HVAC Best Practices for Mild Weather

Fall is here! Finally the weather isn’t blazing hot! In a couple of months, the temperature will begin its descent into winter, but until then, it’s too cool for the A/C and too warm for the furnace. So where do you set your thermostat during this mild fall weather? Here’s a guide to fall HVAC settings.

Setting Your Thermostat

You may be tempted simply to turn your HVAC system off during the fall, to save energy But in fact, it provides another benefit besides just heating and cooling. It helps keep your home’s air circulating. If the system isn’t running regularly, the air can get stale. That means your filter isn’t removing contaminants, such as dust, mold, and mildew, which can wreak havoc with allergies and asthma.

Instead, keep the system on Auto and set the thermostat to your ideal comfort level. Your fall HVAC settings should probably somewhere between 65 and 68. It will kick in just often enough to keep your home comfortable, without wasting tons of energy. If you find your system still isn’t turning on regularly, try leaving just the fan on, so the air still circulates.

Other Fall Energy Saving Tips

As the temperature drops, keep your shades and/or curtains open during the day, to let the sunlight in and warm your home naturally. Then at night, close them to keep the heat in. Your house will stay warmer longer, without using a lot of extra energy.

You can also use your ceiling fans to boost energy efficiency. Hot air rises. But if you reverse the blades on your fans, it will push that air down and make sure it reaches your entire home. You can also use a space heater instead of running your furnace, particularly during times when everyone’s in one room. You can warm a small section of your home for a much smaller amount of energy than it would take for your system to heat the whole house.

To learn more about fall HVAC settings, contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We’re Lorain’s trusted source for quality HVAC solutions.

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 other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.