Are you planning to go on a vacation and don’t know what to do with your air conditioner? When you leave your home for a vacation, you will want to ensure that your air conditioner uses as little electrical energy as possible. This will be critical in saving you extra dollars that you would have otherwise had to pay to the electricity company. Here are a few tips to help you plan for your time away.
1. Set the Temperature to 85 Degrees
When leaving for vacation, you don’t want your air conditioner to run on cool mode because you might have to pay extremely high bills when you come back. Typically, when your air conditioning system runs on cool mode, it engages all the components, leading to high power consumption. On the other hand, when your air conditioner runs on heat mode, it does not have to run components such as the compressor or the blower fan.
The cooler the temperatures you get from your AC, the high the bills. With that out of the way, setting your air conditioner at 85 degrees allows your AC to run on heat mode, consuming very little energy. Additionally, this mode drives out the humidity in your house and keeps your environment free from damage.
2. Set the Fan to Auto
Setting the air conditioning fan to auto promotes intelligent running of the fan. However, you should ensure that you do not set the fan to “on.” When you have your fan on auto mode, it operates through a set of sensors that emit on and off signals based on what your house needs to maintain its temperature. Essentially, your fan can run and stop on commands from your thermostat.
Typically, a running fan will ensure that air circulation is excellent in your house. Like with the high temperatures, your fan is also critical in eliminating the humidity in the air. When the air is heated, the fan rotates, and the moist air is dehumidified, redistributed, and balanced. This way, your house is protected from the effects of humidity, such as damaged electrical appliances, growth of mildew, growth of mold, and structural damage.
3. Let Your Thermostat Do the Heavy Lifting
It is not always that particular air conditioner settings work for your home. For this specific reason, you can invest in a programmable thermostat. Usually, a programmable thermostat is a simple device that allows you to have a preset configuration that can be run when you are away on vacation or travel. With this device, your air conditioner runs per the particular environment in your home.
The programmable thermostat can switch your air conditioning into various modes according to temperature requirements. For instance, when on vacation, you can set the programmable thermostat to run at relatively higher temperatures when the outdoor environment is also warm. In addition, you can raise or lower the temperatures remotely using remote control interfaces such as smartphones or computers.
4. Lower Temperatures for Pets
Leaving your thermostat running at 85 degrees is excellent if you don’t have any pets left behind. However, if you do, talk to a veterinarian about the best temperature.
Why Do I Need to Keep the Air Conditioner Running?
It may be tempting to switch off the air conditioner when you are going on a vacation. Who needs air conditioning anyway? Though this might seem like a good course of action to take, it is not always the best. Instead of unplugging your air conditioner, consider unplugging other appliances, such as the television, computers, gaming systems, and extra heating equipment that is not run by your air conditioner.
Without proper air conditioning, your house can suffer from the excessive heat of summer or humidity. For instance, high levels of moisture and heat can destroy your dry walls due to moisture accumulation. Additionally, if your house has more than 55% humidity levels, your home will attract more dust, mold, mites, and other invasive insects. With your air conditioner running during your vacation, the humidity problem is eliminated.
The last thing you want is to get home from a vacation and find peeling paint, mold, and damaged drywall. You can keep your house environment controlled and protected from any harmful conditions with an air conditioner. At North Point Air Conditioning & Heating, we offer AC installation, furnace replacement AC repair, heating maintenance, and more. We can handle any service for your heating, cooling, and air circulation equipment. For more information on setting your AC in Spring, contact North Point Air Conditioning & Heating experts today.