Air Conditioning IssuesHeating IssuesWhat is the Best Temperature for House in Winter and How to Maintain it?

When the temperature outside is dropping, it’s important that your home stays warm and comfortable without breaking the bank. You may be looking at your energy bill thinking “what temperature should I keep my house at?” You are not alone, every year homeowners struggle to figure out a consistent temperature throughout the seasons that will keep their home cozy. Finding a satisfactory house temperature in winter that all of the family members can agree on makes finding an average number difficult.

Thankfully, here at Alpha Mechanical we care about your comfort needs and have done the research about the best thermostat setting for winter, making it easy to maintain that ideal thermostat setting to keep your energy bills from skyrocketing on those cold nights.

There are a number of different factors to consider that affect a comfortable room temperature on a room to room basis:

• Who occupies your home, babies and/or elderly people
• Air humidity (and how to control it)
• Pets and houseplants
• Physical activity/clothing worn indoors
• Health of everyone in your home

If humidity is high in the air, the room temperature needs to be lower and if air humidity is not an issue, the room temperature needs to be higher. If a room is too warm it can have a negative impact on your ability to concentrate, this is important to keep in mind for office spaces.

On the other hand, if the air is too cold, it can increase the risk for common colds and even heart attacks or pneumonia. It also increases the risk of mold spores growing and creating respiratory problems. Electricity costs are another important aspect to think about when considering the temperature for the thermostat in winter. If you’re in need of a heat pump repair or furnace replacement services, Alpha Mechanical can assist with those too.

According to a government study from the Department of Energy & Climate Change, the average amount of time we should heat our homes for those with central heating is 7.5 hours a day while for households without central heating the average is around 13 hours.

According to a government study from the Department of Energy & Climate Change, the average amount of time we should heat our homes for those with central heating is 7.5 hours a day while households without central heating the average is around 13 hours.

The criteria for deciding on room temperatures rely on the level of activity and occupancy that the room holds.

Any area in the home that is not used as a normal living space should be cooler, this means hallways, entryways, storage rooms, and even office spaces.

The bedroom should be slightly cooler also this is because you generally spend your time there sleeping so you are already kept warm with bedding.

Bathrooms should be on the warmer side in order for people to adjust to the air temperature after stepping out of the hot shower. The steam in the air will already create humidity in the room meaning that your furnace won’t struggle to maintain that higher temperature and work overtime.

Children’s bedrooms should also be slightly warmer when they sleep depending on the age range to ensure a restful sleep and help them to regulate body temperature(s).

A living room is where you spend the majority of your time so they should be kept slightly warmer as well.

What temperature should your house be?

A good rule of thumb for deciding what is normal house temperature is if there are people at home throughout the daytime. Keeping the house between 70 and 72 degrees and gradually working toward 68 degrees, depending on comfort levels. If everyone is away from home during the daytime, or you’re asleep at night, we recommend to set thermostat to 66 degrees and aiming for 62 degrees if you are really trying to lower your energy bill. Gradually reducing the temperature by one degree each week can help your family easily become accustomed to the cooler heat temperatures which can also help you to save money.

The answer to the question of “what temperature to keep house in winter?” may also depend upon the type of thermostat your house uses. In order to achieve ideal heater temperature settings for the various zones throughout your home, consider making the change to a smart thermostat. These wifi-enabled technology devices have many benefits including allowing you to schedule the temperature of your home and communicate with your furnace system through an app on your smartphone. This device can show you when it plans to turn on and to what degree, which rooms are being heated and using the most energy and can allow you to manage that on that app.

Some models even have programmable heating settings which allow the device to detect when you are home and when you are gone to adjust home temperatures automatically. These types of thermostats allow you to save money long-term by managing energy usage and reducing your carbon footprint from your heating source. Alpha Mechanical offers thermostat and zoning services in Sacramento and can install the right technology specific to your home’s needs.

Since Sacramento does not have harsh winters, it is easier for your heating system to maintain its temperature. You can maintain temperatures within your home and increase energy efficiency more easily by instituting these rules:

• Insulate the inside of your attic and basement and seal any visible cracks in window seals
• Change out your furnace air filter punctually
• Schedule HVAC system maintenance