Time to Make Some Adjustments—Stat!
Cold weather can make even the most patient people feel restless. The house needs to warm up. And it needs to warm up now.
You walk over to the thermostat and see that it reads 68 degrees. Normally, this temperature is comfortable enough for you. But there’s such a chill in the air tonight that you’re anxious to warm up quickly. You crank up the thermostat to 78 degrees so your home will heat up faster. That’s bound to work, right?
Wrong.
This is a common mistake that many homeowners make. Going overboard with the thermostat isn’t going to heat up your home any faster. Unless you own a multi-stage furnace, it’s going to work at the same speed until it reaches that temperature. Cranking up the furnace will only overheat your home and waste energy.
Your thermostat is like the command center for your heating and cooling systems. When you give bad commands, you’re likely to face bad results such as high energy bills and frequent heating repair in Palm Desert, CA.
Read on to learn other misconceptions with thermostats and how they affect your energy bills.
To Adjust or Not to Adjust? That Is the Question.
The song, “Blue Suede Shoes,” is a rock and roll classic written by Carl Perkins and performed by many popular artists. But Elvis Presley’s rendition is by far the most famous. In the song, Elvis says you can do pretty much anything except mess with his shoes. You can slander his name, knock him down and burn his house. But you better not touch those shoes.
Similar to Elvis and his blue suede shoes, people are very protective of their thermostats. You can do whatever you like in the house—but don’t even think about touching that thermostat.
In an attempt to save money, people keep their homes at one consistent temperature. They believe any type of adjustment—no matter how big or small—will cost them more money. This just isn’t true!
When you keep your home at a consistent temperature, your heater is constantly working to combat the cold. When you lower the temperature while you’re sleeping or at work, your home doesn’t lose heat as quickly. Your heater won’t need to work as hard to maintain that lower temperature. The closer your indoor temperature is to the outside temperature, the more energy you’ll save. Skeptics argue that the energy required to regain the home’s comfortable temperature negates the benefit of lowering the thermostat. Again, this isn’t true.
According to the Department of Energy, homeowners can save as much as 10 percent a year on their heating and cooling bills by turning the thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees from its normal setting for eight hours a day. The key here is to make strategic adjustments for longer periods of time. So if you’re going out to run some quick errands, there’s no need to adjust the thermostat. It’s important to note that this strategy applies to central heating and cooling. If your home uses a heat pump, it’s usually more cost-effective to maintain a consistent indoor temperature.
For those with less predictable schedules, smart thermostats can make all the difference. Over time, your thermostat will learn how long it takes to warm your home. These systems can detect how far you are from home and will activate automatically. This ensures that by the time you return home, the temperature will be just where you want it. Contact us to learn more about smart thermostats and what they can do for your comfort.
Save More by Heating Smart
Don’t buy into thermostat myths and waste money in the process. Take the time to understand how your thermostat works so you can heat your home with a smart strategy.
From thermostat installation to heating repair in Palm Springs, CA, Timo’s is here to meet all of your heating needs this season. To learn more about our services or to request a free estimate, contact us online or call Timo’s Air Conditioning & Heating at 760.475.9542 today.
