It’s Cooling Off: Learn to Set Your Thermostat Correctly

Here at Mark Lindsay and Son Plumbing & Heating Inc, our biggest goal is to see that everyone we help is comfortable. But we also want to help homeowners save money and get the most out of their heating installations.

Heating costs can total up to nearly half of your monthly utility bills, especially when temperatures take a plunge as winter slowly approaches. That’s why you should take care of your heating system in any way you can—like changing the filter and scheduling annual maintenance services. In addition, the little things—like setting the thermostat properly—can really make a difference. Here is our advice.

Find a Comfortable Temperature Everyone Agrees With

Constantly readjusting the thermostat really takes its toll on a furnace. The furnace is designed to run in even cycles, and when you keep setting the temperature higher and lower, it turns on and off much too frequently. The better advice is to find a temperature that works for everyone in the home and stick with it!

Remember, setting the temperature higher won’t heat the home any faster. Instead, set the thermostat to about 68°F, or a little higher if necessary. Schedule the thermostat to automatically reach this temperature about 20 minutes before you arrive home from work, and have it lower for the rest of the day.

But Don’t Set the Temperature Too Low

One thing we often tell our customers is to avoid setting the thermostat too low when they are away. You can save money if you lower the temperature of your thermostat while you’re at work or asleep. But if you set it to 20° or 25° lower than your ideal temperature, it has to work really hard to heat up your home when you need it, using up a ton of energy. When you’re away or asleep, change the temperature by about 5-10°.

Contact the friendly folks at Mark Lindsay and Son Plumbing & Heating Inc for your next heating service or thermostat installation in Clifton, NJ.