What Is an Unhealthy Temperature in Your Home This Winter?

During the cold, Ohio winter, it’s important to make sure you’re staying warm. You may turn your thermostat down to save energy, but if you turn it down too much, it can be detrimental to your health. What constitutes an unhealthy temperature, and how do you avoid it? Here’s what you need to know.

An Unhealthy Temperature That’s Set Too Low

According to the World Health Organization, the minimum setting for your thermostat in winter should be 64 degrees. Lower than that and you risk hypothermia and other health issues. Ideally, you should have it set to 68 degrees.

However, if there are children or elderly people living in your home, the minimum is even higher. Their bodies are often less efficient at regulating temperature, so don’t set the thermostat any lower than 70 degrees.

You can set the thermostat a little lower at night to save energy or when everyone is out of the house. Program your thermostat to switch to 65 or 66 degrees during the day, then back to 68 once everyone is home. If you lower the temperature at night, make sure everyone has warm pajamas and plenty of blankets.

An Unhealthy Temperature That’s Set Too High

You can also reach an unhealthy temperature by going too far in the other direction. When the weather turns freezing, it’s tempting to crank the thermostat up as high as you can. This is a tremendous waste of energy. The system will run continuously, driving your heating bill up and ultimately wearing out the system.

Is a high thermostat setting unhealthy, though? It can be. Your furnace dehumidifies the air as it heats it. The longer it runs, the more moisture it removes. When your humidity levels get too low, the air fosters viruses, making you more susceptible to cold and flu. It can also cause dry skin, chapped lips, sore throats, and a variety of other symptoms. To avoid this, don’t set your thermostat higher than 72 degrees in winter.

For help maintaining a healthy temperature in your home throughout the year, contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We serve the home comfort needs of Lorain, Elyria, and Oberlin.