As winter truly beds in, most of us play a daily guessing game with the thermostat, trying to stay cozy without blowing the monthly budget. So, how long should the heating be on each day, anyway?
While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, there is a general goal HVAC pros recommend you aim for, so your house maintains a steady and comfortable temperature and avoids winter damage.
Here's how to balance comfort and costs to make your heating more efficient this winter – even in storm season – and the heating schedule to go for.
How Long To Leave Heating On Each Day
Annoyingly, there is no rule of thumb for how long your heating should be on each day. The figure is affected by several external factors, such as the weather and how well your home is insulated, according to Josh Mitchell, HVAC technician and owner of Air Conditioner Lab.
Rather than aim for a set number of hours, you want to achieve a semi-steady day temperature of around 68°Fahreheit, he says. This is the new home heating temperature standard designed to keep you comfortable and your home safe from cold-related damage. 'Temperatures below 55°F can cause condensation on cold walls, especially in older homes,' he warns. 'Lower it to 60-62°F when you’re gone for the day or sleeping.'
You can buy remote temperature sensors from Walmart to give you a good overview of the overall temperature across your home.
Heating Schedules
Keep to a steady heating schedule over winter to keep a home consistently cozy.
HVAC technician Josh shares, 'On average, in winter weather, most furnaces or boilers will cycle on and off for eight to 12 hours per day. That’s assuming daytime temps around 35-45°F (1 to 7°C) and nights in the 20s. But runtime isn’t all at once. You might experience two or three shorter cycles per hour, depending on how well-insulated and draft-proofed the house is, and how effectively the thermostat maintains the temperature.
'During a cold snap or snowstorm, when temps drop to 10°F (-12°C) or lower, I’ve seen older homes with poor insulation run their heat for 16 to 20 hours a day to keep the house at 68°F,' he continues.
This is why it is so important to include a thorough HVAC service as part of winterizing your home to prepare your heating system for prolonged running.
Generally speaking, you should follow an efficient heating schedule that works around your day-to-day activities, Josh says:
- Morning schedule: Heating the house 30 to 60 minutes before you wake up works best if you're trying to avoid long morning cycles. If your floors are tile or stone, they'll feel cold regardless of the thermostat setting. Warm air doesn't fix that right away. Letting the system run before you move around gives the walls and surfaces time to catch up. You'll use less energy this way than blasting the system after you're already cold.
- Leaving the house: If you're out for less than 4 hours, leave the thermostat around 60 to 62°F (15 to 17°C). That keeps the interior stable without letting things cool so much that the system has to run for an hour to recover. Shutting it off completely doesn't work unless you live in a modern, well-sealed house with R-30 walls and triple-pane glass. For most homes, recovery burns more fuel than holding. If you're gone for multiple days, set it to 55°F (13°C) and open the under-sink cabinets where pipes are near exterior walls to stop pipes from freezing. You don't want pockets of cold air forming in tight spaces.
- Midday burst: If you're home during the day and want to avoid long evening cycles, a 30 to 60-minute heat run around midday can help. That warms up the drywall, floors, and furniture. Once they're warm, they radiate heat back into the room, reducing the load on your system later. Without that, your system has to work harder during the evening to heat not just the air but every cold surface in the house. That's where you see hour-long cycles that spike energy use.
- Evening schedule: If you've been out, start heating 30 to 45 minutes before you return. Trying to heat the space after you walk in results in high-stage burner cycles or max draw from the electric coils. That's what drives up utility costs. Set the thermostat to 68 to 70°F (20 to 21°C) for a few hours during dinner and wind-down time. Then lower it to 60-62°F about an hour before bed. That gives your body time to adjust and therefore sleep better, and lets the furnace shut off earlier. Bedrooms and rooms on upper floors tend to trap heat anyway, so you don't need to keep the whole house at peak temperature overnight.
'The schedule works, but only if the airflow is correct, the thermostat is in a smart location, and the insulation holds,' Josh warns. 'You can start with the structure and fine-tune the schedule based on how fast your house loses heat.
'A furnace working less is good, but only if it's still keeping the building materials warm. That's what keeps your bills low and the system running longer without repairs.'
How To Maintain a Steady Temperature
A smart thermostat is the most efficient way to manage your heating
While the best way to achieve and maintain 68°F is through a smart thermostat, such as the Google Nest Smart Thermostat from Amazon, set to kick in whenever the temperature dips to maintain a constant temperature without running the heating all day.
However, if you cannot install a smart thermostat, all is not lost. You can still cut energy bills while staying comfortable. Josh recommends you:
- Seal the room you spend the most time in. That means closing the doors, installing a weatherstrip [from Walmart] around the door frame, and using a towel or door snake [weighted options from Amazon work well] at the bottom. That small fix cuts heat loss more than most people think.
- Keep furniture and curtains away from supply and return vents. When a couch or dresser blocks airflow, the furnace has to run longer and at higher temperatures to keep up. Homes can lose 10 to 15 percent of their efficiency when return vents are blocked, and that extra strain can wear the system down over time. Clearing them is the best free trick to make radiators heat up faster, too.
- Open curtains when the sun is out and close them at sunset. South-facing windows can raise room temperatures by 3 to 5°F on a sunny winter day, which delays the next heating cycle. Be sure to close them at night to keep heat in, opting for thermal curtains from Wayfair for the most benefit. It's one of many great curtain hacks for a warmer home.
- Use a plug-in space heater in the room you use most, but only if it’s safe and rated for indoor use. Pair it with a simple timer or manual thermostat plug to avoid running it nonstop. I’ve seen homeowners cut central heating time by 30 to 40 percent this way during short cold spells. Be aware of the most dangerous space heater mistakes, however, to minimize household fire risks.
What to Shop
This product applies crystal clear, and is highly durable, tight and wrinkle-free.
Insulating foam expands on application to fill gaps up to one inch in size, preventing air transfer for a warmer home.
Adhesive foam seals small gaps that allow drafts and humidity in, contributing to reduced energy costs by preventing air leakage around doors and windows.
Josh Mitchell, HVAC pro says, 'This is easy to use and great for people looking to monitor and control heating remotely. It also provides energy-saving suggestions based on your patterns.'
The Damp Duster is great for allergy sufferers as it removes all dust, pollen, pet hair, and more. Better yet, it is easy to clean – simply rinse the sponge with water to remove dust and grime from heating vents and radiators.
A damp house is harder to heat. A dehumidifier can help achieve he perfect indoor humidity level between 30-50%, to make your heating more efficient.
Meet the Expert
Air Conditioner Lab was founded by HVAC and tech enthusiast Josh in 2014, as a way for him to document his findings on home air conditioners and cooling methods.
If you are eager to save money on bills, be sure to also clean vents around your home, Josh concludes. 'Another tip that gets missed: Vacuum your return vents monthly during the heating season. Even when you’re changing filters, dust builds up around the grilles and slows airflow. That small resistance adds runtime.'
