Should I Turn My Furnace Off When on Vacation?

As winter weather approaches and you gear up to take winter vacations and visit family for the holidays, you may be wondering if you can turn off your O’Fallen home’s furnace while you are away. While turning off your furnace while you are gone for several days may save the most money on your heating costs, you should never completely turn off your furnace during the winter due to the risk of returning home to frozen and burst pipes.

Vacation Thermostat Settings for Heat Pumps and Electric Furnaces

Home heating thermostats can be set as low as 55 degrees while you are away on vacation. This will keep your home above freezing and help prevent frozen plumbing pipes. However, reheating your home once you return from vacation can eliminate all of your savings due to the high cost of electricity.

A better rule of thumb is to decrease your thermostat by three to four degrees prior to leaving for vacation. You’ll save between two and three percent on your home heating costs per degree, and you won’t eliminate your savings when you return home and reheat your home.

Vacation Thermostat Settings for Gas and Oil Furnaces

Gas and oil don’t tend to be as expensive per therm as electricity. This means you can set your thermostat lower without removing your savings when you return home and reset your thermostat to its normal settings. A good rule of thumb is to reduce your thermostat by four to eight degrees for maximum savings. However, you should never set your thermostat below 55 degrees as this could result in frozen plumbing pipes.

Getting Your Furnace Ready for Vacation

At Hoff heating & A/C in O’Fallen, MO, we want to help you prevent frozen plumbing pipes and save money on your home heating costs. This is why we offer preventative maintenance. Getting your furnace inspected for worn or damaged parts and repairing any problems before you go on vacation can help prevent furnace breakdowns and frozen pipes while you are away. Give us a call today!