The summer season is in full swing and eastern North Carolina homeowners are beginning to leave for long-awaited, and much-deserved, vacations. Before your time away enjoying fun, warm-weather activities, you prep your home. You take the trash out, turn the lights off and lock your doors. But, what about your HVAC system? Do you turn it off? Do you leave it on?
When considering what to do about your air conditioning system while you are away, there are a couple of factors that should play into your decision; like the length of your vacation and how concerned you are with saving energy.
However, the most commonly recommended option is to turn your thermostat up while away, and NOT turn your system completely off. Cooling an empty house to a comfortable temperature is both unnecessary and wasteful. But, it is essential to leave your unit on because an important function of your HVAC system is to keep air circulating throughout your home, which decreases the humidity inside. Extra moisture, or humidity, in the home can impact your wood floors, doors or cabinetry. Humidity in your home can also cause peeling paint, musty smells and even mold.
Instead, the HVAC experts at Advance Mechanical recommend turning your system up to around 83 – 86 degrees. This should run your air conditioner enough to remove excess humidity, but will also prevent your system from running continuously to cool your home.
Especially while you are on vacation, a programmable thermostat comes in handy. These thermostats connect to your wireless devices and allow you to set your desired temperature remotely. You will be able to adjust the temperature at varying times. For example, when you are on the way home from vacation you can turn your thermostat back down so you will return to a cool and comfortable home.
Another tip for vacationers – close the curtains before you leave. This will reduce the strain on your air conditioning unit by blocking out the sun and helping to keep your home a bit cooler. Also, be sure to consider the comfort and safety of any pets left in your home when deciding what temperature to leave your thermostat on.
Remember these tips and enjoy your summer vacation! And, don’t forget to contact Advance Mechanical Heating & Air Conditioning for a pre-vacation HVAC maintenance check, because nothing is worse than coming home from vacation to a broken air conditioner. Advance Mechanical is here to provide peace of mind for all your HVAC needs. Give us a call today!