Central heat and air, is it better to leave it on or off if your going to be gone for a while like 10 hours?
Question:so if i leave my house and its summer time about 95 outside and i like my house at 68 is it better to leave it on a higher than normal temp. like 75 or to turn it off all together when its hot outside the temp in my house gets to about 82 and takes 2 hours to cool to 68. does that tax my air to much at one time or is it just better to leave it on all day at 75 and adjust it down to 68 when i get home.
normally when i go to work im gone about 10 to 11 hours and its from 7 to 6 so the hottest part of the day.
Answers:
What you should do is go to your hardware store and get a new thermostat that you can program to the temperature you like it to be when you come home they are easy to install and will save you money in the long run.
Your best bet is to simply raise the thermostat 5 degrees when you leave. If you keep it a 68 when you're home, turn it up to 73, when you get home turn it back down to 68. this will save you money in the long run and a programmable thermostat can take care of it for you if you can't remember or are too busy to keep track. turning it high enough to keep it off all day will cause the unit to consume more energy to cool the house down when you get home. It will use less to maintain the temp throughout the day and take less time to reach your desired temp when you get home. I have seen comparisons on both and slightly rasing the temp when you leave is your best option.
Having your thermostat set at 68 is taxing enough to the unit, but turning it off is worse. You can adjust it to 78 degrees when you'll be away. When you get home, turn it down to 75, and use fans. Be sure to keep all curtains and blinds closed during the day (this will help keep the house cooler).
Programable thermostat is what you need. They are usually under $50 in most hardware stores and are easy to install. Then program it to a higher temp when you are gone, and about 15 to 30 min. before you get home program it to lower temp. When you walk in door it will be nice and cool, and your electricity bill will go down. Can't beat that!!!
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