With the holiday season here, most people find themselves, their home, and their time filled with gatherings with friends and family. From festive holiday parties to New Year’s celebrations, creating the right ambiance for these special occasions is crucial to ensure everyone feels comfortable and in high spirits. Among the many factors that contribute to a warm and inviting setting, one key element stands out, the ideal temperature of your home. We are going to review how you can find the perfect temperature for your holiday gatherings and share some tips to ensure your celebrations are memorable, comfortable, and enjoyable for all.
What Temperature do Most People Prefer for Their Home and Why?
Individual preferences for room temperature can vary widely, but studies have shown that the average person tends to feel most comfortable when the indoor temperature falls between 65°F to 72°F. At this temperature range, most people are less likely to feel too hot or too cold, facilitating optimal relaxation and social interactions during holiday gatherings. The World Health Organization recommends keeping indoor temperatures between 64°F and 75°F for healthy people. The minimum temperature should be kept above 68°F to protect the very young, the elderly, or people with health problems.
As we said, the ideal temperature for a home can vary greatly depending on who is in it. Several factors can influence an individual's temperature preferences, and they may vary from person to person. Some of the key factors include:
Setting the Ideal Temperature for Holiday Gatherings
When it comes to the recommended ideal temperature for your home, we have reviewed it before; however, with all the fun of the holiday season, in case you need a reminder, we have got you covered. According to the US Department of Energy, “You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F to 70°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home.” If money isn’t a factor, than try to keep your home’s temperature within the range suggested above by The World Health Organization.
Now that we have reviewed the recommended ideal temperature for savings and comfort and the factors influencing temperature preferences, let's explore some tips for setting the ideal temperature during holiday gatherings:
Keep in mind, as we mentioned above, having more people in your home can make your home warmer than normal, so be prepared to turn the heat down a bit and even open a window if needed. If you are going to have cooking devices running or a fire going, you may consider knocking the temperature down a bit before your guests arrive, to account for the extra heat being produced.
The ideal temperature for holiday gatherings is a delicate balance that can significantly impact the overall enjoyment of the event. By understanding the recommended indoor temperature suggestions and considering individual preferences, you can create a warm and inviting atmosphere that helps facilitate cherished memories during the festive season.
When it comes to your home’s comfort, Bragg Cooling, Heating & Plumbing is here for all of your Marin, Sonoma, and Napa County needs. We are heating experts and offer a wide range of heating services. Contact us today to ensure a holiday season filled with warmth, joy, and unforgettable moments with loved ones.
Believe it or not, the temperature you keep your home at, while you and your family are trying to sleep, can make all the difference in just how restful your slumber is. So, what’s the ideal sleeping temperature and why?
What’s the Ideal Sleeping Temperature?
In general, the suggested temperature, for when you are trying to doze off, should be between 60°F and 67°F for optimal sleep (Sleep.org). When trying to fall asleep, your body temperature decreases to initiate sleep and the proposed ideal temperatures can help expedite this. If your room is cool, rather than warm, it will be much easier to shut your eyes for the night.
Your body’s internal temperature shifts during a 24-hour period. This is known as a circadian rhythm. Your body begins to shed warmth right about the time you go to bed and continues to cool down until reaching its low point near daybreak, at around 5 AM (healthline). The ideal sleeping temperature range is cool enough to promote the body's natural sleep process by lowering core body temperature, while also keeping you warm enough to prevent discomfort and shivering.
To put this simply, a cool, but not cold, room will help you settle into and maintain sleep throughout the night. One 2012 study found that the temperature of the room where you sleep is one of the most important factors in achieving quality sleep. Keep in mind, factors like bedding materials, pajamas, and humidity levels can also impact your comfort while sleeping, so it's important to consider all of these factors when creating your ideal sleep environment.
If you have a programmable thermostat, you can program it to be within the ideal sleeping temperature range for the times that you and your family normally lay your heads on your pillows.
Are There Benefits (Other than a Good Night’s Sleep) for Keeping Your Home Within the Ideal Sleeping Temperature Range?
There are several health benefits to keeping your sleeping environment cooler:
Overall, keeping your sleeping environment cooler and within the ideal sleeping temperature limit can lead to several health benefits; however, it’s important to find a temperature that feels comfortable for you and doesn't leave you feeling too cold or too warm.
When it comes to your Marin, Sonoma, or Napa County home’s comfort, Bragg Cooling, Heating & Plumbing is here for you. If you are struggling to catch some zs, there could be an issue with your HVAC system. Give us a call and we can help you diagnose and resolve the problem, so you can get back to resting easy.
Being comfortable in your Marin, Sonoma, or Napa County home is important, but your family’s comfort levels can come with increased energy bills. There is a delicate balance between your family’s preferred indoor temperatures and the money you are paying to keep up with them. If you are trying to find the right place to land, when it comes to your home’s air conditioning temperatures, you are not alone. What temperature should you keep your home at during the summer? Let’s review.
