14 Jun Things You’re Doing to Your Thermostat That Cost You Money
You probably have a few habits that cost you a bit of money every month — eating out too often, going on one too many shopping sprees, and purchasing expensive concert tickets a bit too often. If we had to guess, you probably also have a few bad habits when it comes to your thermostat that cost you money too.
Things You’re Doing to Your Thermostat That Cost You Money
You try to change the temperature too drastically.
Your heating and cooling system works by gradually adjusting the temperature in your home. A lot of homeowners will do something like this — your home is 76℉, but you want it to be 71℉, so you set the thermostat 66℉ to try to make the AC get colder faster.
But that doesn’t happen. Your HVAC system usually only has one speed, so all that changing the temperature that drastically does is make your unit take a longer time to reach 71℉ and cost you more money in energy costs.
You mess with your thermostat too much.
Does this sound familiar? You’re in your living room watching TV and feel a bit too warm, so you crank the thermostat down a bit; but then it’s too cold, so you turn it back up; but then you get warm again, and lower the temperature again. It’s a never-ending cycle.
Messing with your thermostat so much like that only put stress on your AC and makes it take longer to reach each temperature. The longer your system runs, the more energy you use and the more money you spend.
You set a single temperature.
You should not have a “one size fits all” mentality when it comes to your thermostat. At the very least, you should set your thermostat several degrees warmer in summer and several degrees cooler in winter when you leave the house.
Doing this prevents your heating and cooling system from needlessly running when no one is home, and, in turn, prevents you from wasting money.
For more tips for using your thermostat properly, contact the experts at Wahl Family Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing for help. We’ve been serving the Pittsburgh metro area since 1980, so you know you can trust us to help you and your family. For more information or to schedule a service, call us at (412) 265-2662.