Every centralized heating and air conditioning system comes along with a thermostat. This thermostat is typically a digital guide that allows you to control how your heating and air conditioning system functions. It’s crucial that you understand all the different settings and modes that are possible so that you can set them to be the most efficient for your home.
Temperature
Depending on the specific style of thermostat that you have in your home, there will be readings for the desired temperature and the actual temperature. You can easily adjust the desired temperature by either scrolling a digital scale or pressing the up and down arrow buttons. The desired temperature is the temperature that you want the inside of your house to be.
Most home thermostats will display the actual temperature in your home and the desired set temperature. Some of the newer smart thermostats will display what the outdoor temperature is as well. This can give you some guidance on how you want to set the rest of your air conditioning system.
Heat /Cool
Every home thermostat will have a heat mode and a cool mode. When the thermostat is on heat mode, it turns the furnace or other heating system on to produce hot air. When the thermostat is on the cool mode, it turns the air conditioning components on to produce cold air inside of your home.
Contrary to popular belief, your home thermostat does not have to be on heat or cool mode to run. In fact, you can run your heating and cooling system fan when opening rooms that have stale air in them to help flush them out.
On Mode
One setting that confuses a lot of homeowners is the on-mode setting. When your system is set on the on mode, it will consistently run. Set the thermostat to cool mode, and your air conditioning system will consistently run. However, if you set it to heat mode, your furnace will continue to run. The only way to get your system to stop running is to switch it out of the on mode.
You’re likely wondering why anyone would want to set their air conditioner to the on-mode in the first place. The on function is great for when you want to circulate air throughout your home without it kicking off when it reaches a certain temperature. It’s important to realize that setting your air conditioner or heating system to the on-mode will cause it to consume a lot of electricity, and you’ll have to manually shut it off.
Auto Mode
Auto mode is what most people think about when they picture their home air conditioning system. When your system is in auto mode, it will read the desired temperature that you have set the thermostat to. Anytime the temperature gets above that desired temperature when the cooling function is on, your air conditioner will kick off. If you have your thermostat set to the heat function, anytime the temperature gets below the desired temperature, the heating system will kick on.
The difference between on mode and auto mode is that in auto mode, the heating or cooling system will turn off once the actual temperature reaches the desired temperature. Auto mode is perfect for creating energy savings for your home as your system won’t be running when it’s unnecessary.
Relative Humidity
If you’ve ever noticed that it feels a lot warmer outside when the humidity levels are up, that’s because it does. When humidity levels are high, the human body is unable to expel most of its sweat. This is what makes us feel sticky and clammy. In fact, high humidity levels can make us feel up to 10 degrees warmer than the actual environment is.
If you have a newer air conditioning system, it’s likely that you have a relative humidity control function. This will allow you to input a relative humidity percentage that you would like your home to be at. Most experts recommend setting your indoor relative humidity between 30% and 45%.
By having the relative humidity function on your home thermostat, it will tell your air conditioning system to continue to run even if it’s reached the desired temperature. The system will run until the relative humidity level meets the desired relative humidity level. This setting is extremely beneficial for those humid summer days where it feels like you just can’t get cool.
Run Mode
If you have a programmable thermostat, then you’ll have a run mode. Run mode happens after you program specific temperatures into your thermostat for different times of the day. Unlike just putting it on the desired temperature and having your system always meet that desired temperature, a programmable thermostat allows you to change the desired temperature depending on the day of the week and what time it is in the day.
For example, let’s say that you program your thermostat to be at 88 degrees when you’re at work and 78 degrees when you’re going to be at home. When your thermostat is on run mode, it will follow those recommended settings instead of just the desired temperature that is set.
Hold Mode
While a programmable thermostat can be a great way to save your family money on energy costs throughout the year, it’s not always perfect. Schedule changes and unforeseen events happen. For example, let’s say you have your thermostat programmed to be at 88 degrees until 5 p.m. every day. Today, you decide that you’re going to skip out of work early to plan for the weekend. Instead of getting home at 5:30 p.m., you arrive home at 2 p.m.
Instead of having to go in and adjust the already programmed schedule that you want to continue to use in the future, the hold mode gives you another option. Hold mode allows you to suspend the run mode and manually set whatever desired temperature you want. Following the example above, you could use your smartphone to switch your smart thermostat to the hold function and set the temperature to 78 degrees so that it will be nice and cool at 2 p.m.
Eco Mode
Most smart thermostats come with some sort of eco mode that allows you to take advantage of more energy savings. Many of these smart thermostats track your daily behavior as far as your settings go and will make suggestions to help you reduce your energy costs. Instead of having to manually change all the settings to the recommendations, you can switch your thermostat to eco mode and let it take care of it for you.
Respectable AC Services
Sun City Plumbing, Heating and Cooling has provided AC services throughout the entire Buckeye area since 2003. If you need more information about setting your thermostat, we can help. We also provide plumbing, heating, and cooling installation, repairs, and maintenance. To schedule an appointment, simply give us a call today. Our experts are looking forward to assisting you.