Whether it’s a much-needed vacation or a lengthy trip for work, traveling means making plans for your HVAC system. You won’t be using it while you’re away, so you can adjust it as needed to limit your energy use. Just the same, you don’t want to just leave it off for the entire time you're gone.

Instead, it’s better to leave your HVAC system running and just make adjustments depending on the time of year. That way you can minimize energy costs without having to worry about getting back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll review why you should leave your HVAC system on as well as the best thermostat settings for summer and winter.

This Is Why You Avoid Leaving Your Thermostat on Hold

While you may be tempted to leave your HVAC system off before a trip, this could end up stirring up annoying problems by the time you return. This is especially true if the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re gone.

For instance, shutting the HVAC system off in the summer can lead to very high humidity. Not only will your home feel muggy and uncomfortable when you have returned, but it may have also stimulated mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.

And during the winter, not using the furnace might lead to pipes freezing up or even bursting. It’s never fun to come home from a long trip only to discover extensive water damage close to a broken pipe.

Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While at Work

You can make temperature adjustments even if you’re coming and going to work. Considering you’re away for 8 hours or more, it doesn’t seem sensible to keep an empty home heated or cooled as if you were there. In general, it’s recommended to turn up the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. Meaning that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, try adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re at work.

But you may save even more if you’re willing to further adjust the temperature. As stated by the Department of Energy, you might save about 10% on your HVAC costs by increasing the adjustment to 7-10 degrees.

Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While on a Trip in Summer

If you leave for a longer trip in the middle of summer, you can make bigger adjustments. This ensures you don’t waste energy while still protecting your home from the issues that come with leaving it without air conditioning. About 5 degrees is suitable for short trips while around 10 degrees is best if you’ll be away from home for 2 weeks or longer. If you enjoy keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 should offer great results.

Best Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Winter

To try and find the most energy-efficient thermostat setting for a winter trip, just lower the temperature by the same amount you would increase it in summer. 68 is a popular winter thermostat setting, so adjusting to 63-58 will keep your plumbing safe while limiting how frequently your furnace runs.

Smart Thermostats Are Even Better: Perks of Smart Thermostat Installation

An ideal strategy to manage your home’s HVAC system while away is using a smart thermostat. This advanced type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to understand your preferred comfort habits. It learns these preferences and makes automatic corrections to the schedule for higher energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi integration, you can remotely adjust your HVAC system with a smart device like a phone or tablet.

Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save on your energy bill. For instance, specific models can track electricity prices to bolster heating or cooling when prices are more affordable. They are compatible with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to optimize how long your HVAC system has to run. It’s the optimal tool to enhance how you control 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 receive true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t cause any trouble while you’re away from home.