What Temperature Should you Keep Your Home at During the Summer?
Having your air conditioning set to a very low temperature can not only cost you more, it can put extra strain on your system, leading to an increase in breakdowns and shortening its life. As the summer sets in and the warmer temperatures stick around, you and your family of course want to escape the heat from the outside, inside of your home; you can do so, without blasting the air.
To stay comfortable and save money this summer, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to 78°F (26°C) when you are home. Setting your air conditioner to this level will allow you to stay cool and avoid an unusually high electricity bill. We know, that may seem much too high for most people; however, the smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.
Turning your thermostat up seven to 10° F higher while you are away at work, or any time you're out of the house for more than two hours, can help you save as much as 10 percent on cooling costs. With that being said, what temperature you should keep your home at during the summer, depends on if you are there are not. To save money and energy while you're away, set your thermostat to 88°F. The higher interior temperature actually slows the flow of heat into your home, so it won't take as much energy to cool things back down when you return home.
Tips for Keeping Your Home Comfortable While Saving Money
If you are looking to still maintain comfort levels in your home, while following the above temperature recommendations, there are some things you can do to avoid needing to turn the temperature setting down. These include:
As we said, when it comes to what temperature you should keep your home at during the summer, we know that there is a balance between comfort and costs. At Bragg Cooling, Heating & Plumbing, our goal is to ensure that you are comfortable in your home all year long. We can help you find the right HVAC unit for your home and family, repair AC issues you may be facing, tune up your cooling system so it works at its best, and more. When it comes to your comfort, you deserve the best solutions at the best value. All of our technicians and installers are Bragg employees dedicated to providing you with personalized solutions that meet your goals and budget.
December 20, 2022
Do you like to keep your home warm and cozy? Do you like to lower the temperatures in your home and keep it cooler while you are sleeping? Did you know that there is actually a recommended temperature range that you should keep your home at? Try to take a guess at what that range is. Do you think you have it? The truth is, most people keep their homes much warmer in the winter months and much cooler in the summer months than they really should. So, what’s the ideal temperature for your home?
What’s the Ideal Temperature for Your Home?
We all find different temperatures to be comfortable throughout our homes, but most Marin, Sonoma, and Napa County homeowners want to find a balance between comfort and higher energy bills. By keeping your home at the temperatures we review below, you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling expenses. Energy.gov provides the below recommendations.
Depending on the season, the ideal house temperature for both comfort and efficiency is between 68° to 78°F.
You can save energy in the winter by setting your thermostat to around 68°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home. To stay comfortable and save money in the warmer months, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to 78°F when you are home and higher while you are away. While 68°F may seem much too cold for your home and 78°F may seem way too warm, these temperatures have proven to cut energy costs and still keep most people comfortable.
During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature. The same concept applies to raising your thermostat setting in the summer; a higher interior temperature will slow the flow of heat into your house, saving energy on air conditioning.
Change your temperature settings when you sleep and are away from the home.
As referenced above, you should change your home’s temperatures when you are away or sleeping. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can easily set day and time ranges, so it can change the settings for you. This will help you avoid any discomfort by returning temperatures to normal before you wake or return home. The Department of Energy suggests changing your normal temperature settings by 7° to 10°F while you are away from the home.
What is the best temperature for sleep?
When it comes to the ideal temperature for your home, as we said, this varies by time of year, time of day, and if you are actually there or not; however, did you know that there are also scientific reasons why you should sleep at a certain temperature? It’s true, changing the temperatures at night won’t just save you money, it can lead to a much better night of rest as well.
The suggested bedroom temperature is between 60°F and 67°F for optimal sleep (Sleep.org). When trying to fall asleep, your body temperature decreases to initiate sleep and the proposed ideal temperatures can help accelerate this. If your room is cool, rather than warm, it will be much easier to shut your eyes for the night. Keeping the temperature while you sleep either too hot or too cold while you are trying to catch some shut-eye may affect the drop in your body’s internal temperature and cause you to have an anxious sleep.
Did you Guess the Right Ideal Temperature for Your Home?
Remember when we had to guess the ideal temperature range above, did you get it right? The truth is, most people don’t really think about saving money when it comes to heating and cooling their homes, they just want to be comfortable, but by giving the recommended temperature range a try you could see some major rewards in your wallet.
While Bragg Cooling, Heating & Plumbing can’t be there to adjust the temperature in your home every day, we can help you with all of your Marin, Sonoma, and Napa County heating and cooling needs.
When it comes to your comfort, you deserve the best solutions at the best value. All of our technicians and installers are Bragg employees dedicated to providing you with personalized solutions that meet your goals and budget. Contact us today.