Learn to use your programmable thermostat the way it was designed to work.
Many homeowners mistakenly believe that “cranking up” the thermostat when they arrive to a cool home will heat it faster. This assumption is simply not true. Setting the thermostat higher than the desired temperature does nothing to heat the home faster and only leads to wasted energy.
Programmable Thermostats and Human Behavior
Programmable thermostats are designed to prevent wasted energy by letting you set a desired temperature for the hours when you are normally home and let it automatically drop at the time you usually leave. But research by Energy Star shows that many people don’t use them this way. If they arrive home to an uncomfortably cool home, they begin fiddling with the settings.
Many people set thermostats too high, thinking it will heat up the room faster. They then forget to turn it down once the room heats up. But no matter how high you turn up your thermostat, the temperature coming out of the ducts will always be the same.
The temperature of warm air coming from your furnace can vary by a wide range based on the type of furnace you have, but 100 degrees is the median. That warm air mixes with the cool air, bringing up the temperature until the thermostat recognizes that the room is as warm as you set it. Turning the thermostat up too high does nothing to speed heating.
On the other hand, if it’s already warm when you arrive, you’re less likely to adjust the settings. That makes it important to find out how long it takes your home to heat from your “away” setting (50 degrees is ideal) to your comfortable room temperature (68 – 72 degrees are reasonable settings). Test the settings on the weekend, when you are home, to find out the length of time needed to bring the house from 50 degrees up to temperature. Once you know this, you can set the thermostat to begin bringing up the temperature before you arrive home, welcoming you home to a warm comfortable setting. Don’t forget to adjust your waking settings, so the house is also warm when you rise in the morning.
Choosing a Thermostat
Ideally, the thermostat you use has settings for both weekdays and weekends. If someone in the house adjusts the setting to their own comfort, the thermostat will click back to your programmed settings at the next programmed interval. It should also be very easy to use, like the Carrier SYSTXCCUID01-B Infinity® Control shown below:
Let MM Comfort System help you choose the right heating system and thermostat for your home.
MM Comfort Systems repairs, maintains and installs heating and cooling equipment in both residential and commercial spaces. Our HVAC experts have the skills and expertise to help you heat your home using less energy. Call MM Comfort Systems at 425.533.9058 or use our online contact form to schedule a free consultation today.
