topic Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT in Community Chat

FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

Tinkrbl44 — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 21:50:27 GMT

A neighbor & I are disagreeing about leaving the heat on when we go out ...... maybe someone here has accurate information?

I live in SoCal, so it never "freezes" in the timeframes I'm describing ......

When I go out for several hours, I turn the thermostat OFF.

The temp is kept around 72 when I'm home.

When I get home I turn it back on.

The thermostat is usually around 67 when I get home.

My neighbor says it's "better to leave the therm on, lowering it to 68 so it doesn't cost so much to re-heat the house".

Huh?

My thoughts is the home doesn't need to be heated when no one is home.

Anyone feel like weighing in on whether it's best to leave the thermostat and furnace ON to a lower temp .... or turn it OFF until I return?

Feedback and suggestions welcome .....

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

kaydee50 — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 21:54:52 GMT

I agree with your neighbor. I would just lower the temp but not turn off the entire system.

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

ECBG — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 21:55:50 GMT

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a family that sets back its thermostat by about 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day while sleeping or out of the house can save 5 to 15 percent a year on home heating costs.Dec 22, 2022

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

Meowingkitty — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 22:08:49 GMT

I live in Az so it doesn't freeze here either. My Nest is set at 74 and never touch it. It doesn't go on that much to make a difference.

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

Bri369 — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 22:16:33 GMT

I don't see the point in turning it completely off. I just turn it down enough so it's not running constantly. I don't want to return home to a freezing house or frozen pipes.

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

Marp — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 22:20:01 GMT

Normally I keep the thermostat set for 65 at night and 68 during the day. The 65 at night is because I like it cool to cold when I'm sleeping.

The downside is how long it takes to bring the temperature up to 68 in the morning compared to the rest of the day when 68 is just being maintained.

You indicate that your home temperature decreases by 5 degrees during your absence. It seems to me your furnace has to work longer and harder to reclaim that 5 degrees than if left at your normal setting of 72.

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

tansy — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 22:22:02 GMT

I am in the lower temp camp with your neighbor. I also have a dog at home who I want to be comfortable.

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

freakygirl — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 22:26:05 GMT

we turn it off when we go out and simply turn it back on via the app before we head home.

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

Nightowlz — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 22:36:00 GMT

If you don't have any way to control your thermostat while not home I wouldn't turn it off but lower it.

I put ours on 66° or 67° when we go to bed depending on lows that night. I have Alexa turn it on 69° to warm up before we get up.

We turned ours off this May while we were gone because it kept turning the ac on. Smart thermostat not so Smart? The house temp was 72°-73° while we were gone so the ac didn't need to come on. If it had been winter we would have left it on.

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

CelticCrafter — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 22:44:44 GMT

@ECBG wrote:
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a family that sets back its thermostat by about 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day while sleeping or out of the house can save 5 to 15 percent a year on home heating costs.Dec 22, 2022

If we did that we would freeze to death overnight. We have it set back to 65, anything lower is too cold even with two quilts, a blanket and a top sheet and takes forever in the morning to bring it up to 70.

So actually what are the savings if it has to run twice as long in the morning.

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

meallen616 — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 23:07:20 GMT

I may turn it down, but, never off!

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

threecees — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 23:11:51 GMT

I was also knocking it down a notch or two a few years back but my husband

said just let it be, furnace just has to work harder when it goes back up when

I would get home a few hours later.

I do remember as a kid living at home we were told by my Dad never to

touch that thermostat, I would always be freezing, it was never warm enough

in my childhood home to my liking.

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

luvmyteddy4 — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 23:14:28 GMT

Experts say to leave it alone instead of playing catch up. I don't touch mine.

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

candys mine — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 23:18:01 GMT

For a difference of 5 degrees? When the lower temp is in the high 60's?

I wouldn't do anything.

Of course I like the cold. Can't much tolerate the heat. 65 is plenty warm for me!

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

Caffeina — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 23:34:11 GMT

@Tinkrbl44

According to the Department of Energy, " A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding environment more slowly."

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/programmable-thermostats

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

mrshckynut — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 23:39:23 GMT

I like 65 when home, john prefers around 62. One of us are almost always at home

mrshckynut

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

WORKING GAL — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 23:56:58 GMT

I agree with you - turn the heater off when you are not home. Much safer.

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

AuntG — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 00:12:54 GMT

I'm in a cold climate so ours gets set back two degrees at night and five degrees if we are gone for the day. That's what we did when we both worked all day.

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

rockygems123 — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 00:16:18 GMT

@Tinkrbl44

Either turning off the heat or lowering it significantly when not home makes sense and don't think it matters much either way as the results are the same. Only issue would be animals in the house or in a cold environment which you don't have.

Maybe some don't like to turn temps way down as it takes a long time to reheat. Fortunately ours heats rapidly so I can turn as low as I want as long as I consider keeping it warm enough so pipes don't freeze.

I have a friend with a log cabin and he keeps the place to me unbearably warm. He says it can take a long time to heat up the house fully.

Re: FURNACE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GO OUT

haddon9 — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 00:26:48 GMT

@Marp wrote:
Normally I keep the thermostat set for 65 at night and 68 during the day. The 65 at night is because I like it cool to cold when I'm sleeping.

The downside is how long it takes to bring the temperature up to 68 in the morning compared to the rest of the day when 68 is just being maintained.

You indicate that your home temperature decreases by 5 degrees during your absence. It seems to me your furnace has to work longer and harder to reclaim that 5 degrees than if left at your normal setting of 72.

@Marp We do the same! There are tmes when I go t bed a bit chilly so I'll wear a warmer bottom, long sleeves and socks. I'll wake up a few hours later hot (I'm past going through menopause) even if the temp is 65. I need to put my summer pjs on and the ceiling fan.

During the day I will usually get cold later in the afternoon near dinner time. I'll kick the heat up a degree or two then the cycle starts all over again.