Are you planning a vacation soon? Whether it’s an international adventure or a local staycation, there are just some things that make vacation so desirable: time away from work stress, the chance to unwind in an unfamiliar environment, memorable moments with loved ones. But before you settle down on your favorite beach chair or hit the road for a weekend getaway, don’t forget to prepare your home for your absence – starting with what temperature to set your thermostat.
While many homeowners tend to overlook this key detail as they’re packing up suitcases and charging electronics, learning what to adjust the home thermostat when going out of town can save energy usage and money.
If you’re still using an age-old programmable thermostat with no WiFi connectivity, this is also the best time to invest in a smart thermostat. Not only will a smart home thermostat allow remote control but also offers specific modes like Vacation Mode for optimized climate control.
Why Invest in a Smart Thermostat?
A Smart Thermostat allows you to control your heating and cooling systems more efficiently with the help of next-gen features. You can manage your thermostat through your phone, tablet, and other smart home hubs.
You can also utilize features like geofencing, which allows the smart thermostat to track your location so that it automatically turns off when you leave your home and on when you return.
There is an option for setting schedules that allow you to set different temperature levels throughout the day according to your routine. In addition, most smart thermostats will enable you to monitor previous actions and provide suggestions to make your home energy efficient.
Most smart thermostats are also compatible with voice-controlling AIs like Amazon Alexa, Siri SmartThings, and Google Home Assistant. So you can enjoy a fully integrated smart home and all its sophisticated offerings through them.
Furthermore, some smart thermostats also have learning capabilities. They can learn your behavior and auto-adjust the temperature, allowing you the ease and flexibility to make your home efficient in its climate functions.
One of the best features a smart thermostat offers for when you’re away that might ease your mind is its vacation mode.
What Is Vacation Mode?
Have you ever wanted to take a holiday and enjoy your days without worry and in idle luxury? Yet during your downtime, you often worry about the state of your home and whether the thermostat is maintaining an optimal temperature to battle against extreme external climate changes.
You can avoid this needless anxiety by taking advantage of the ‘vacation mode’ setting smart thermostats offer. The core purpose of this mode is to maintain an optimal temperature against the drastic weather changes you might be plagued with.
Vacation mode in thermostats is a useful feature that allows you to save energy when you’re away from home for an extended period. Once activated, the thermostat will maintain a temperature that conserves energy while keeping your home at a comfortable level. This can be especially helpful if you’re going on a long vacation and want to reduce your energy bill while you’re away. Some smart thermostats even allow you to control the temperature remotely, so you can adjust the settings from your phone or tablet, no matter where you are. With vacation mode, you can enjoy your time away without worrying about your energy consumption.
Why Do You Need Vacation Mode?
Have you ever returned home from a vacation to find your home either too warm or too cold? If you have, you know that it takes time for your home to stabilize and for your air conditioning or heating system to reach the desired temperature. That’s where vacation mode in your thermostat comes in.
It’s a handy feature that allows you to save energy and money while you’re away by temporarily adjusting the settings of your HVAC system. Vacation mode also ensures that your home is comfortable when you return, without having to wait for it to reach the desired temperature. By activating vacation mode before you leave, you can rest assured that your thermostat will maintain your desired temperature range, saving you energy and money without sacrificing your home’s comfort.
Moreover, during if you live in an extremely cold climate you might have experienced water pipe freezing. This can be a nightmare for homeowners. Bursting pipes not only damage your furniture and other belongings but also pose damage to your home’s structure. In this case, too, you can set the Vacation Mode to ensure the home temperature doesn’t fall below freezing.
What Temperature Should You Set Your Thermostat When Away?
Of course, now that you’ve decided to avail the vacation mode to enjoy a stress-free holiday, the concern that arises is what should be your temperature settings when you leave your home.
You need to remember certain conditions when adjusting the temperature settings, like the changing seasons, the duration of time you are away, and any personal preferences you might have.
1. Summer
Temperatures in summer can sky-rocket, all the more so depending on the area you live  in. With soaring temperatures, turning off your thermostat when you leave for a holiday  is a hazard.
The threat in the summer is damaged internal structures of your home because of high humidity levels, you will also find the air in your home to be stale and stagnant, and your pipes might overheat. Your sensitive possessions might even be damaged because of the unrelenting heat.
This is why it is advised that you turn on the vacation mode of your smart thermostats to ensure your belongings do not become irreversibly damaged during your vacations. Vacation mode is typically enabled if you are away from home for more than twenty-four hours.
It is preferred that your temperature not exceeds 85F; keeping that in mind, you can adjust your thermostat to be 7-10 degrees warmer than you usually have while staying within the set limits.
2. Winter
You will find different risks to cater to in areas with colder temperatures. For example, the rising worry is that if you are away for a vacation, your home’s water pipes might freeze, crack or burst in the extreme cold.
To prevent that issue, you need to set the temperature of your thermostat between 50-55 degrees.
In Conclusion
Running your thermostat at your regular temperatures even when away will increase your electricity bills. And completely turning your thermostat off will pose damage to your belongings and home structure. Therefore, it’s important to utilize the vacation mode on your smart thermostat when you’re away for extended periods. It’ll ensure your home temperature doesn’t fall below or above the recommended valued. You can now enjou a perfect vacation without worrying about the temperature back home!
