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A few tips on how to set your programmable thermostat can save you time, trouble and energy.

Fact is, it’s hard to keep up with the changing hour-to-hour cooling requirements of a home. Constantly adjusting and readjusting a manual thermostat results in inefficient operation and wastes energy, not to mention time. A few minutes spent setting a programmable thermostat to monitor and adjust cooling and heating 7 Days a week takes that chore out of your hands and also enhances system performance, maximizes efficiency and makes household temperatures more consistent.

Learn how to set your programmable thermostat with these five guidelines.

1. Maintain the thermostat’s built-in energy-saving settings for time spans of at least eight hours, if possible. Minimizing programming changes during times when the home is unoccupied or residents are asleep keeps temperatures consistent, reduces on/off cycles of the air conditioner and saves energy.
2. If you need to briefly deviate from programmed settings, use the temporary override feature on your programmable thermostat instead of erasing the settings. The override will auto-cancel at the next programming period and return to normal programming.
3. Use the vacation hold feature to maintain temperatures while you’re away for more than a couple of days.  Program the temperature several degrees above normal during summer — 85 degrees is usually preferable — for the time you’re gone.
4. If the house is too warm, avoid pushing the thermostat setting down too far for quick cooling. It won’t work. Many programmable units use adaptive recovery technology that signals the thermostat to start the A/C well in advance of the time you’ve programmed a certain temperature, based on heat conditions in the home. This ensures a gradual, energy-saving cooldown, adjusted to daily temperature variations. Adaptive recovery maintains a memory of daily on/off times to accurately calculate start-up times.
5. If your home has more than one cooling or heating zone, install at least one dedicated programmable thermostat in each zone.

At Apollo Home Heating, Cooling and Plumbing in Cincinnati, we have a proven track record. Call us at (513) 268-8400 for more advice on how to set your programmable thermostat for maximum comfort and savings.