC system but with a little bit of trial and error, practice, and monitoring your energy usage and utility bills, you can find that sweet spot.
For more information on HVAC Maintenance and systems in Snohomish County or replacing your heating and cooling system in your home or commercial building, contact Pilchuck Heating today.