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If you’re going on a vacation, save money by adjusting your thermostat before you leave. You might think turning off your air conditioner is the best idea-but your home can suffer. A better plan is to turn the temperature up a few degrees.

Keeping Your Home Safe

If you have pets in the home and they won’t be traveling with you, keeping the air conditioning on is a must. They can live comfortably in a warm temperature but when the outside tops 90 degrees, your home becomes an oven, often driving temperatures into the triple digits. Setting your thermostat four or five degrees higher is sufficient.

Shutting off your air conditioner completely will wreak havoc in your home. Sustained heat and humidity will warp drywall and wood and your wallpaper will start to peel around the edges. The heat can also affect valuables such as artwork, documents, and sensitive electronics. If you raise your thermostat you may want to move these valuables to a cooler, less humid area.

Setting your thermostat to 85 degrees is optimal for savings and efficiency but sometimes Midwest humidity will make your home too steamy. For the best comfort, consider keeping it a few degrees cooler, protecting your home, pets and valuables.

Coming Home to Comfort

The major downside to adjusting your thermostat for vacation is you will come home to a hot house. However, depending on the type of thermostat you have, when you’re on your way, you may be able to get your home cool just in time.

Most programmable thermostats can be set for a high temperature when you’re gone and gradually move to a lower temperature before you return. Keep in mind that larger homes take longer to cool and not all air conditioning systems cool air at the same rate. For most homes, you’ll want to start cooling at least two hours before you come home.

If you don’t have a programmable thermostat or are considering upgrading to a smart thermostat, contact a Home Comfort Experts technician today! We’re happy to answer questions or offer expert advice to our customers.