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Davetronz
10-02-2009, 06:32 PM
Hey guys,

In an effort to save some money this winter, I'm looking for some tips on setting my programmable thermostat.

It has the typical settings for weekday and weekend operation, allowing distinct programs for each.

We typically keep a cooler house, only allowing the heat to hit a maximum of 18'C at any given time.

What should I set the thermostat down to during the day (keeping in mind that I have a dog)?

Any other programming tips that anyone can recommend?

FiveFreshFish
10-02-2009, 06:46 PM
I wouldn't go much lower than 16C. Need to consider the temperature for any house plants as well as your dog's temperature tolerance.

The house temperature takes some time to rise and fall. You can set the thermostat to switch off say a half hour before you leave for work, and then switch on an hour before you arrive home. Depends on the size of your house and the furnace efficiency.

lilmira
10-02-2009, 07:35 PM
Damn 18 is pretty cold, you must be wearing a lot of clothing.

I set mine at 20 when I'm active inside the house, 18 when I sleep and 16 when I'm away. I also have a separate thermometer and humidity monitor just to make sure.

masoncgy
10-05-2009, 08:30 AM
Originally posted by lilmira
Damn 18 is pretty cold, you must be wearing a lot of clothing.

I set mine at 20 when I'm active inside the house, 18 when I sleep and 16 when I'm away. I also have a separate thermometer and humidity monitor just to make sure.

Nice, those are the exact same settings I use in my home too... though during real cold winter days, I bump up from 20 to 21 or 22, depending on how chilled I am... ;)

I don't know of anyone who sets their homes lower than 15 degrees... in fact, with the homebuilder, we always used to keep all of our vacant homes at 15 degrees minimum.

Mibz
10-05-2009, 09:05 AM
Before I had a pet it was:
15 when I sleep
18 when I wake (So it's easier to get out of bed)
15 when I leave
19.5 when I'm back

I bumped those 15s up to 16.5 since then though.

Also, check to see if you thermostat learns how long it takes for temperatures to change in the house. I didn't know mine did until I'd had it for awhile, and I was running everything an extra hour that I didn't need to.

Davetronz
10-05-2009, 10:51 AM
Originally posted by Mibz
Before I had a pet it was:
15 when I sleep
18 when I wake (So it's easier to get out of bed)
15 when I leave
19.5 when I'm back

I bumped those 15s up to 16.5 since then though.

Also, check to see if you thermostat learns how long it takes for temperatures to change in the house. I didn't know mine did until I'd had it for awhile, and I was running everything an extra hour that I didn't need to.

I experimented with the settings this weekend and I've pretty much gone with the same settings you've described in your post, except for that 19.5 set to 18.

When it gets colder I might need to bump up to 16/19.

I hope I see "some" difference on my natural gas bill... Before this we were just "holding" a temperature constantly... What a waste!

Mibz
10-05-2009, 11:04 AM
Originally posted by Davetronz
I hope I see "some" difference on my natural gas bill... Depends a lot on how efficient the house already is. We've got retarded vaulted ceilings and our thermostat is in a relatively cold part of the house so we didn't notice a whole lot of difference. It's also why I turn mine up to 19.5 after work but only 18 in the morning. My room heats up very quickly and stays hot but the living room requires a lot more to stay heated.

You'll find the best settings for your house on your own in no time ;)