When people are in the house during the day or evening, keeping the thermostat at 68 degrees F is a good temperature. For some, this may seem like common sense, while for others it may seem like an unachievable goal.
Any time you're awake and at home during the summer, the ideal thermostat temperature is 78 degrees. This home temperature for energy efficiency lowers your cooling bills by 12 percent compared to keeping it at 74 degrees. If you're afraid 78 degrees is too warm, remember to dress for the season.
The Ideal Temperature for Sleep
For some, the temperature has to be just right for an ideal night's sleep. In general, the suggested bedroom temperature should be between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal sleep.What is a Good House Temperature for Comfort and Efficiency? In the summer, the recommended thermostat setting is 78 degrees F. In the winter, 68 degrees is recommended for energy savings.
- Shut down heat or air conditioning 20 to 30 minutes before you leave home each day.
- Turn on heat or air conditioning 20 to 30 minutes before you come home each day.
- Reduce the heating or cooling 60 minutes before you go to sleep each night.
- Increase heating or cooling about 30 minutes before you wake up each morning.
According to experts at the Energy Saving Trust, as well as British Gas, the idea it's cheaper to leave the heating on low all day is a myth. The Energy Saving Trust says if you're keeping the heating on all day you're losing energy all day, so it's better to heat your home only when you need it.
As the outdoor air temperature drops, the heat pump needs to work harder, so it becomes less efficient. The COP continues to drop until we reach an outdoor temperature of -4°F (-20°C). -4°F is the lower limit of our air source heat pump effective temperature range.
But there are 5 things you can do to make your heat pump more effective.
- Seal Your Openings. Install weather–stripping around your windows and doors to keep the cold out.
- Involve Your Fans.
- Insulate Your Floors.
- Adjust Your Thermostat.
- Optimize Your Layout.
You see, a heat pump heats your home by moving heat from the outdoor air into your home. But as it gets colder, and your heat pump can't pull as much heat in from the outdoor air, the air coming from your vents drops slightly in temperature. If so, your heat pump is blowing warm air that just feels cold to you.
heat pump thermostat
- Honeywell Home - 7-Day Programmable Thermostat with Wi-Fi Capability - White.
- ecobee - Smart Thermostat with Voice Control - Black.
- ecobee - SmartSensor 2-Pack - White.
- ecobee - Refurbished ecobee3 lite Smart Programmable Thermostat - Black.
- Emerson - Smart Programmable Touch-Screen Wi-Fi Thermostat - White.
Set your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter
The energy saving key is lowering the temperature (about 10-12 degrees Fahrenheit or 6-8 degrees Celsius) at night or when you're away.If the breaker was not tripped, the problem could be the thermostat, low voltage wiring, or the fan relay. If the fan is running, turn the thermostat to emergency heat. Ensure that the setpoint is at least 5 degrees above room temp. Wait for about a minute, then check to see if warm air is coming out the vents.
Before choosing a thermostat, you'll need to make sure it's compatible with your heating and cooling system. The most common system types are central heat or central heat and air, which can be 24-volt (V), gas, oil or electric. Other system types include heat pump, electric baseboard, fireplace and floor/wall furnace.
Two-stage heating means the furnace has two levels of heat output: high for cold winter days and low for milder days. Since the low setting is adequate to meet household heating demands 80% of the time, a two-stage unit runs for longer periods and provides more even heat distribution.
Can I do it myself? An experienced DIY-er can install most programmable thermostats and some smart thermostats. If you're replacing a central air conditioner or heating system, consider a thermostat upgrade at the same time - find a unit that will work with your family's habits to save you the most.
Drawbacks of air-to-air heat pumps are:
- annual maintenance is required.
- loss of efficiency as temperature decreases below 6–7ºC (but some models can still provide heating in temperatures down to -15ºC)
- higher initial purchase and installation cost than portable heaters.
Heat Pumps will raise your electricity bill – but lower your costs for other heating fuels. Each single unit (often referred to as a one-to-one) heat pump that is used daily will increase your electricity bill by $50 to $100 per month.
While heat pumps are the most cost effective way to use electricity to heat your home during the cooler months, leaving them running day and night is not economically efficient. According to Energywise, you should switch off your heat pump when you don't need it. This is to avoid excessive energy waste.
As a rule of thumb you should clean these every 8 to 12 weeks depending on how often you use your heat pump. It is a very easy process and something you can do yourself. To clean your filters you will need to open the front panel of the indoor unit and remove the filters.
Heating vs. Cooling in a Heat Pump
The simplest answer to the question is that heat pumps are more energy efficient in cooling mode. The standard SEER rating for a heat pump (the efficiency rating for cooling mode) is around 5 higher than its HSPF rating (the efficiency rating for heating mode).In most cases, leaving the thermostat temperature constant is aimed at keeping the thermal energy (heat) inside the homes constant. Consequently, inside the house will often be warmer than the outside. The higher the temperature difference between the two points, the faster the heat loss to the surrounding area.
Most specialists recommend they be serviced once per year. The average cost of a heat pump service visit is $170 to $190.
According to Energywise, you shouldn't leave your heat pump on all day. "You should only heat your home when you need it," Hoerning said. "Don't leave your heat pump on all day if you're not there. You can set the timer to turn the unit on half an hour or so before you get home or before you get up in the morning."
Most heat pumps will run constantly during the cold weather. This means that it is normal for your heat pump to be running constantly during winter when the temperatures are at or below 30 degrees. However, if the heat pump is running constantly in the cooling mode during the summer, then there could be a problem.
Should I turn my Heat Pump off at night? It's generally much more efficient to leave your heat pump running, opposed to turning the heat source off/down when not needed as with other traditional means of heating (wood furnace, electric baseboard, etc.).
Note the following signs that can signal that your heat pump is low on refrigerant: leaking, icing, and inefficient performance.
- Leaking Heat Pump. Even though a heat pump uses refrigerant to cool or heat a home, the refrigerant doesn't dissipate during regular operation.
- Icing.
- Inefficient Performance.
You can save energy and keep your costs in check by keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the daytime. Energy.gov reports that turning your thermostat lower by 10 to 15 degrees for 8 hours per day will help you see an energy usage reduction of 5 to 15 percent per year on your bill.
The balance point for most homes is about 30 degrees. The balance point of energy efficient homes is lower than that of homes without proper insulation and other energy efficient features. Supplemental heat is only used to boost the system when the temperature is below the balance point.
