You see them everywhere on the Western Slope. Ski homes in Aspen, Vail, and other large seasonal homes sit empty for long periods of time while the owners are away traveling. Most homeowners don’t know that AC tune-ups are important to keep their vacation property safe and cool when they are away.
Climate Control Company want to make sure the folks taking care of those homes, often property managers, have good information about how to deal with these vacation vacancies. Let’s start with some important summer HVAC tips.
Never Turn Your Thermostat Completely Off
- Yes, it’s a waste of energy to keep your house cool when no one is home. Turn the thermostat up. A good number for your air conditioning is from 80 to 82 degrees.
- As tempting as it is to save energy and money, shutting the AC off could make the house too hot. The heat could damage plants and even wood floors.
- Colorado is blessed with a dry summer climate, but running the air conditioner also controls the humidity. Moisture can cause mold problems in the home. With your system constantly running, it’s vital to call in a technician for regular AC tune-ups to make sure your system is functioning safely and efficiently.
Consider a Programmable Thermostat
- If there’s not one in the home, now is a good time to talk with Climate Control about getting one. Our featured thermostats are from Honeywell and Lennox.
- Most will have a factory pre-programmed vacation mode. It will keep the house at a constant temperature while it’s vacant. The temperature can be adjusted, but again, don’t go overboard.
- You can also program the thermostat to cool the house back to a normal level if you know when it’s going to be used again. This can all be done remotely with a mobile device if it’s a WiFi thermostat.
Keep Unwanted Sunshine Out
- Close all the mini blinds and curtains when no one is there to keep the house cool
- The only exception is in a room where you’re leaving the lights on for security reasons.
When the house is empty it is also a great time to call in the Climate Control technicians for AC maintenance and a tune-up. It ensures the system will cool efficiently while the home is vacant.
Now that the HVAC systems are under control, let’s deal with a few other ways to save money and protect a vacant home.
Set the water heater to vacation mode. If it doesn’t have that setting, turn it down to low or off. It makes no sense to keep all of the water hot while the home is empty.
Not to overstate the obvious, but make sure all the doors and windows are locked. Leave some lights on. If you use a timer to vary the time they go on and off, even better.
Schedule Your AC Tune-Up Today
If you have any questions, call Climate Control Company for your AC tune-up service or any HVAC needs. for Vail, Aspen, and the surrounding area for all your maintenance, replacement or service needs.
