Your thermostat can go up to 90°F, but you shouldn't push it that far for monetary reasons. Not only will it drain power and cause a huge jump in your bills, but it will force your heater to work harder and wear down much faster.
68 to 72 degrees is a temperature range that is not too warm or cool, and is sufficient enough to warm up the home just enough so that everyone is comfortable regardless of the type of clothing they have on.
While ENERGY STAR suggests 82 degrees, that may be too uncomfortable for most families. Most people sleep better when their sleeping area is chilly, so that's why the National Sleep Foundation advises 60–67 degrees.
That's why the ideal temperature to maintain indoors during winter should be around 68° F , with a humidity level between 50-55%. Similarly, it is not advisable to raise the heating too much , exceeding 77° F: it would negatively impact the quality of life and the health of those who live there.
In general, 80 degrees is too hot for a house if people are inside. However, if people aren't home during the day or for vacation during the summer, an indoor temperature of 80 degrees can save energy until you return and lower the temperature.
Most experts agree that a temperature as high as 85 degrees Fahrenheit is safe for your home while you are at work or away on vacation.
The Safest Temperature for Humans and Pets
The absolute highest you should set your thermostat is around 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Keeping your air conditioning higher than this will let your home heat up quite a bit. You may deal with heat rash, headaches, and other unpleasant symptoms of overheating.
If you set your thermostat in the 80s, the air conditioner won't run enough to effectively dehumidify your home's air. Here in the Tennessee Valley, we have extremely humid weather in the summertime. If your thermostat is set at 80+ degrees, then the humidity inside of your home can easily get up above 70%.
For many of us, 70 degrees is the ideal indoor temperature, but when it is close to 100 degrees outside, your AC unit will be working quite hard to meet these expectations. Consider setting your thermostat at 75 degrees to 80 degrees in your home if the outside temperature is approaching triple digits.
Think of your thermostat as similar to your car's speedometer. Your car can go 120-140 mph according to the speedometer. But you shouldn't go that fast under almost any circumstances for safety (and legal) reasons. Your thermostat can go up to 90°F, but you shouldn't push it that far for monetary reasons.
For most people, 75 degrees is too hot to sleep, per the National Sleep Foundation. But the new study found that in people 65 and up, sleep efficiency only started to decrease when temperatures were above 77 degrees.
While the standard room temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit is commonly favored by many, others argue for higher settings, particularly when it's hotter outside.
If you're cold even though your thermostat indicates you shouldn't be, your furnace likely isn't the problem. In most cases, it's working just fine. It's your home that needs attention. Lack of insulation, severe air leakage, and/or unbalanced ductwork are frequently to blame.
The World Health Organization recommends a thermostat setting no lower than 68 degrees while you're home. If you have children or seniors in your house, that number increases to at least 70 degrees. If your house is too cold, it can cause problems with blood pressure and circulation, as well as affect your heart rate.
People generally sleep best at night in rooms between 60 to 67 degrees. However, only you can determine your ideal temperature. If 67 is too cold for you, go up a few degrees until you reach a temperature that's still cool but comfortable.
If it's 90 degrees outside, most people would set their AC to a perfectly comfortable temperature of 68-72°F.
But when the system has to cool your home by over 20 degrees, its capacity to do both diminishes. As a result, your AC system has to work harder and uses more energy to do so. It, in turn, will lead to faster wear and tear, which can drastically reduce its lifespan.
Clean the Thermostat
Sometimes, when the room temperature doesn't match the thermostat setting, the problem could be dirt buildup on its interior parts. A dirt coating around the inner components may create excess heat and cause the thermostat to give the wrong readings.
“The consensus among most scientists is that anything higher than 75 or 80 is bad for sleep and potentially detrimental to health,” Baniassadi said. Heat affects sleep because the body signals the brain that it's time to fall asleep by lowering its core temperature. Sleeping in a hot room makes this difficult.
81°-85°F: Dangerous heat for all dogs - use extreme caution or avoid walking outside.
Your HVAC system isn't sized properly
Another problem that can cause your house to be hotter than what you've set the thermostat to is if your home's HVAC system isn't sized properly. An HVAC system that's too large for your house will cool your home unevenly.
Safe range means a set variation where there's minimal risk. If the room temperature is below 68 degrees Fahrenheit or above 74 degrees Fahrenheit, their health is at risk because the temperatures will be outside the safe range.
The recommended rule of thumb for summertime is to set the temperature to 78 degrees Fahrenheit when you're home and higher when you're away. In general, set it to 82 degrees Fahrenheit when you're asleep and 85 degrees Fahrenheit when you're away.
It's advisable to keep your home below 80 degrees throughout the summer. A house that's too warm can be dangerous to people, pets, and the soft surfaces in your home. Set the winter temperature to 68 degrees when you're awake and 62 degrees when you're sleeping.