Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Turn Your Heat Off Nightly

With parts of the country struggling with power at the moment, now is a great time to consider how you can save energy yourself with your own HVAC system. One solution that many people believe is effective is turning off the heat at night while you sleep. Winters in Los Angeles aren’t particularly harsh, so this solution might actually have some merit. But is it really a good idea?

On the surface, turning off your heat at night may seem to make sense. Depending on your heating system, you may be conserving power, fuel or both. But how do daily on and off cycles affect your system in the long run? This is the question our experts at Reliable AC & Heat try to answer here.

How HVAC Systems Work

The next time your heating and AC maintenance service provider comes for an inspection, ask them specifically how heating and cooling systems work. When starting from a completely off state, your HVAC system will spend the first few minutes of its operation working to reach the temperature you’ve set on your thermostat. Often, this means it consumes the most power during startup. Do this often enough, and you’re essentially nullifying any savings you achieve by turning it off every night.

Less Comfort

When you turn your heat off for the night, you’re likely to sleep less comfortably due to the temperature. These disturbances can add up and adversely affect your daily life. Doctors recommend keeping your nightly temperature at 60 degrees or higher. Anything below this would not be conducive to restful sleep.

What Should You Do?

Daily power cycles of your heating system may mean more frequent visits from your central heating service provider. Instead of turning off your heat, consider lowering the thermostat by a few degrees instead. For every one degree you turn your temperature down at night, you’ll save approximately 1% on your annual heating bill.

Keep your heating unit in good shape this season with the help of our HVAC experts at Reliable AC & Heat. Give us a call at (818) 423-4285 or fill out our contact form to schedule a service visit or request a free estimate on a new HVAC installation today.