Early summer temperatures in Tallahassee typically experience the widest daily fluctuations during this season, with cool mornings shifting to warm afternoons, often forcing homeowners to switch their HVAC systems from heating to cooling within a few hours. This temperature fluctuation makes it challenging to maintain proper thermostat settings for optimal household comfort and energy efficiency. So, what’s a Tallahassee homeowner to do?
The expert HVAC service professionals at Tallahassee’s Air Control Heating and Cooling are familiar with this summertime dilemma and know how to optimize comfort and energy efficiency with your thermostat. Here are their tips on managing the best thermostat settings in summer for Tallahassee’s fluctuating temperatures.
Understanding Tallahassee’s Summer Climate
According to Weather Atlas, Tallahassee has a humid subtropical climate, with conditions “that display minimal variation in temperature throughout the year,” though with the most notable variations in the early summer, as the region transitions from the cooler winter to the warmer summer. Average daily high temperatures generally range from 71.4°F in spring to 85.5°F with summer’s approach. Average daily lows increase from about 48.3°F in spring to 65.5°F as we enter June.
Meanwhile, Tallahassee’s humidity remains consistently high all year long. This makes warmer temperatures feel hotter and cooler temperatures feel damp, further challenging the determination of the optimal thermostat settings for early summer comfort and efficiency.
The Best Thermostat Settings for Tallahassee Summer Comfort
Personal preferences for indoor air temperatures vary, but setting thermostats to the following temperature ranges helps balance comfort and energy costs:
- Daytime: 74°F-78°F for cooling; 68°F-70°F for warmth on cooler summer days.
- Nighttime: temperatures between 65°F-68°F are considered ideal for maintaining sleep quality and working efficiently with warm and cool nights.
- When Away: 78°F-80°F helps reduce cooling costs during the day and limits excessive heating when it’s cooler at night.
If you have a programmable, or “smart”, thermostat, you can fine-tune these indoor temperatures throughout the day to better account for variations between nighttime cooling and daytime heating. To avoid the need to adjust a non-programmable thermostat during the early summer temperature fluctuations constantly, consider the following:
- Open curtains or blinds on chilly mornings to let in the sun’s warmth, and close them in the warmer afternoons to block it.
- Use fans to circulate the indoor air according to temperature. Running ceiling fans clockwise pushes warm air down, while counterclockwise rotation creates a cooling breeze. A portable fan during the summer afternoon warmth can reduce the need for A/C cooling.
- Layer your clothing and adjust the number of layers to suit the summer temperature changes.
- Ensure your windows and doors are properly sealed and insulated to mitigate the impact of outdoor-air temperature changes on indoor temperatures.
- Address humidity and enhance comfort using your HVAC system’s humidity control function or a standalone dehumidifier to maintain an indoor air humidity level of 50%-55%.
Creating a Smart Thermostat Schedule
If a smart thermostat controls your home’s HVAC system, you can program it to effectively manage the best thermostat settings for early summer temperature fluctuations and energy efficiency. Start by inputting your household’s daily routine, considering when family members are home, away, or asleep. Then, input a baseline summer temperature schedule. Based on Tallahassee’s climate and Department of Energy recommendations, your temperature schedule could look something like this:
- Morning (6:00 AM-9:00 AM): Warm the home in the early summer months when temperatures are typically below 60°F by setting the thermostat to 68°F. Later in the season, when morning temps are above 65°F, set the thermostat to 76°F.
- Daytime (9:00 AM-6:00 PM): If householders are home, 78°F is the ideal temperature for comfort and energy efficiency; however, you may want to adjust it to as low as 74°F depending on humidity levels. When no one is home, a setting between 80°F-82°F is the optimal temperature for energy efficiency.
- Evening (6:00 PM-10:00 PM): Set between 74°F-76°F for the best comfort.
- Overnight (10:00 PM-6:00 AM): During summer chilly nights, 65°F works best for comfort and efficiency, while 78°F-80°F is best for the later summer warmer nights.
To get the most out of your smart thermostat, take advantage of its other features, like:
- Geofencing: Detects when people are in the home to adjust temperatures accordingly.
- Weather Responsiveness: Anticipates temperature changes based on local forecasts.
- Learning Mode: Fine-tunes temperature schedule after learning thermostat preferences over time.
- Eco Mode: Automatically activates energy-saving temperatures when possible.
Why Thermostat Settings Matter for HVAC Efficiency
By effectively managing your home’s thermostat settings, you can save money on your power bill and reduce the strain on your HVAC system. Conversely, those who set their thermostats willy-nilly based on immediate personal comfort or set and forget inevitably pay higher energy bills and face a greater risk of needing unexpected HVAC repairs.
To optimize efficiency, ensure your HVAC system receives regular professional maintenance service. Air Control Heating and Cooling offers Tallahassee-area residents an annual maintenance plan that ensures peak HVAC operational efficiency throughout the year. Our variable membership tier, Air Control Club, provides an 18-point inspection, as-needed servicing, and other benefits. Our NATE-certified technicians can also assess your thermostat to ensure compatibility, alignment, and optimal operational efficiency with your HVAC system and upgrade it as necessary.
Turn to Air Control for Tallahassee-Area Indoor Air Comfort and Efficiency
For thermostat upgrades, HVAC maintenance, and all of your indoor air quality needs in the Tallahassee area, turn to Air Control Heating and Cooling. Providing expert HVAC service in Tallahassee, Havana, Quincy, Monticello, and Crawfordville for almost 60 years, you can reach us at (850) 562-1234.