Best Thermostat Settings for a Texas Summer

For most Highland Village and Argyle homes, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting the thermostat to about 78 degrees when you are home in summer, and higher when you are away. A smart thermostat automates the setbacks and can cut cooling costs without you thinking about it. Rush Plumbing & Air installs and sets up smart thermostats and controls. Call (469) 813-7100.

What temperature should I set in summer?

The Department of Energy suggests 78 degrees while you are home and awake, then several degrees warmer when you are out or asleep. Every degree you raise the setting during the day saves energy, and the smaller the gap between indoor and the brutal Texas outdoor temperature, the less your system strains. A ceiling fan lets you stay comfortable a degree or two higher because moving air feels cooler.

Should I turn the AC off when I leave?

Do not switch it off completely in a Texas summer. A house that bakes all day forces the AC to run flat out for hours to recover, and a home that gets too hot and humid risks the coil and even mold. Instead, set it up a few degrees while you are gone. A smart or programmable thermostat handles this automatically so the house is comfortable by the time you return.

Are smart thermostats worth it in North DFW?

Yes, for most homes. A smart thermostat learns your schedule, applies setbacks you would forget, and reports usage so you can trim waste, which pays back over a long cooling season. Rush installs and correctly configures the thermostat for your equipment, including heat pumps and multi-stage systems. See thermostats and controls.

Serving Highland Village and all of North DFW. Rush Plumbing & Air runs licensed plumbing and HVAC with upfront flat pricing, financing through Wisetack, GreenSky, and Synchrony, and a price-match on written quotes. A live person answers 24/7 at (469) 813-7100.

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Common questions

What is the best thermostat setting for a Texas summer?

The U.S. Department of Energy recommends about 78 degrees when you are home and awake in summer, with warmer setbacks of 7 to 10 degrees when you are away or asleep. In the North Texas heat, that balance keeps you comfortable while limiting how hard the system works, because the smaller the gap between your indoor setting and the extreme outdoor temperature, the less energy the AC burns. Every degree higher during the day trims a few percent off cooling costs. Pairing the thermostat with ceiling fans lets you sit comfortably a degree or two warmer, since moving air feels cooler on the skin without actually lowering the temperature. A smart or programmable thermostat automates the setbacks so you capture the savings without thinking about it. Rush Plumbing and Air installs and configures thermostats for Highland Village, Argyle, and all of North DFW. Call (469) 813-7100.

Does turning the AC off while at work save money?

Turning the AC completely off during a Texas workday usually backfires. The house heats and humidifies all day, then the system has to run at full tilt for two or three hours to recover, which erases much of the expected savings and stresses the equipment during the hottest part of the afternoon. It can also let indoor humidity climb high enough to risk condensation, musty odors, and mold on walls and vents. The better approach is a modest setback: let the thermostat drift about 4 to 7 degrees warmer while you are gone, then cool back down shortly before you return home. A programmable or smart thermostat does this automatically on a daily schedule. If your system struggles to recover on hot afternoons, it may be low on refrigerant, have a dirty coil, or be undersized. Rush Plumbing and Air can diagnose it. Call (469) 813-7100.

Can a new thermostat lower my energy bill?

A smart or programmable thermostat can lower cooling bills for most homes by applying setbacks you would otherwise forget, learning your daily schedule, and reporting usage so you can spot waste. The savings come from not cooling an empty house to the same temperature you use when you are home and awake. Over the long North Texas cooling season, which runs well into October, those automated adjustments add up to real money. The catch is correct setup: a thermostat wired or staged wrong for your equipment can run a heat pump on expensive backup heat or leave paid-for features unused. Rush Plumbing and Air installs the thermostat, verifies it is staged correctly for your specific system, and sets it up so it is genuinely easy to live with. We serve Highland Village, Argyle, and North DFW, and financing is available on larger control and zoning upgrades. Call (469) 813-7100.

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