It’s a tale as old as time: you turn the thermostat up because you’re cold. Shortly thereafter, someone else turns it down because they’re hot. Messing with the thermostat is common passive-aggressive warfare, especially if the people who live together don’t like each other.
Knowing the ideal home temperature and what to set your thermostat to for optimal energy savings can help you all wave the white flag. Plus, it saves you money and prevents your HVAC system from excessive wear and tear. It’s easier to layer up than to shell out the money for repairs and higher energy bills, after all.
Here is what you need to know about the ideal home temperature and what you should set your thermostat to throughout the day.
What Is The Best Home Temperature?
What time of year is it?
The Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter months, and lowering it when you are either sleeping or away from home. During the summer months, you want to set it to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and then raise the temperature when you’re going to be away.
Of course, you can set your thermostat higher or lower than this. Before you do this, keep in mind that EnergyHub states that for every degree you lower your heating, you can save 3% or more on your energy bill in the winter. With this in mind, you can decide whether it’s worth it to you to pony up the extra money for setting the heating higher or if you’d rather ensure you have nice warm sweaters and blankets.
Depending on whether or not the recommended temperatures are close to what you’d rather set your thermostat to, you can either enjoy the sweet sensation of victory or resign yourself to being somewhat uncomfortable at home. (Or you can continue to fight over the thermostat with your roommates if pride matters more to you.)
What Is The Ideal Home Temperature For Sleeping?
When your thermostat is set too high or too low at night, it can disrupt your sleep and cause you to wake up in the morning groggy and grumpy. As a general rule, you want your room to be cooler at night – but not too cold.
It’s recommended that you keep your room between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit for a good night’s sleep. If you are too hot or too cold, this makes it more likely that you’ll wake up during the night and get less REM.
This is because if you’re too hot when you sleep, your body temperature rises, which then leads to restlessness and fitful slumber. If you are too cold when you sleep, your body has to work harder to keep you warm, which forces your cardiovascular system to fight to regulate your body temperature. This can also cause you to wake up throughout the night.
Assess your sleep and how you feel when you wake up. Do you wake up sweaty, and not because of nightmares? Do you wake up freezing, and not because someone left a window open? If so, you likely need to adjust the thermostat.
Again, this can lead to roommate troubles, as too hot for one person is perfect for someone else. Keep the ideal home temperature in mind and compromise to find a solution that works for everyone, and their bank accounts.
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Finding The Ideal Home Temperature
When trying to figure out the ideal home temperature and what to set your thermostat too, there are some common mistakes that people make. People do them because they think they’re more efficient or make their home more comfortable, however, they can end up costing you your money, time, and energy.
Help your HVAC system by avoiding the following behaviors:
- Constantly messing with the thermostat. Not only does this lead to interpersonal issues, but it is also a waste of energy and money. It can also lead your HVAC system to break down.
- Setting your thermostat higher or lower than you actually want it. People do this because they think that it means their home will get to their desired temperature sooner. It doesn’t. It just causes you to use more energy – and then have to deal with a house that is colder or hotter than you wanted.
- Not using a programmable thermostat. These make it easier to adjust the temperature at night or when you are going to be away from home.
Are You Having Trouble Reaching The Ideal Home Temperature?
If your HVAC system is in need of maintenance, it needs to work harder in order to provide the same results. If your thermostat has problems, this can lead to your home temperature not being what you wanted, no matter what you set your thermostat to.
R & D Heating And Air can help! We provide HVAC and thermostat services. We also provide HVAC maintenance plans to make it easier to keep your systems in tip-top shape. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you maintain the ideal home temperature.
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