Should You Keep Your AC Running While You’re Not at Home?
When warmer temperatures roll into southern Oregon, you want your home to be as comfortably cool as possible. Few things feel better than coming home to a nice, cool home. People often wonder if they should leave their air conditioner on while they’re away from home, or if they should turn it off to save energy. Read on for our recommendation.
Running the AC at a Cool Temperature All Day
When coming in from the blistering heat outside, we all want the inside of our home to be a comfortable cool temperature. However, leaving the AC set to your favorite cool temperature all day—when the house is unoccupied—will consume unnecessary energy. This will cost you more in utility bills.
Is It Better to Turn the AC Off While Away from the House?
Believe it or not, turning the AC completely off while you are out will also likely consume unnecessary energy. Your house can really heat up during the day if the AC is turned off. After arriving home and turning it back on, it will have to work much harder to cool the house down. This is why it will consume so much energy.
This routine will also cause the AC to take a long time to cool the house back down. It may not be cool enough to sleep in by bedtime.
Turn the Air Conditioner Temperature Up a Few Degrees
We recommend that you leave your AC on for the day but turn the temperature up about 5 – 10 degrees before you head out. Lower it back down to your desired temperature when you return. This will ensure your air conditioner uses less energy and is not overworked.
Consider a Programmable or Smart Thermostat
A programmable thermostat allows you to set a schedule for when your AC goes up or down in temperature. This means you can set it to go up in temperature after you leave the house for the day. Likewise, you can set it to lower the temperature before you come home—ensuring your house is just right when you walk through the door.
In addition to programming a schedule, smart thermostats allow you to control your AC remotely from your smart phone. For example: you could lower the temperature at your house manually from your smart phone if you decided to go home early.
Rely on the Pros
Metal Masters offers both programmable and smart thermostats. We can help you choose the right thermostat for your system and get it installed correctly. We also offer maintenance and repair work for most brands of air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, and mini-splits. Call us today for help with all your HVAC needs.