With winter coming in Northeast Ohio, if you haven’t already done so, there’s no time like the present for resetting the programmable thermostat in your home for cold temperatures. The usual summertime settings, where the thermostat eases up on the A/C while the house is empty, no longer works once your heating system takes over HVAC duties.
In whatever season, the central role of a programmable thermostat is to adjust temperatures so your HVAC system is providing heating or cooling when you’re at home and need it, and to run at a reduced level when the house is empty or people are sleeping (especially in the winter).
Here’s a sample schedule of temperature changes when resetting the programmable thermostat in your home for the cold weather:
Daytime
This is when you can save big on energy by setting the thermostat several degrees – as many as 10 or 12 – lower than your usual comfort level. Unless you have pets you’re concerned about, there’s no reason to have the heat running full-go when nobody’s home – on a weekday, for example.
After work
Set the thermostat so it returns to your awake-time comfort level a half hour or so before you expect to return home from work.
Evening
After work, in the late afternoon and evening, is the main time when you should take advantage of regular comfort temperatures. This varies from household to household, but it’s usually around 68-70 degrees during the winter.
Overnight
In the winter, most people prefer cooler temperatures at night. Program your thermostat to a point several degrees below your normal comfort level.
Morning
Set the thermostat to warm up the house before you expect to wake up. You’ll step out of bed into cozy, warm temperatures. If you’re not going to take much time before leaving the house, consider skipping this step, since it does require extra energy to warm up a house for a brief period of time.
For more advice on resetting the thermostat in your Lorain/Elyria area home, please contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area