Program thermostat or leave off while at work?

[TabbyCat]

Looking for advice on programing the thermostat. My husband met with a free consultant on energy efficiency (works for the energy company) and programmed the thermostat to only go down to 65 during the day while we're at work. Our energy bill last month was $110 more than the month before, with the increase all in gas (gas furnace, water heater and fireplace, electric for all appliances). I want to go back to turning the heat down to 50 like we had been. We're away from the 12 hours a day. We were only home 2 extra days in December vs. November.

Is it really "bad for the furnace to work too hard" getting it back up to temp at night? Husband thinks we can tweak the schedule to make it better but it seems silly to me.

[moof]

The only real damage to be afraid of is freezing pipes if you set it too low during a cold snap.  We only turn ours up to 65 morning/evening, and 60 at night and when we are out of the house during the day.  We set it to 55 when we are away for vacation.

[Sibley]

The energy consultant is likely working with a checklist. For most people, 65 in the house is cold. Provided your pipes aren't going to freeze and you're not freezing people or pets, set it for 50 if you want.

[TabbyCat]

Ok, thanks!

[ZiziPB]

I have my thermostat set to 60 when I'm at work and at night.  It's at 65-68 in the morning and evening.  With the house pretty well insulated, the furnace doesn't usually kick in at all when it's set at 60 because it takes a while for the house to cool down to that temperature.

[teen persuasion]

Looking for advice on programing the thermostat. My husband met with a free consultant on energy efficiency (works for the energy company) and programmed the thermostat to only go down to 65 during the day while we're at work. Our energy bill last month was $110 more than the month before, with the increase all in gas (gas furnace, water heater and fireplace, electric for all appliances). I want to go back to turning the heat down to 50 like we had been. We're away from the 12 hours a day. We were only home 2 extra days in December vs. November.

Is it really "bad for the furnace to work too hard" getting it back up to temp at night? Husband thinks we can tweak the schedule to make it better but it seems silly to me.

It depends on what your heating system is.  We've got baseboard hot water heat from an oil boiler - it warms up quickly.  At work we have a gas forced air furnace - also warms up quickly.  In both cases we use programmable thermostats and temps are scheduled to go down when no one is there.

I believe that using a heat pump is one situation where it is better to maintain steady temps.  To raise the temp a significant amount quickly requires supplemental heating elements, which are less efficient.

[frugalnacho]

Looking for advice on programing the thermostat. My husband met with a free consultant on energy efficiency (works for the energy company) and programmed the thermostat to only go down to 65 during the day while we're at work. Our energy bill last month was $110 more than the month before, with the increase all in gas (gas furnace, water heater and fireplace, electric for all appliances). I want to go back to turning the heat down to 50 like we had been. We're away from the 12 hours a day. We were only home 2 extra days in December vs. November.

Is it really "bad for the furnace to work too hard" getting it back up to temp at night? Husband thinks we can tweak the schedule to make it better but it seems silly to me.

Won't the furnace have to work even longer to maintain that temperature all day?

I say turn that shit way down.  Our thermostat never even sees 65* until spring rolls around.  We set it to 60 during the day, but it turns down to 55 at night.

[AnswerIs42]

My husband met with a free consultant on energy efficiency (works for the energy company) and programmed the thermostat to only go down to 65 during the day while we're at work. Our energy bill last month was $110 more than the month before

Sorry, but that is kinda amusing :)

[MsPeacock]

I turn mine to 55 during the day when we aren't home and 55 st night. It is only turned up to 68 for a couple hours. I think the PP who said that probably for most people 65 is cold so that is what the co sultans said was correct. Unless the consultant started from where you usually set your heat (50) he can't know that it will save you money to set it at 65.

[TabbyCat]

My husband met with a free consultant on energy efficiency (works for the energy company) and programmed the thermostat to only go down to 65 during the day while we're at work. Our energy bill last month was $110 more than the month before

Sorry, but that is kinda amusing :)

Yes, right? I've stated this small conflict a few times to husband as well. I do believe the guy thought he was giving good advice. I don't believe that advice is good for us.

[PJ]

My husband met with a free consultant on energy efficiency (works for the energy company) and programmed the thermostat to only go down to 65 during the day while we're at work. Our energy bill last month was $110 more than the month before

Sorry, but that is kinda amusing :)

Yes, right? I've stated this small conflict a few times to husband as well. I do believe the guy thought he was giving good advice. I don't believe that advice is good for us.

