Are There Benefits to Turning Off the Heat At Night?

Winters in Kent, WA, and the Puget Sound region can be rather cold and wet, which means high heating costs. While it may be tempting to turn off your heating system at night, bundle up with a few blankets, and save some money, it’s better to turn it down a few degrees.

Reducing your heat rather than shutting it off completely is safer for your home and your family and can still save you a significant amount on your utility bills.

What’s the Ideal Temperature for Sleep?

Many people prefer a temperature of about 68 to 72 degrees during the daytime, but at night, that can feel rather warm, especially with blankets and comforters.

A slightly cooler temperature of 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for sleep. Setting your thermostat significantly higher or lower can disrupt your sleep.

Risks of Turning Off Your Heat

While there are benefits to reducing your home’s temperature at night, turning the furnace off completely can prove to be unconformable for your family or even dangerous to your home during Washington winters.

Here are some of the risks:

• Frozen pipes: Even if your home’s temperature stays above freezing at night with the heat off, your water and drain pipes may be in areas that are not as thoroughly insulated. If outdoor temperatures drop below freezing, the water can expand and burst the pipes, leading to costly water damage.
• Discomfort and poor sleep: If the temperature drops below 60 degrees in your home, it may affect your sleep. Even if you don’t wake up completely, you may toss and turn as your extremities become uncomfortably cold. Poor sleep can affect your mood, productivity, and health, so it’s vital to get a good night’s rest.
• Furnace wear and tear: It’s easy for a furnace to keep your home within a reasonable temperature range, but when you shut the furnace off at night and turn it on in the morning, it can strain the system. The furnace will have to run near-constantly to bring the home back up to temperature. That can cause added wear and tear, leading to premature component failures and costly furnace repairs.

Better Ways To Optimize HVAC Efficiency

Several techniques can be quite effective if you’d like to save money on your heating costs without risking harm to your home or your family. Here are some of the most cost-effective ways to increase the efficiency of your HVAC system:

Lower Your Thermostat 8 Degrees

Lowering your thermostat can make a huge difference in your energy costs. You can save 1% to 3% off your heating bills for every degree you reduce the temperature.

If you lower your thermostat by 8 degrees at night or while away from home, you’ll save significantly over time.

Install a Programmable or Smart Thermostat

Reducing your temperature at night is a good way to save money, but it’s an easy task to forget. Installing a programmable or smart thermostat in your home can automatically reduce the temperature at night and then bring it back to your daytime setting so that your home is warm and cozy when you need it to be.

Smart thermostats can make programming temperature settings far easier, with remote access from a mobile device or even intelligent programming that learns your schedule.

Schedule Annual Furnace Maintenance

Everyday wear and tear can reduce the efficiency of your furnace over time. By keeping up with your annual furnace maintenance, you can ensure it is ready when you need it and will run as efficiently as possible.

A typical tune-up will include tasks such as:

• Cleaning the blower fan and cabinet
• Replacing the filter
• Cleaning the burners
• Lubricating any bearings or moving parts
• And more

Schedule an Energy Audit

Even many modern homes in the Pacific Northwest lack an airtight building envelope. This can be especially true for homes that are more than a few decades old. When you add poorly installed HVAC systems, inefficient appliances, and insufficient insulation, you could waste tons of energy every year.

An energy audit can help you identify any energy efficiency issues in your home and provide recommendations for cost-effective upgrades.

Turn to AAA Heating & Air for HVAC Services in Kent, WA

Do you need help making your home and HVAC system more efficient? Talk to our team at AAA Heating & Air Conditioning.

We can help you save money on your utility bills while improving your comfort and helping the environment. We offer home energy audits to help you identify any problems, as well as HVAC maintenance, programmable thermostat installation, duct sealing, and other services to improve your home’s efficiency.

Our HVAC company has served King and Pierce counties for over 30 years. We’re a locally owned business that offers excellent service backed by impressive customer reviews.

We feature free estimates, upfront pricing, and financing options so you can make the best decisions for your budget. Our technicians are background-checked and NATE-, BPI-, and EPA-certified so that they can deliver top-quality service and workmanship on every visit.

Call (253) 234-1278 today to request an HVAC service appointment for your Kent-area home.