What Are the 10 Best Thermostat Practices for Fall?
When fall comes, cold weather comes with it. That means you want to prepare your thermostat and your heating system to prepare for the impending cold. The thermostat is the item in your house that controls the temperature the HVAC system will attempt to heat the house too. Here are the 10 best thermostat practices for fall.
1. Insulate Your Home
When air seeps out of your home, you will lose heat. That’s why you need to keep your home well-insulated. To do this, start by keeping your doors and windows shut. If your windows and doors are old, you may want to upgrade to efficiency windows and doors. The efficient windows and doors create a tighter seal to prevent air leakage.
You may also want to install new insulation within your walls. This foam-like product helps prevent air from going through the walls. You can also install insulation within your ceiling. Having a well-insulated home will help your thermostat maintain your desired temperature settings better.
2. Purchase a Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat is an efficient device that allows you to preset your thermostat’s temperature to help you remain comfortable. You can set your smart thermostat to turn off when you and your family are out of your home. Why pay to keep a home perfectly heated when no one is in it?
Also, it can be easy to forget to turn the thermostat down when you are rushing out the door in the morning, and a programmable thermostat will take make the adjustments when you forget. You can even set the temperature to heat your home before everybody returns home for the day.
Furthermore, a smart thermostat gives you the capability to change the temperature from an app on your smartphone when things don’t go according to schedule. If you have an old-fashioned thermostat that is over a decade-year-old, you should consider investing in a smart thermostat.
3. Get Regular Maintenance
Your HVAC system requires regular maintenance to work at top efficiency and effectiveness. A professional should come to your home twice a year to clean and examine your unit. Fall is one of the best times to get your HVAC maintenance done because it is right before the winter season when you will need to use the heater. Having regularly scheduled maintenance in the fall will ensure your system will be ready to operate during the cold season. Similarly, you will want to get your second tune-up of the year in spring before you start to really use the air conditioner.
4. Clean the Filter Regularly
Your HVAC unit will likely come with a filter in it. It’s likely going to be near where the fan components are located. This filter will collect the dust and debris in the air when the fan is on. This filter needs to be cleaned in order for the system to run properly. To clean the filter, you just take it out and remove the collection of dust particles. These particles can collect in the winter even when the fan isn’t being used as often, so you should keep an eye on the filter throughout the entire year.
5. Find Alternative Ways to Get Warm
Being wise with your thermostat means using it as little as possible. In order to achieve this, you may benefit from finding alternative ways to get warm. When you are warm, you won’t need to set the thermostat so high, saving you money in the long term. Some ways to stay warm without turning up the thermostat include:
- Let the sunshine in
- Wear warm clothes
- Use thick sheets
- Use your stove
- Eat warm foods
- Drink warm liquids
- Get heated floors
- Use space heaters
6. Set the Thermostat 1 Degree Lower than Normal
People don’t understand how much difference one degree can make in your heating bill without greatly affecting your comfort. If you like to have your home set at 72 degrees, try setting it to 71 or even 70 degrees. You can make up the difference by using alternative methods to stay warm. Your heater will last longer, and you’ll save money on heating costs since the heater won’t be used as often. You will also adjust to the temperature change surprisingly quickly.
7. Utilize a Zoned System
You don’t necessarily need to heat every single room in your home at the same time. If you are the only person home, why heat the whole house when you are relaxing in one location? Install a zoned system that allows you to pick and choose the rooms you want to heat. You can even set one area to be one temperature while another area can be set to another temperature based on your preferences. Make sure you close the doors to the rooms that don’t require heating. You may choose to enclose the room you are heating as well.
8. Replace Batteries
A fresh set of batteries can make a significant difference in a product’s performance. Even if the batteries are still good, it can be a good idea to change out the batteries in the thermostat as part of your seasonal maintenance. Use high-quality batteries that will increase the accuracy and effectiveness of the thermostat.
9. Watch the Weather
If you really want to be on top of your thermostat practices, you need to be on top of the weather predictions. When you know about an unexpected spurt of warm weather or especially cold weather, you can plan accordingly.
Your plans could include setting the thermostat differently to make up for the change. You don’t want to use your heat when it’s nice outside and you could just open the windows. You also don’t want to be freezing inside when the weather gets uncharacteristically frigid. A seven-day forecast should be everything you need to set the thermostat for the week.
10. Be Consistent
While you want to make changes when the weather is going to change significantly, it’s better to leave the thermostat running on a consistent schedule. Create settings that allow you to stay comfortable in a wide number of scenarios so that you can leave it alone. This regularity will keep the thermostat running as it’s expected.
Constant changes could disrupt its rhythm or contribute to the product’s deterioration. Learn your favorite settings and leave them alone until the weather calls for a change. You want your system running like a well-oiled machine. Keeping it set to a pattern will help the machine assimilate to your needs and what you require from it.
Following these best practices for maintaining your thermostat will keep you comfortable and help you save money on your electric bill. However, when you need to have your thermostat check out, call Air Max HVAC. We have been serving customers in Thousand Oaks, Beverly Hills, Mission Hills, and the surrounding areas since 2001. We also provide air conditioning installation, furnace installation, repair, and maintenance services. Call us today for more information.
Tags: Energy Efficiency, Thermostat