As the holiday season quickly approaches, you and your family may be planning a vacation somewhere warmer than Maryland! Whether you’re going to visit family for the holidays, New York City for New Year’s, or Florida to escape winter, there are several steps a homeowner should take before leaving their home.
Many homeowners in the Maryland and Washington, DC, areas question whether they should turn off their furnaces while they go on vacation. While turning off your furnace can save you money on your utility bills, it can also cause more harm than good.
To prevent coming home to a disaster, keep your furnace on. Continue reading to learn why!
Why Keep Your Furnace On While On Vacation?
Whether you’re leaving your home for one weekend or one month, it’s important to keep your furnace on to help prevent a costly disaster. During winter, temperatures often drop below freezing. When temperatures drop, your home will become colder — especially in older homes. If your home gets to a freezing temperature, its pipes could freeze and burst. If pipes burst, you could come home to a cold, wet mess.
Depending on the extent of the damage, cleanup costs can cost $5,000 or more! To prevent a costly cleanup, keep your furnace on while you’re away from your home this winter.
Turn Your Furnace Thermostat Down Before You Leave for Vacation
Although it’s important to keep your home semi-warm while you’re away, you don’t want your furnace heating an empty house and increasing utility bills. We recommend turning your thermostat down to 60 degrees. At this temperature, your furnace will turn on when needed but won’t overwork itself.
Furnace Maintenance Tips Before You’re Away This Winter
Before you go on vacation, it’s important to make sure your furnace is running safely and efficiently. Because your system will be running without you there, you want to make sure your system is safe and isn’t causing any fire hazards. Before you leave your home, make sure you complete the following tasks:
- Clean air filter
- Check wiring for any noticeable damage
- Note any strange noises coming from the unit
- Contact your local HVAC contractor to schedule maintenance
Although it’s rare for winters in Maryland and Washington, DC, to be frigid, it’s important to have a trusted neighbor or relative check on your home several times while you’re away. If temperatures are below 20 degrees for an extended amount of time, you want someone you trust to make sure there’s no water damage while you’re away. If there is damage spotted, have your home caretaker let you know right away.
Learn More from Michael Bonsby HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical
Before you leave your home for an extended amount of time this winter, schedule maintenance with Michael Bonsby HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical. We can ensure your furnace will run safely before you leave so you can worry less while you’re away.
Contact us today to schedule service!
FAQs
Is it safe to turn off my furnace entirely while on vacation?
In most cases, turning it completely off during cold weather isn’t recommended. Doing so increases the risk of frozen or burst pipes, especially in regions where temperatures drop below freezing.
What thermostat setting should I use while away to save energy without risking damage?
Instead of turning your furnace off, lower the thermostat to a moderate “vacation mode.” Many suggest setting it around 55–60 °F (or the lowest safe level for your home) so the furnace only runs when needed to prevent freezing.
Does keeping the furnace on waste a lot of energy when no one is home?
It will use some energy, yes but the cost of preventing damage (like pipes bursting) generally outweighs the cost of letting it cycle minimally. The trick is to reduce the setpoint, not shut it off completely.
