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How To Set Your AC When You're Away
Posted: May 8, 2023 by Hey Neighbor

Whether you're going to work for the day or you're going away on vacation for the month, you want to make sure you maximize your AC's efficiency. But how should you set your thermostat while you're away? Our team at Hey Neighbor LLC | Ron the Furnace Man is here to share our top tips!

Selecting the perfect temperature

Determining the right temperature for your central air conditioning system while you're away can be confusing. Many factors go into this decision, including how long you'll be gone and if your furry family members will be staying home or going away with you.

Naturally, comfort is subjective, but here in hot, humid Ohio, we need all the comfort we can get! Our pros recommend setting your thermostat to around 78° F when you're at work or away on vacation, 74° F when you're at home, and 70° F when you're asleep. You might consider bumping the setting down a couple of degrees if Farfel or Mittens will be having a staycation instead of tagging along with you.

Don't turn off your AC

Our team recommends leaving your air conditioner on whether you'll be away for a few days or several weeks. When your air conditioner is turned off for prolonged periods during the summer, your house can become hot and humid. This increased humidity is hard on your furniture, walls, and flooring.

Not only will your air conditioning system prevent damage from occurring if you leave it on, but it's also more energy efficient. When you return home, you'll naturally want the house to be cool and comfortable ASAP. Leaving your AC on uses less power while you're gone and less time to reach your desired temperature than struggling to cool down an overheated living space when you get home.

Thermostat best practices

Generally speaking, you don't want to set your thermostat too high when you're away enjoying that well-earned summer vacation in the Florida Keys. To help you prevent problems, our experts endorse the four-degree rule. It's easy to follow this rule - here's what you do.

When you're going to be away for awhile in the summer, simply set your thermostat four degrees above where you'd set it if you were at home. Likewise, in the winter, subtract four degrees. See? It's easy!

We'd like to offer this reminder as well. Too much heat and humidity will promote mold and mildew growth. You might be tempted to go well beyond the four-degree rule and try to save more money while you're gone, but it may cost you much more in home repairs.

The benefits of a smart thermostat

If you want to save money and also be able to change the temperature in your home while you're away, consider installing a smart thermostat. These advanced devices can sense when you're home or away and adjust the temperature for maximum efficiency. In addition, you can access these thermostats remotely with your smartphone and manually adjust them as you see fit. Some models even make automatic adjustments based on the weather outside.

Even better, many smart thermostats can alert you to any heating and cooling system problems, so you'll have peace of mind while you're on vacation.

Northeast Ohio HVAC installation and service

Ready to install a smart thermostat so you can remotely adjust your home's temperature wherever you are? You can rely on the friendly team of Hey Neighbor professionals to get the job done right. We'll help you decide what kind of thermostat is right for your home and locate its optimal placement to ensure maximum efficiency.

Of course, the services we offer go far beyond smart thermostats! Whether you're looking to upgrade your system to a modern, high-efficiency model that'll keep you more comfortable and save you money as well, you're looking to keep your existing system running as long as possible, or you need emergency repair in the middle of the night on a weekend, we're here for you. We never charge after-hours or holiday fees. That's how neighbors should treat neighbors!™