from Joe in Wichita, KS:
#993
How wide of a temperature swing for a 3 day setback? I'm trying to determine the optimal thermostat settings for a church. The building is used Sundays and Wednesdays. We were doing about 10-12 degree setback. A furnace repairman said not do do more than 6 because it has to work harder to catch up, and wastes the savings. That seems counter-intuitive to me. But I was wondering about too large of a temperature swing damaging the furniture over time. What is the optimal setback for our situation?
Focus recommends setting the thermostat to 55 degrees.
It is a good idea to set the thermostat back. In fact, for each eight-hour period, businesses can save 1 percent on heating costs for each degree they lower the thermostat. For your situation, Focus recommends setting the thermostat to 55 degrees. Just be sure to start warming up the space a few hours early so that the pews aren’t cold when people arrive.
Published Wednesday, March 16, 2011