Are you trying to find that ideal temperature setting that is going to keep you warm in the coldest winter and cool during a boiling hot summer?
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Typically, temperatures between 68 and 78 F are considered ideal for the indoors and 60-67 F is the best range for sleeping. During the winter, you might want to keep the temperature at 68 F and in the summer – at around 78 F to lower your energy bills.
What Is Ideal Temperature Inside the House and Why?
The ideal house temperature lies between 68 and 78 F. Such a temperature setting will not only make you feel comfortable but will also help your HVAC system be as efficient as it can possibly be.
Keeping the temperature inside your house in this range is recommended, but, in some situations, a lower or a higher temperature might work better.
- Health conditions and age
People with various health conditions, as well as the elderly and small children may prefer higher temperatures.
- Humidity level
High humidity makes you feel hotter. For example, if the humidity if 70% and the indoor temperature is 83 F, you are going to be feeling as if it’s 88 F.
At the same time, the drier the air, the more moisture is going to evaporate from your skin making you feel colder than it’s actually is.
So, you might want to change the temperature on your thermostat, if the humidity level is not appropriate. Or consider buying a dehumidifier (humidifier).
- House size, orientation, and layout
You might want to lower the thermostat’s setting if you spend a lot of time in the south-facing room.
Empty rooms cool off much faster, while rooms that have plenty of furniture in them might feel warmer for a longer period of time.
- Thermostat location
A thermostat located in direct sunlight will measure the wrong average temperature. As a result, your house will feel a lot colder than it actually is (though the thermostat might be showing that the temperature is fine).
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Carefully choose the place where you want to install your new thermostat and reinstall the device if its location influences the accuracy of the readings.
To operate correctly, the thermostat has to be placed on an interior wall away from doorways, windows, drafts, direct sunlight, and skylights.
- Home occupancy
Finally, keeping the temperature in the range mentioned above makes sense only if you or your family members are home.
Read: Ideal Temperature Of The Water Heater
What Is the Best Temperature for Sleeping?
Keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool will help you enhance your sleep. Experts agree that a temperature between 60 and 67 F is perfect for a good-quality sleep.
Tip: the optimal sleeping temperature for babies is between 65 and 70 F.
If the temperature in your bedroom gets too high or too low, you are more likely to wake up.
Hot temperatures are a bigger disruptor of our sleep. If your bedroom is over 70 F, it means that it’s too hot and that you’ll experience trouble falling and staying asleep.
Cold temperatures do not disrupt the sleeping cycles as much, but if the temperature is way too low, your body is going to try and do its best to stay warm. As a result, a lot of extra pressure will be put on your cardiovascular system.
Hint: avoid eating foods high in sugar or drinking caffeine before bedtime. These products will increase your body temperature and will make you feel hotter.
Read: No Power To The Home Temperature Thermostat – Troubleshooting Guide
What Is a Reasonable Temperature for a House in Winter?
The temperature in your house can change throughout the year, simply because you might have to adjust the thermostat setting to feel more comfortable when it is freezing cold outside or boiling hot.
In the winter, we all want to stay nice and warm. But, at the same time, we don’t want to be spending a small fortune on the heating bill.
Based on these needs, the Department of Energy has come up with the perfect indoor winter temperature, which is around 68 F.
Read: Why Does The Room Temperature Not Match The Thermostat Setting?
Is 72 a Good Temperature for Heat in the Winter?
72 F and over is considered ‘excessive heating’. Such a temperature setting during the cold time of the year will result in an extremely high heating bill.
Furthermore, high temperatures will make the humidity level in your house drop. This, in its turn, will make you feel even colder.
Keeping the temperature a few degrees lower is recommended. If you feel comfortable at 72 F, you can try lowering the temperature even more.
Remember that the lower the temperature setting, the slower the heat loss in winter.
What Is an Unhealthy Room Temperature?
Unhealthy room temperatures are any temperatures that make you feel uncomfortable and the ones that can lead to various health issues.
Of course, every human has a different tolerance to different temperatures. Pay attention to how your body reacts to the temperature changes and choose the range that is optimal for you.
Is 65 Too Cold for House?
If you feel comfortable with the temperature in your house at 65 F, then you can leave it that way.
It is generally not recommended to lower the temperature below 63 F as such cold air can inflame lungs and inhibit circulation. Cold indoor temperatures are also associated with poor mental health.
You can lower the temperature at night as you’ll be spending this time under a warm blanket. However, you shouldn’t let the temperature get below 60 F.
Read: What Temperature Is A Heat Pump Not Effective?
Why Are Hospitals Kept So Cold?
The main reason why such health facilities as hospitals are kept cold is because cool temperatures help prevent bacterial and viral growth. The microorganisms thrive in warm environments.
Cooler temperatures also help prevent condensation buildup.
Finally, air conditioners keep the staff members comfortable. They are in constant motion and cooler temperatures help ensure that the staff members don’t sweat.
Is 78 Too Hot for a House?
Actually, 78 F is a great indoor temperature for the summer. Each degree set above 72 F will help you save up to 3% on cooling costs, so a lot of homeowners choose to keep the indoor temperature relatively high.
If 78 F isn’t cool enough for you, you can try taking advantage of a ceiling fan (it can effectively complement your air conditioner), closing the curtains during the day, and using heat-generating appliances in the late evening.
You can also use a dehumidifier. Drier air will help you feel less hot as your body can easily evaporate the moisture.
Read: What Size Dehumidifier Do I Need For My Crawl Space?
Is It Better to Keep House at Constant Temperature?
You might feel tempted to leave your air con at a low temperature so that when you come home, the rooms are nice and cool.
However, keeping the house at a constant temperature will lead to excessively high energy bills.
To keep the indoor temperature comfortable and, at the same time, not pay too much for your heating and cooling, you can try following the 8-hour rule. Simply change the thermostat setting when you leave to work and once again – when you come back.
Make 5-10-degree changes. For example, if you like keeping your indoor temperature at 70 in the summer, bump it up to 75 or 80 F when you’re away.
Hint: get a programmable thermostat, if you don’t want to be manually adjusting the temperature settings all the time.
Does Turning Down Thermostat at Night Save Money?
Lowering the thermostat setting at night will not only help you have a goodnight’s sleep, but it can also help you save money on your energy bills.
In fact, you can save up to 1% per year on your heating bill for each degree (for 8 hours). So, if you drop the temperature by 10 degrees when you’re sleeping, you’ll be saving around 10% on a yearly basis.
Hint: you can do the same trick when you leave your house for work.