Is programming thermostat best way to control home temperature, and will it vary

1. 73

   brakel2posted 10 years ago

   Is programming thermostat best way to control home temperature, and will it vary by  two degrees?
   
   What about override ability. Older people seem to have difficulty controlling heat and cooling and become confused about programming and times of day.

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2. 74

   Wakerraposted 10 years ago

   its probably going to vary, depending on how big the house is, and where you are.  The thermostat picks up temperatures in the room its located in.  Depending on how well/poor your circulation is, some rooms could be colder, and some hotter.  There is usually only one furnace, and that furnace has to blow air through a network of vents, which gravity and distance can have a HUGE factor in which rooms receive the most air.  Coolers can be about the same, but in different locations.  If you have a swamp cooler on top of your house, its probably going to be the coolest directly below it, and if you're thermostat is on the other end of the house, it'll take it a while to feel that temperature.

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      SuperiorInteriorsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Great answer!  You can also try closing the air vents in the rooms that you don't use like the restrooms and other areas where cool is not necessary!  It increases the air flow to all of the other vents in your house.  Saves time cooling down + $$$!

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3. 67

   SuperiorInteriorsposted 10 years ago

   Yes, keeping the temperature at a stable level will maximize efficiency.  This way your A/C will not have to overwork to cool the home down every time you adjust the thermostat. 
   
   Also, the temperature will naturally vary + or- a few degrees as the cooling system senses changes in temperature and adjusts accordingly!  Hope this helps!

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4. 75

   CraftytotheCoreposted 10 years ago

   We have a programmable thermostat.  I really like it because it helps save money.  I set it on 78 for AC.  It only comes on when the house temp is higher than that.  Vice versa for heat. 
   
   It was very confusing for me to try to program it.  My husband programmed ours and it kept defaulting to times and temps we didn't set it. 
   
   I've never noticed it varying by 2 degrees, but once my husband figured it all out, it's worked great ever since.

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5. 60

   win-winresourcesposted 10 years ago

   Hi Brakel2-
   
   In the HVAC (heating/ventilating/air conditioning) industry there is a key concept of "diversity".  This means that you do not want your heating and cooling temperatures set too close together as they will end up conflicting with one another causing both units to cycle on - very expensive and not very comfortable.
   
   Newer programmable thermostats are much easier to understand and program - and do indeed save money and make the living environment more comfortable.
   
   If the programming is beyond you, pay the $50 to have the HVAC guy (or your children) do it for you.  You'll be glad you did.

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   1. 67

      SuperiorInteriorsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      How far apart would you advise clients to set their heating and cooling temperatures apart?

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