What Are the Effects of Frequently Adjusting Your Thermostat?

Keeping your home nice and toasty throughout the winter is crucial if you want to be comfortable and enjoy spending time inside your house. For some, that means keeping their thermostat set at 75 degrees or higher as soon as the temperature outside starts to drop. While that’s not necessarily good for your furnace (or your wallet), constantly changing the temperature isn’t good, either! Both scenarios can lead to the need for heating repair in St. Louis, MO. Keep reading to learn more about the effects of frequently adjusting your thermostat, and the best ways to go about managing the temperature in your home:

  • Adjusting the thermostat leads to breakdowns: Just like using the brakes too much while driving wears down your brake pads, constantly messing with the thermostat leads to unnecessary wear and tear on your furnace. Various components of your unit will break down faster than they should, which will lead to expensive repairs or even replacement! Instead of turning the temperature up and down every time you get a little hot or cold, find a temperature you’re comfortable with and leave it at that while you’re home.
  • Adjusting the thermostat wastes money: When you adjust your thermostat, your furnace has to suddenly work harder, sucking up more electricity. You’ll notice that it takes a lot more power to suddenly turn your unit on than it does to keep it at the same temperature for an extended period of time. Take a look at your next heating bill—you’ll be amazed at how much money you’ll save by not adjusting your thermostat every few hours!
  • Set the temperature when you’re away: Don’t get us wrong—you shouldn’t always have your thermostat at the same temperature. What’s the point in having the heat or air conditioning on when you’re not going to be home? That’s a huge waste of electricity! When you’re going to be away for eight hours or more, it’s good practice to set your thermostat five to eight degrees higher in the summer and 10 to 15 degrees lower in the winter. The U.S. Department of Energy says doing this can save you 5 to 15 percent on your monthly heating and cooling bills!
  • Buy a programmable thermostat: Buying a programmable thermostat can help you save money without the hassle of adjusting the temperature each morning and evening. You can program your thermostat to turn the heat or air conditioning down in the mornings when you leave for work, and back up when you get home. It saves you time and tons of money.

The last thing we want is for you to be uncomfortable in your home, but that doesn’t mean you need to adjust the thermostat every time it gets a bit too hot or too cold inside. Regardless of how often you change the temperature, your furnace may malfunction. If that’s the case, give Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling a call for heating repair in St. Louis, MO. We have years of experience with fixing all sorts of furnaces and can get your unit back up and running in no time if you’re experiencing trouble.