Whether it’s a relaxing vacation or an extended trip for work, traveling means making preparations for your HVAC system. You won’t be using it as long as you’re not home, so you can adjust the temperature as needed to limit your energy use. At the same time, you don’t want to just turn it off for the entire duration of your trip.

For the most part, it’s better to leave your HVAC system going and just make adjustments depending on the time of year. That way you can lower energy costs without worrying about getting back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll walk you through why you shouldn’t turn your HVAC system off as well as the ideal thermostat settings for different times of year.

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Thermostat on Hold

While you could be inclined to turn your HVAC system off before a trip, this will sometimes end up stirring up costly problems by the time you return. This is especially true in case the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re out of town.

For instance, switching the HVAC system down during the summer will sometimes cause very high humidity. Not only will your home feel muggy and uncomfortable when you have returned, but it might have also invited mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.

And over the winter, not using the furnace could lead to pipes icing over or even bursting. It’s an awful feeling to get home from a nice trip only to discover substantial water damage close to a broken pipe.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While at Work

You can adjust the temperature even when you're just going to work. Because you’re not home for around 8 hours or so, it doesn’t seem sensible to keep an empty home heated or cooled as if you were there. Generally, it’s encouraged to raise the thermostat by 5 degrees or more. Meaning that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, think about raising it to 76-77 while you’re out.

But you can save even more if you try further adjustments to the temperature. As stated by the Department of Energy, you might save nearly 10% on your HVAC expenses by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.

Best Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Summer

If you leave for a lengthier trip in the heart of summer, you can make larger adjustments. This helps you avoid using too much energy while still protecting your home from the problems that come with leaving it without air conditioning. About 5 degrees is appropriate for shorter trips while a larger adjustment of 10 degrees is worthwhile if you’ll be away from home for 2 weeks or more. If you prefer keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 will offer beneficial results.

Recommended Thermostat Settings While On a Trip in Winter

To determine the best thermostat setting for a winter vacation, just lower the temperature by the same amount you would adjust it in summer. 68 is a frequent winter thermostat setting, so adjusting to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while limiting how frequently your furnace operates.

Smart Thermostats Are Even Better: Benefits of Smart Thermostat Installation

An ideal strategy to optimize your home’s HVAC system while away is with a smart thermostat. This innovative type of programmable thermostat employs intelligent software to monitor your preferred comfort habits. It applies these preferences and makes automatic adjustments to the schedule for higher energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi integration, you can remotely adjust your heating and cooling using a smartphone or tablet.

Smart thermostats are stuffed with features to help you save even more. For instance, some models can monitor electricity prices to increase heating or cooling when prices are lower. They are compatible with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to fine-tune how long your HVAC system should run. It’s the perfect tool to streamline how you use your comfort system. If you’re planning on investing in a smart thermostat, there are different ways you can reduce your costs, in essence getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you leave for vacation, you can enjoy true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t cause any trouble while you’re away from home.