Many people who live in the Scottsdale area tend to live there only during certain times of year. And if they don’t, one of the joys of living in Arizona is the multiple opportunities for traveling that exist thanks to our wonderful weather. As such, one of the most frequently asked among ourselves is whether we should turn my thermostat in Scottsdale home off when I’m away.
There are many arguments supporting to turn your thermostat off and to keep it on, but for the most part, the experts agree that turning your thermostat off during extended trips away from the house is actually a bad idea. There are a few reasons why the HVAC and energy experts believe this to be true:
1st – Arizona Homes Tend to Be Well Insulated
Home builders in Arizona understand the need to have great insulation in the houses for both keeping in cool air in the summer and warm air during the winter. Remember, insulation is used to keep a house under a certain temperature and to keep that temperature consistent. HVAC units like Scottsdale heating and air conditioning units are designed to maintain this temperature when the outside temperature rises or falls to extremes.
The direct result of this fact is that homes will not need as much heat or air conditioning when the unit is left on – yet turned down to acceptable levels to minimize energy consumption.
2nd – It Takes More Energy To Re-Heat or Re-Cool A Home
The second reason why you should not turn your thermostat off when your away completely is due to the simple fact that when your home becomes very hot or very cool, each HVAC unit needs to work very hard to drop or raise the temperature back to levels you expect. The best rule is to turn your thermostat down to at least 55 degrees in winter, and raise it to 75 degrees in summer. This will allow your HVAC units to stay running, yet not as hard during the time you are away from the home.
3rd – Keeping Your Home In A Temperature Zone Impacts Other Features
Another reason why you want to keep your thermostat on during times away is that extreme heat or cold can impact other items in your house. If your home falls below freezing in the winter time, you risk having water pipes freeze. If the house rises above 90 degrees, several electronic items could suffer failure. This is the biggest reason why you should set your thermostat at a lower or higher temperature during winter and summer months and maintain a constant temperature during the times you are away from the home.
The simple fact is that you should never consider turn my thermostat off when you’re away. When you are away from the home, your HVAC units don’t have to work as hard they keep the home in a comfort zone and allow other household items to operate efficiently. The best advice is to keep the thermostat on, yet turned down in winter and set a little higher in summer to avoid expensive HVAC repairs and extra electric usage when you return.
If you have questions about how to best approach your heating and cooling needs, the friendly staff at Scottsdale Air can assist you. We’ve been helping Scottsdale and East Valley residence for over 65 year! We’d be happy to answer and questions you have or connect you to the right resource. Call Us at 480-359-7141.