If you’ve decided to upgrade to a programmable thermostat, good for you. But don’t think you’ve won the battle against energy waste. Now you have to figure out how to program and use the device. Let’s take a look at the basics.
Why Not Stick With Your Manual Thermostat?
There’s nothing wrong with a manual thermostat, except that it’s highly prone to user neglect. If you forget to set back the temperature before you leave for work in the morning, you’ll waste energy heating or cooling an empty house. The same applies when you’re sleeping at night. And unless you have a gremlin at home who can readjust the temperature to your comfort level shortly before you arrive home from work, you’ll have to freeze or bake for 30 minutes to an hour before your home gets comfortable.
With a programmable thermostat, you don’t have to worry about remembering to adjust and readjust the thermostat. You can program energy-saving setbacks into the thermostat to fit your schedule seven days a week.
Tips for Using Your Programmable Thermostat
- Program energy-saving setbacks for at least several hours, preferably eight or more. Otherwise, you won’t get consistent and substantial energy savings.
- Don’t resort to the “hold” or override feature unless absolutely necessary. This stops the programmed setting until you remove the hold, or in the case of the override setting, until the next preset period begins. Either way, nullifying the programmed setting defeats the purpose of the thermostat.
- If you’re leaving your house for more than a day or two when it’s especially hot or cold, program the thermostat for an energy-saving setting throughout the period. This typically is 8-10 degrees warmer or cooler than your comfort zone, depending on the season. While you don’t want the house to get excessively hot or cold while you’re gone, there’s no need to fully heat or cool an empty house.
- For obvious reasons, always make sure the batteries are fresh in battery-operated thermostats.
For more tips on using a programmable thermostat in your Twin Cities home, please contact us at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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