A programmable thermostat allows homeowners to automatically regulate their energy use. Based on pre-set programs, these thermostats will turn the heat down or the air up when no one is home or when the family is sleeping, so that the home uses less energy. If you have a programmable thermostat, these tips will help you make the most out of it.
- Lengthen the time – Try to keep the temperature at the energy-saving points for at least eight hours. This will maximize your savings. Most homeowners set these lengthy energy-saving periods for when they’re at work, asleep or away from the house on weekends.
- Add more units – If you have multiple heating and cooling zones in your home, purchase a programmable thermostat for each zone to maximize your energy savings.
- Avoid extremes – When you come in hot and sweaty after a day of work, it might be tempting to crank the AC down to 40 degrees to cool the house off faster, but this won’t help. It will take the same amount of time to reach a comfortable 70 degrees even if the thermostat is set lower, and you won’t put so much strain on your system.
- Be conservative with the “hold” feature – Use the “hold” or override setting as little as possible, since frequently overriding your energy-saving settings will defeat the purpose of your programmable thermostat.
If you have more questions about ways to optimize the use of your programmable thermostat, Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc. is ready to help. As a family-owned and operated business, we understand that you need to make your home as energy efficient as possible to maximize every dollar you spend. We can help you make energy-saving choices for your home’s heating and cooling systems. Call us today for all of your HVAC needs in the Dayton area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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