Even in the waning days of summer, adding a programmable thermostat will give you precise temperature-control options that allow you to use your home cooling system at its highest level of efficiency. Here are some effective techniques for saving with a programmable thermostat.
- Use more than one programmable thermostat: A single thermostat may not be able to keep your home’s temperature at a consistent level throughout the structure, especially if you have a larger house or a home with more than one story. Install a programmable thermostat in each area of your home that has different temperature requirements or where temperatures are often inconsistent.
- Apply pre-programmed set points: Set points are pre-programmed temperature levels that use your cooling system’s ability to run at varying levels to automatically adjust temperatures in your home. Set points allow you to reduce cooling when it’s not needed, such as during normal weekdays when everyone is away at work or school, then return it to more comfortable levels when everyone has returned in the evening. Set-point levels should maintained for at least eight hours at a time for maximum energy savings and best efficiency.
- Use overrides, manual adjustments and vacation hold features sparingly: Set points can be manually adjusted temporarily or for extended periods such as a vacation. The overuse of these types of overrides eliminates the benefits of having a programmable thermostat and increases overall energy use. Apply vacation holds only when you are actually going to be away for an extended time; don’t use vacation settings for day-to-day temperature control.
- Don’t expect abrupt temperature setting shifts to help: Slamming the temperature settings higher or lower will not make your cooling system work faster or better. It will only waste energy. Make smaller temperature setting adjustments to allow the programmable thermostat to work best by sensing internal temperatures and gradually increasing cooling.
For HVAC customers in Calgary and the surrounding areas, Arpi’s Industries Ltd. is a trusted source of heating, cooling, and home comfort services. Contact us today for more information on programmable thermostats and for more practical suggestions for saving with a programmable thermostat.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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