It's cooler days like today that let you open the windows, let the fresh air in and turn off the air conditioning. This is Maryland though, and days like these are a rarity. Most days you're running either the heat or the AC, or even both in the course of 24 hours. Do you control the temperature with a programmable thermostat, or bump it up and down throughout the day?
According to a study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, nearly 90% of Americans say they’ve rarely (or never) programmed their thermostat because they’re not sure how to do it. The U.S Department of Energy says you can can save up to 15% a year on energy costs by using a programmable thermostat, so its certainly worth a try.
Programming options are based on:
- Wake Time
- Sleep Time
- Leave Time
- Return Time
For the warmer months:
- For the hours you’re home, program air conditioning to 78°F.
- For the days you don’t need cooling, manually shut off the AC. Keep in mind, it will kick back on if the house gets too warm.
- Program the AC to shut off during the hours you’re out of the house.
In the colder months:
- For the hours you’re home and awake, program the temp to 68°F.
- Lower by 10° to 15° for the hours you’re asleep or out of the house.
Next, here are a few programming timing tips that can help you create the best set-it-and-forget-it heating and cooling schedule for your home:
- Shut down heat or air conditioning 20 to 30 minutes before you leave home each day.
- Turn on heat or air conditioning 20 to 30 minutes before you come home each day.
- Reduce the heating or cooling 60 minutes before you go to sleep each night.
- Increase heating or cooling about 30 minutes before you wake up each morning.
Spend time tweaking your program for a few days to make sure it feels right.
Picking the Right Thermostat
So now you know what you need to do, but how do you actually do it? Start with the right thermostat. There are four types of programmable thermostats, each with a distinctive scheduling style:
- 7-day programming. Best for individuals or families with erratic schedules, since this is the most flexible option. It lets you program a different heating/cooling schedule for each day of the week. Average price range: $55-$125.
- 5-1-1 programming. One heating/cooling schedule for the week, plus you can schedule a different heating/cooling plan for Saturday and Sunday. Average price range: $35-$78.
- 5-2 programming. Same as 5-1-1 programming, except Saturday and Sunday will have the same heating/cooling plan. Average price range: $28-$30.
- 1-week programming. You can only set one heating/cooling plan that will be repeated daily for the entire week. Average price range: $20-$23.
You’ll need a program for both the cooler months and the warmer months, but once you learn how to set it is no big deal.
TIP: Before buying a programmable thermostat, identify the type of equipment used to heat and cool your home so you can check for compatibility. For example, do you have central heating and cooling, or just a furnace or baseboard heating? Otherwise, you may not reap the rewards of energy savings and may risk harming your heating and cooling equipment.
The McKenna Group shares an article about home improvement, home maintenance or home design every Wednesday. Is there something that you’d like to learn about or a type of article you’d like to see? Contact us in the comments section below.
Comments(0)