Should You Turn Off Your Air Conditioner When You Go on Vacation?

If you’re preparing to go on vacation, you might be thinking it’s a good idea to turn off your air conditioner while you’re away to save energy. In today’s post, the local HVAC contractors at Perfect Degree HVAC discuss why you should leave your air conditioner running when you go on vacation.

Why Keep Your Air Conditioner Running?

It’s good practice to unplug your appliances while you’re away on vacation. However, your air conditioner shouldn’t be among them. It may sound like you’d be wasting electricity by doing so, but leaving the house without cooling and ventilation creates a greenhouse effect inside your home, much like when you leave your car parked in the hot sun. Accumulated heat and humidity can cause damage to the drywall and promote mold growth. If you have items in your home that are sensitive to heat, such as electronics or your vinyl record collection, you’ll definitely want to maintain a cool environment while you’re away.

Your air conditioning system should be set at least ten degrees below the usual outdoor temperatures for the season. For example, if the summer season is usually in the mid-to-high 90s, then your thermostat should be set no higher than 85 degrees. This puts air conditioner output at about 30% of full capacity, so it shouldn’t consume that much power while you’re away.

Use a Programmable Thermostat

If you’re using a programmable thermostat, you may need to reprogram its settings so the air conditioner doesn’t return to full capacity at certain times of the day. If you have a 5-2 or 5-1-1 thermostat — that is, a thermostat that has weekend settings — you may have to clear these settings so your air conditioner runs on the same setting until you return.

A smart home system can make things considerably easier. You can, for instance, monitor your home’s temperature using your smartphone, even when you’re away. Sensors that monitor indoor air quality can detect when a room is accumulating indoor air pollutants like dust and mold spores, which can then be addressed by controlling ventilation in the room. All of these things will help give you peace of mind that your home will be as you left it when you return.

Perfect Degree HVAC is a leading provider of heating and air conditioning services, including heating repair. Give us a call at (610) 510-4489. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.