The best approach is to set your vacation thermostat about 10 degrees higher (summer) or lower (winter) than you normally set it when away from home. This lowers the amount of time your HVAC system is running while you are away. In general, don't set it above 85° in the summer or below 50° in the winter.
The water temperature should be around 45 degrees (1). Keep the thermostat at a minimum of 68 degrees Fahrenheit: During the winter, it is important to maintain a consistent temperature inside your home. Keeping the thermostat at 68 degrees Fahrenheit or above helps to prevent the pipes from freezing (3).
When you go out of town, it's generally recommended to set your thermostat between 50°F and 60°F (10°C to 15.5°C) in winter and around 78°F (25.5°C) in summer. This range helps to prevent issues like frozen pipes in cold weather and excessive humidity or heat damage in warm weather.
Recommended Temperature When the Home is Vacant
For short periods of time away, like going to work, we'd recommend a temperature of around 55 – 60 degrees (F). While away on long periods of time, such as vacation, we don't recommend setting the temperature any lower than 50 degrees (F).
In the winter, set your thermostat no lower than 60 degrees when you go on vacation. While it may be tempting to turn that thermostat down further, doing so puts your pipes at risk of freezing.
Bear in mind, you don't have to keep your heating at a high-temperature setting while you are gone. Turn your thermostat down between 15°C and 18°C degrees to maintain the warmth of your home at a cost-efficient level.
To save money, aim to have your temperature set around 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit when you're at home and awake. This is a comfortable temperature for most with the help of a light sweater. Overnight and when you're out, around 64 degrees Fahrenheit will keep your home at a good temperature.
The World Health Organization recommends keeping indoor temperatures between 64 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit for healthy people. The minimum temperature should be kept above 68 degrees Fahrenheit to protect the very young, the elderly, or people with health problems. Watch out for signs of hypothermia.
The best approach is to set your vacation thermostat about 10 degrees higher (summer) or lower (winter) than you normally set it when away from home. This lowers the amount of time your HVAC system is running while you are away.
In general, it's recommended to set your thermostat to 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This may seem high compared to the freezing point of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but it'll help keep the interior of the floor and wall cavities – where your plumbing is often located – safely above freezing temperatures.
Residential HVAC contractors do not recommend turning your heat off while your on vacation because this may cause your pipes to freeze. As the water expands inside your pipe, it can cause the pipes to burst, leading to extensive flooding. Keep the heat on, and you're far less likely to come home to a flooded home.
We recommend setting your thermostat to around 78 degrees when you are at work or away on vacation, 74 degrees when you are at home, and 70 when you are sleeping. We recommend leaving your air conditioner on, even if you will be away for days.
Thermostat settings play a pivotal role in managing your heating system's efficiency. It's a common misconception that leaving your heating on at a constant temperature is more energy-efficient than turning it on and off. Does turning the heat on and off raise the bill each month? The answer is no.
Don't turn your thermostat down below 65 degrees during extreme cold. Further drops in temperature could be enough to cause a problem, especially inside walls where pipes are located. Your heating bill may go up a little, but that's better than an expensive repair job if a pipe freezes and bursts.
Keeping your home at a constant temperature generally means that your HVAC system will run constantly to meet it. This means that your furnace or air conditioner may run when you're asleep, at work, or out of the house. This wastes more energy than the minimal amount that you might save by having it constantly run.
Frozen pipes generally occur below 20° F. But freezing can happen above that threshold as well, especially if you have uninsulated pipes running through an uninsulated space. Keep garage doors closed, especially if there are water supply lines in the garage.
To keep the house safe and avoid frozen pipes in the winter, the thermostat should be at 55 degrees while during the summer a temperature of 85 degrees protects it from high heat and humidity. If you're out of town during winter or summer, have someone adjust your thermostat for you to ensure your house is protected.
If it's winter and you live in a place that routinely reaches below-freezing temperatures, keeping the heat at a minimum of 62 or 63 degrees Fahrenheit is a good idea. Keeping your thermostat set to 63 allows you to leave for extended periods and have no worries if temperatures dip below freezing.
How cold can a house get without heat overnight? The time of day your heater goes out impacts how long the house stays warm. Indoor temperatures go down faster at night, so if your furnace stops overnight, you can expect a quicker decline. This can be as much as 15 degrees Fahrenheit before morning.
The best winter thermostat setting is 62 to 68 degrees. On winter days, program your home's thermostat to 68 degrees for a comfortable indoor temperature while you're home and awake. When sleeping, program your thermostat to 62 degrees. Consider rolling this temperature back to 55 degrees when no one is home.
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 ideal temperature for sleep is between 65-68°F. Thermoregulation during sleep is a crucial factor to sleep quality. Your body's temperature naturally drops as you sleep so a cooler room makes it easier to fall and stay asleep.
When preparing your home for winter if you plan to be away, the best thermostat settings are between 55 and 60°F. If your winters are mild and freezing pipes are not as much of a concern, you can go lower to 45°F to potentially save money.
In the winter, set your thermostat to 68 degrees or the lowest comfortable temperature. In warmer months, set it to 78 degrees or higher. It's a no-cost option to reduce energy expenses. At night or when you're going to be away from home for an extended period, adjust the thermostat a few more degrees.
If you're going on vacation, we suggest leaving the thermostat set to 50° F. Why? Well, leaving your empty home at 50° F offers both: Low heating bills.