Your home is your castle, your retreat from the busy world. You don’t want to sweat in your home in summer and shiver in winter. At the same time, you want to reduce your home’s energy use. Finding a balance between comfort and affordable electric bills is not always easy, but there are ways you can find the best HVAC temperatures for various situations.

Cold Weather

You might be tempted to turn the temperature on your HVAC system to very high settings when the weather outside is cold. However, doing so can be costly and inefficient. The hotter the interior of your home is, the quicker thermal energy will transfer to the exterior. To achieve a slow rate of thermal energy loss, you have to set your HVAC to a low but comfortable temperature.

You can find balance by keeping your HVAC on temperatures around 68 degrees during the colder months. These temperatures are low enough to prevent rapid heat loss but warm enough to keep you and your family comfortable. Instead of cranking up the heat, wear sweaters and other warm clothing to keep you comfortable. At night, you can set the temperature even lower while everyone is snuggled in their beds.

Hot Weather

You want to save money on your cooling bills during the summer, yet you still want your home to be comfortable. The lower you set your AC, the less efficient it will be. That’s because when the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures is high, you lose more chilled air through walls and windows.

Generally, the best indoor temperature for saving energy is around 78 degrees during the warmer months. These temperatures are pleasant but not overly chilled. If you have a smart thermostat, you can program it to be warmer when everyone is asleep. Temperatures between 80 and 82 at night usually allow you to sleep comfortably while saving energy.

High Humidity

Besides controlling the temperature, your HVAC system also controls indoor humidity. You want indoor relative humidity levels to be between 30 and 50%. This range is ideal for your household member’s health and comfort.

When you heat the air, it actually lowers the relative humidity. Therefore, during the wintertime, indoor humidity can get lower than ideal. When you set your HVAC to excessively warm temperatures in winter, the overly dry air can negatively affect your health. That includes nosebleeds, headaches, and aggravated respiratory issues. If you need to keep the temperature above 68 degrees, you might want to add a whole-home humidifier to your HVAC system.

Summers in Pennsylvania can get very humid. High humidity makes you feel hotter than what the thermometer reads. Luckily, running an air conditioner removes humidity in the air. When humid air passes over the evaporator coils, the moisture is pulled from the air and collects in a drip tray. However, this makes it trickier to find an ideal temperature. Keeping your AC higher to reduce energy use can make the humidity level too high. To counter this, you might want to install a dehumidifier in your HVAC system to stay comfortable while minimizing energy use.

Temperatures for an Empty House

If you and your loved ones leave your house vacant during the day because of school and work, save energy by adjusting the temperature. Since no one will be at home, you don’t have to consider settings that will keep individuals comfortable. You can set the temperatures between 55 and 60 degrees when it’s cold outside. For summer, set the temperature between 80 and 85 degrees when everyone is away. With a programmable thermostat, your HVAC can automatically bring the temperature back to comfortable levels before everyone returns.

Professional Services

While setting temperatures for your HVAC system, you may notice that it is experiencing issues. If so, seek the assistance of AAA Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning in Huntingdon Valley, PA. We offer several HVAC-related services, including repair, maintenance, and installation. We also provide indoor air quality services, including air purifiers, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers. Our team is made up of highly skilled and knowledgeable technicians. They will be able to address your concerns in a prompt and stress-free manner.

Contact us as soon as possible to learn more about our HVAC services.

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