Tired of tweaking your thermostat for room temp perfection? Wish you could find a good baseline to stick to for each season? Wondering if you’re wasting money by setting the thermostat too low in the summer and too high in the winter?
You shouldn’t have to worry about figuring out an optimal temperature for each season every year. It’s time to take the guesswork out of adjusting the thermostat. With this guide on thermostat temperatures, you can learn how to settle on an average setting for each season.
Spring: Planning for Cool Nights and Warm Days
Spring is a tricky season. The temperatures can dip low at night and swing up during the day. Because of this, you may need to heat the house at night and turn off the thermostat when you wake up.
Temperatures will rise over the course of spring, so keep an eye on the weather at night. Once temperatures start to hit 50 degrees Fahrenheit and up, you’re safe to turn the heat off at night. Even without the heat on, the house should stay warm while you sleep, because the day’s warmth will keep the average temperature higher.
As the days grow warmer, you may start eyeing your air conditioning settings, but you shouldn’t need to cool the house down much or at all in spring. Take advantage of opening the windows during the day. A cool breeze is all you’ll need to feel comfortable.
Summer: Hiding From the Heat
With the beautiful clear skies and bright sun of summer come blistering-hot heatwaves. Because the temperatures spike and reach such heights, it can prove difficult to manage. You may have gotten used to a high energy bill in the summer, but you can follow a few simple tricks to save money on AC costs.
If you’re wondering what is the best temperature to set the thermostat in summer, the answer is somewhere around 72 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re home. The average person will feel comfortable between 72 and 77 degrees, but any higher than that and you’ll start to feel sweaty and gross.
While you can set your thermostat to bring it down to 72 degrees all day and night, you will end up taxing your system more than you may intend. Help it out by using other methods to stay cool. For example, shut the blinds on your windows to keep the sun out, open the windows at night or on cool mornings, and set up some fans for better airflow.
If you plan on being away from your home during the summer months, you can turn your AC off if you live in a moderate climate. But a heatwave can raise the home temperature to dizzying heights while you’re away, so you may want to set your thermostat to hover around 88 degrees. This will prevent the house from warming up too much, saving you money when you have to cool it down again.
Fall: Finding the Balance in a Moderate Season
Like spring, it’s difficult to find an average thermostat temp in the fall season. Plus, your HVAC system has been working overtime for summer, and it’s ready for some much-needed rest and maintenance. But when is it time to turn down the AC?
Watch the weather, especially during the nighttime, as fall approaches. If you’ve set your thermostat to 72 degrees at night for the summer, then you can turn your AC off once the outside temperatures drop below 70 degrees. At this point, you can open the windows and turn on a fan to reduce spending on cooling costs while maintaining a comfortable sleeping environment.
The same should apply to the daytime. The 70s make for a delightful, moderate climate, and you shouldn’t need heating or cooling. Enjoy the cool breezes before winter swoops in, and get the last warmth out of the sun before it starts to hide behind the clouds.
Winter: Keeping the Cold Out and the Warmth In
As fall ends and winter approaches, it’s time to think about heating. What temperature should you keep the house during the day? What about at night, while you’re sleeping?
It can feel tempting to set the temperature closer to 70 degrees during the winter, but your heating bills will stack up fast if you do. To keep your prices reasonable, you should set the temperature between 64 and 66 degrees during the day. At this level, you will feel comfortable, but you may need to wear warmer clothing.
The winter season is all about layering. Put on some cozy socks, a warm sweater, and a pair of pajama pants. Curl up with a mug of hot chocolate and enjoy the cooler temperatures from inside a warm home.
At night, you can let the thermostat go even lower. When you’re wrapped up in the covers of your bed, you won’t notice the cooler temps. As a guideline, you’re safe to set the temperature in the low 60s at night.
During the winter, you might go on vacation or visit family for the holidays, leaving the house behind. If you go online and search “what temperature to set the thermostat in winter when away,” you’ll get answers all over the place. To simplify this, just remember to set the thermostat 5 degrees lower than normal while you are away.
Doing so will keep your house warm enough to avoid freezing pipes or killing house plants and save you money from normal heating costs. Tuck this advice into your back pocket, and you won’t ever have to search for thermostat temperature winter tips again.
Experiment With the Best Thermostat Temperatures Year-Round
Finding the perfect thermostat temperatures depends on a variety of factors. For example, if you run hot or cold, these average temperatures may not work for you. While you can use this guide as a baseline, you should feel free to experiment until you find the ideal temperatures for your home.
If you’d like advice on heating and cooling in your area, schedule an appointment with Unique Air Heating & Cooling. Contact us today for a consultation or any HVAC services you may need.