Updated: November 28, 2023
Should You Turn Off Your AC When You Leave For Vacation?
Many homeowners would answer “yes” to this question. And, it makes sense why. After all, why would you want to cool a home that isn’t being occupied? While it may be best to turn off your AC if you’re planning on being away for weeks, you should consider leaving it on if you’re only going on vacation for a few days. And here’s why.
Why Should You Set Your AC On When On Vacation
1. High Humidity Levels
During the summer, humidity levels are much higher than other times of the year. Your air conditioner plays a key role in managing those levels. If you turn your AC off, you may not only come home to an unbearably uncomfortable home, but you could also be walking in to mold growth.
2. Uncomfortable Home
As we briefly mentioned above, turning off your air conditioner could mean you’d walk in to an uncomfortable, sweltering hot home at the end of your vacation. While you may be thinking it’s a waste of energy to keep it running while you’re gone, it actually would be the opposite. Your air conditioner will have to work in overdrive to try and cool your home down, meaning there will be an added stress on your unit and higher energy bills as a result.
3. Stress On Your Appliances
While appliances like your freezer and refrigerator are designed to maintain cool environments, turning off the AC – especially if you live in a very hot climate – can cause stress and damage to these appliances. High temperatures can overwork these appliances, causing breakdowns, added stress, and more. Not to mention, if you have food in your pantry that you’re hoping to be able to eat when you come home, you may want to consider leaving that AC unit on. Otherwise, you could be coming home to a pantry full of spoiled food.
4. Damaged Electronics
Extremely high temperatures can cause circuits to melt, motors to damage, and screens to crack. Having to replace these items would cost much more than leaving your AC running when you’re not home!
So, what’s the solution? What Temperature to Set Your AC When You Are Away?
You don’t have to keep your AC at an extremely cool temperature. In fact, you can set it at a higher temperature while you’re away and it’ll still do its job to protect your appliances, electronics, and your home as a whole. We recommend setting it to 75-85 degrees. That will help keep high temperatures and humidity at a good level when you aren’t home. Another solution would be to install a programmable thermostat if you don’t already have one. This allows you to control your AC unit while you’re away.
Contact Temp Control Today For All Your Air Conditioning Needs In The Nashville, TN and Surrounding Areas!
As a family-owned and operated business, your comfort is our number one priority. Temp Control is your trusted source for all your air conditioning needs in the Nashville, TN and surrounding areas. To schedule routine maintenance, repair, replacement, or installation, contact us today at 615-837-4449 or online here.