Many homeowners don’t realize that making a home prep list before they leave on vacation can give you real peace of mind while you are away. Here are some ways to prepare your home mechanical equipment when you’re planning time away this summer:

• Leave your cooling system on – Even though you won’t be home, turning your air conditioner off could allow excessive, damaging heat in your home, with the lack of air conditioning, your home’s humidity level will increase considerably. Set your thermostat to 78-80 degrees F. to help maintain a good temperature and humidity level.
• Get your system cleaned and checked before leaving – To ensure that your cooling system is operating smoothly while you’re gone, hire an HVAC professional to give the air conditioner a check up before you leave, if you haven’t already done so.
• Install quality digital thermostat – If your home doesn’t already utilize a programmable thermostat, we recommended getting one installed. This device will allow you to set an energy-saving higher temperature while you’re gone, and return to a comfortable temperature shortly before you return. A WiFi thermostat adds the ability to control the temperature remotely.
• Leave a phone number for your HVAC technician – You should have a neighbor or housesitter keep an eye on things while you’re gone. This person should also be given the contact information of your Air Conditioner professional in case anything goes wrong with your HVAC system while you are away.
• Place a few lights on timers –  For safety reasons and to conserve energy, place your lights on timers that will alternate times of operation, making it seem like you’re still home.

For more expert advice on how to prepare when you’re planning time away from home, or if you have any home comfort concerns, please contact us at Overland Park Heating & Cooling, Inc. We’ve been serving the HVAC needs of Greater Kansas City and the surrounding area since 1983.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Overland Park, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).