HVAC TIP FROM BILLY: Don’t be a Yo-Yo!
HVAC definition of a Yo-Yo: Someone who turns their thermostat up or down more that 5 degrees thinking it will lower utility bills.
Well let’s start with heating, if you have a heat pump this temperature swing will cause your heat strips to come on using up to 5 times the energy that a heat pump uses to heat the same space. If you have a gas furnace and you let the house get to cold the gas furnace will have to add many more BTU’s (heat) to the living space to bring it to a comfortable temperature resulting in longer and more frequent run time and more wear and tear on motors and heat exchangers which equals more energy and repair costs, not to mention your house is cold!
Now for cooling, setting your thermostat high or off when your gone and then turning it on when you get back is one of the most harmful things you can do to your system. If you let your living space get hot your AC unit will have to remove all the heat and humidity to reach your set point. As the temp goes down the heat that was absorbed by the carpet, walls, furniture, etc. will start to come out and will also need to be removed at one time! The units are not designed for this, it’s what we call a hot pull down. Pressures in the system will be high. Oil in the compressor can be pushed out into the system. Run times will be extremely long, well past design parameters.
The solution to these problems is to install a programmable thermostat. You will save money and wear and tear on your system by adjusting the temperature in your house while you are away/sleeping by 3-5 degrees automatically. Thermostats are the interface to you HVAC system. It tells it when to come on, what part of the system to activate (heating, cooling, ventilation, etc.). Thermostats have come a long way. Can your thermostat send you a text to tell you the HVAC system is not functioning properly? Can you adjust the temperature from your smart phone from anywhere? Can you program the times you will be gone to work or asleep to lower energy bills? These and many other functions are possible with the new technologies incorporated in the new generation of thermostats!