The summer vacation is the ideal time to give residential air conditioning units a break. In fact, it is pointless and expensive to have the central air conditioner running if no one is present at the house. The one exception is if the pets are left at home, in this case, the air conditioner must not be completely turned off. Instead, the air conditioning unit should be but can be set at a higher temperature than usual.
By setting the thermostat to a warmer temperature, you can cut your electricity bill. Raising the temperature by one degree, cuts about 3% off the electricity bill. However, just because a higher setting will cut a monthly utility bill, a homeowner should not increase the temperature too much. Remember air conditioning does not only regulate the temperature in your home it also controls the humidity level. When the atmosphere within the home becomes exceptionally humid and hot, microorganisms and mildew can thrive making the indoor air unhealthy.
When the temperature is too high within the house, appliances like refrigerators can start to emit moisture and run harder to stay cool. Also when you return from vacation, cooling down the home to a comfortable temperature, the air conditioning unit will have to work hard thus eliminating some of the savings.
Therefore, the temperature should be raised about 4 degrees above the comfortable temperature the homeowners generally use. For instance, if the normal temperature is 72, increase it to about 76 before everyone leaves the house. With such a setting, the house will maintain an adequate temperature (which is not too hot) and still save some electricity. However, if there are pets in the house and the family is leaving for several days adequate measures must be taken. That means the pets should be sent to a care center or ask a friend or a relative to look them after. Even when the pets are left at the house for about a few days, the best practice is to ask the veterinarian about the best temperature setting according to the type and size of the animal.
If you have a question about your air conditioning system contact Good Deals Heating and Cooling at 215-947-1166.
