During the winter season keeping the indoor environment warm can be difficult sometimes. But an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system makes this work very easy. This system helps individuals control their indoor temperature according to their requirements. For example, in the winter season, it creates a warm indoor environment and in summer it creates a cool atmosphere. However, manually changing the temperature settings of the HVAC system is difficult and irritating. A thermostat is a simple solution to this problem because it makes the work of controlling indoor temperature without losing comfort.
Many HVAC users don’t know what are the best thermostat settings during winter. Due to this, they might face problems like unnecessary high energy bills and poor temperature control. But this issue is preventable. By following some guidelines and understanding the main functions of a thermostat individuals can know the best settings for their thermostat during winter. Readers will find detailed information about thermostats and their settings in this blog.
What Is A Thermostat?
In simple terms, the thermostat is a controlling device for the HVAC system which plays a crucial role in controlling indoor temperature remotely. This device helps individuals to control their HVAC units like furnaces or air conditioners. Due to this, HVAC users can easily get their desired room temperature. Usually, a thermostat is placed on the wall inside a house.
What Thermostat Do?
The thermostat makes the HVAC unit cycle on and off which helps to maintain indoor environment temperature. The temperature of a house rises and falls during a cycle and HVAC experts call this “swing”. HVAC users don’t notice temperature fluctuation during a swing but if they notice it then that means their HVAC unit might be not able to provide efficient temperature control. This happens because of the large indoor space.
Best Thermostat Settings During Winter
During the winter season, the ideal temperature setting for the thermostat is 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Many people will think that this temperature is low, but doing this has some advantages. If HVAC users force their furnaces or other heating systems to provide high indoor temperatures then the outer cold environment will put stress on their HVAC units. This will increase the energy bill and there is the possibility that their heating system might get some damages.
So it is wise to keep a balanced temperature setting to provide an adequate amount of heating during the winter season. This will help to keep the indoor environment warm, increase the lifespan of the heating system, and prevent high energy bills. There are two other types of thermostat settings and here they are:
At Night
People can change their thermostat settings at night while they are sleeping. Setting the thermostat temperature to 65 degrees Fahrenheit is great in many ways. Now, by looking at this setting many people will argue why keeping such a low temperature during winter season. Well according to medical experts, this temperature is beneficial to providing a better night's sleep and it also decreases the electricity consumption of an HVAC unit.
While Away
HVAC users who have plants or pets in their homes shouldn’t turn off their heating system while they are going away from home for vacation, work, or any other purposes. Turning off the HVAC unit will help to save some energy bills but it is recommended to turn it on when pets or plants are present in homes. According to experts, houseplants require at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit to stay alive inside a house. A temperature lower than 64 degrees Fahrenheit is great for the comfort of pets. So setting the thermostat to 60 degrees is a wise decision for indoor plants and pets.
Use Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat is a unique HVAC-controlling device because it does the work of controlling indoor environment temperature. It is a type of thermostat that allows HVAC users to pre-schedule their heating system to provide high or low temperatures according to day and night. Due to this feature, a programmable thermostat automatically changes the indoor temperature as programmed by its user. Using this type of thermostat will eliminate the requirement of changing the temperature setting manually when the day changes to night
Benefits Of Programmable Thermostat
Programmable thermostats come with many benefits and these benefits help HVAC users in many ways such as saving energy bills, preventing HVAC damage, improving temperature controlling efficiency, etc. So here are some of the key benefits of using programmable thermostat:
Increase HVAC Unit’s Lifespan
HVAC users can increase the lifespan of their indoor heating system like a furnace with the help of a programmable thermostat. It increases the HVAC units’ lifespan by decreasing the possibility of damage. The unnecessary damages decrease because the heating system won't work continuously at the same intensity for the whole day. This happens because a programmable thermostat automatically changes the temperature set by its user as a result HVAC unit gets less strain and its life increases.
Improves Energy Efficiency
The ability to control indoor temperature automatically not only provides comfort but also improves energy efficiency and this is a great benefit of a programmable thermostat. Setting the thermostat specifically according to the day and night cycle helps to reduce temperature consumption. Due to this energy bills don’t get higher as a result energy efficiency of the HVAC units like a furnace increases.
Highly Convenient
One of the main benefits of a programmable thermostat is its convenience. This type of thermostat is specially designed for user-friendliness. HVAC users just need to finish the initial setup of this device and after that, they don’t need to worry about changing the temperature setting manually many times a day. Individuals just need to program the thermostat to provide heating according to day and night.
Control From Anywhere
Some programmable thermostats come with an advanced feature and that is wifi connectivity. This feature allows its users to control their HVAC unit from anywhere in their or outside. Due to this, HVAC users can stay stress-free in situations like they forget to turn off their heating system when they are going out.
Additional Tips To Save Energy Costs And Improve Heating
Optimizing the thermostat temperature setting or using a programmable thermostat helps to save a lot of energy bills but there are other ways to save energy more. With the help of some tips, HVAC users can easily enhance their energy costs. Here are some of the key tips that will help to save energy costs:
Maintain HVAC Unit Properly
A well-maintained HVAC unit works efficiently and its components don't get any extra stress. A heating system like a furnace should be maintained annually so it keeps the indoor environment warm efficiently during the winter season. When a unit works properly it not only works without any problem but also consumes less energy as a result energy costs don’t increase.
Get New Energy Efficient Heating System
Many people like to use their 10 year old heating system but it is not a wise idea. Old systems are not that efficient at saving energy and providing heating. So investing in a new energy efficient heating system will effectively warm the indoor environment and new systems are 15% more efficient than the older ones. This means by investing in a new heating system HVAC users can save money and improve temperature control during winter.
Lower The Temperature Gradually
Humans are very adaptable living beings because they can adapt to any environment if they face it slowly. So lowering the indoor temperature gradually by one degree each week will help individuals and their families to adapt to a low-temperature environment. However, it will not improve the temperature controlling ability of a furnace or other heating systems but it can help individuals to decrease their energy bills.
Use Multi-Zoned HVAC Systems
Multi-zoned HVAC systems help people to control the temperature of each room in their house differently. For example, if a family in a house wants their hall room warm but their bedroom cold, the multi-zoned HVAC system is best for them. The only problem with these systems is that they are more expensive than standard HVAC units but they provide efficient temperature control and can save energy bills also.
Conclusion
Controlling indoor environment temperature and keeping it warm during the winter season is important to provide a comfortable living space. An HVAC system helps individuals provide indoor temperature according to their wants. A thermostat is an essential component of an HVAC unit like a furnace because it helps to control the unit to provide the desired room temperature. Learning about the best thermostat setting during winter can help HVAC users save energy and control indoor temperature efficiently. In the winter season, it is ideal to keep the temperature setting of the thermostat at 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
At night while sleeping, the temperature should be set at 65 degrees Fahrenheit to promote better sleep. Using a programmable thermostat is more beneficial because it allows its users to program the thermostat to provide different temperatures specific to day and night time. Due to this feature, it automatically changes indoor temperature. So individuals who are trying to find an effective air filter for their heating system like a furnace then Custom Filters Direct will provide you with customized air filters that fulfill your needs. To learn more about our services contact us at (877) 716-7268.