TabbyCat, I've heard something similar before from technicians from the company that serviced the furnace at the place I used to live.  There was no conflict of interest there, because they weren't from the energy company.  They recommended adjusting the thermostat by no more than a couple of degrees, and as I understood it, they weren't so much saying that it would cost less to keep the temperature fluctuations to a minimum, but that it causes the furnace to work extra hard when it has to catch up.  Not sure if that's just less efficient, or actually damaging for the equipment. 

It might be worth trying to ask your question in the "Ask a Mustacian" section of the forum, or the "DIY" section, and see if you can find someone who works in the industry?  Then you can find out whether the consultant just doesn't understand how frugal you guys are, or whether it actually can cause damage to your furnace   Then too, even if it potentially does damage the furnace and shorten its life, you have to compare your monthly savings with the cost of replacing the furnace a bit earlier.  It might still be worthwhile to stick to your uber frugal ways!

[theglidd]

It's always better to setback temperature as much as possible. It's a common myth that it doesn't save energy/causes issues with furance and a/c "catch-up".

I'm a mechanical engineer that specializes in HVAC design.

[frugalnacho]

My husband met with a free consultant on energy efficiency (works for the energy company) and programmed the thermostat to only go down to 65 during the day while we're at work. Our energy bill last month was $110 more than the month before

Sorry, but that is kinda amusing :)

Yes, right? I've stated this small conflict a few times to husband as well. I do believe the guy thought he was giving good advice. I don't believe that advice is good for us.

TabbyCat, I've heard something similar before from technicians from the company that serviced the furnace at the place I used to live.  There was no conflict of interest there, because they weren't from the energy company.  They recommended adjusting the thermostat by no more than a couple of degrees, and as I understood it, they weren't so much saying that it would cost less to keep the temperature fluctuations to a minimum, but that it causes the furnace to work extra hard when it has to catch up.  Not sure if that's just less efficient, or actually damaging for the equipment. 

It might be worth trying to ask your question in the "Ask a Mustacian" section of the forum, or the "DIY" section, and see if you can find someone who works in the industry?  Then you can find out whether the consultant just doesn't understand how frugal you guys are, or whether it actually can cause damage to your furnace   Then too, even if it potentially does damage the furnace and shorten its life, you have to compare your monthly savings with the cost of replacing the furnace a bit earlier.  It might still be worthwhile to stick to your uber frugal ways!

Furnaces don't work extra hard to catch up, they are either off or on.  It works longer to catch up, but still not as long as the total cumulative on time when the thermostat is set higher.

[PJ]

It's always better to setback temperature as much as possible. It's a common myth that it doesn't save energy/causes issues with furance and a/c "catch-up".

I'm a mechanical engineer that specializes in HVAC design.

My husband met with a free consultant on energy efficiency (works for the energy company) and programmed the thermostat to only go down to 65 during the day while we're at work. Our energy bill last month was $110 more than the month before

Sorry, but that is kinda amusing :)

Yes, right? I've stated this small conflict a few times to husband as well. I do believe the guy thought he was giving good advice. I don't believe that advice is good for us.

TabbyCat, I've heard something similar before from technicians from the company that serviced the furnace at the place I used to live.  There was no conflict of interest there, because they weren't from the energy company.  They recommended adjusting the thermostat by no more than a couple of degrees, and as I understood it, they weren't so much saying that it would cost less to keep the temperature fluctuations to a minimum, but that it causes the furnace to work extra hard when it has to catch up.  Not sure if that's just less efficient, or actually damaging for the equipment. 

It might be worth trying to ask your question in the "Ask a Mustacian" section of the forum, or the "DIY" section, and see if you can find someone who works in the industry?  Then you can find out whether the consultant just doesn't understand how frugal you guys are, or whether it actually can cause damage to your furnace   Then too, even if it potentially does damage the furnace and shorten its life, you have to compare your monthly savings with the cost of replacing the furnace a bit earlier.  It might still be worthwhile to stick to your uber frugal ways!

Furnaces don't work extra hard to catch up, they are either off or on.  It works longer to catch up, but still not as long as the total cumulative on time when the thermostat is set higher.

That's great to hear.  I'd always thought that it should be, as frugalnacho says, that the furnace is either on or off, but I've heard the "works extra hard" argument from too many people in the industry.  (We had a service contract at my last rented home, so technicians were in our house twice a year, and always surprised by our thermostat settings.)

Especially glad that theglidd chimed in, nice to have it confirmed by someone in the industry.

Sigh.

Unfortunately, now that I have tenants subletting the basement apartment in my current rented home, I have to leave the thermostat at 21 degrees for most of the year.  No extreme thermostat limbo for me these days!  (How low can you go?)