If your furnace could talk, it might just tell you to stop changing your thermostat settings.
Family members often disagree about what temperature feels comfortable to them.
Men and women ‘feel’ air temperature differently, with the women often complaining of being cold. Female body hormones, smaller body size and lower metabolic rate are all reasons that women want warmer room temperatures than men. They may bump up the thermostat settings to feel comfortable, until the male notices that he feels hot and turns the settings back down. There’s a common misconception that when the outdoor temperatures change, the thermostat needs to be changed as well. If there’s a cold front approaching, some feel the need to set the thermostat higher to compensate. But since the thermostat maintains the temperature in the house, even though the outside air gets colder, it shouldn’t affect the indoor temperature. In general, a thermostat can’t control the speed at which your home’s temperature increases or decreases, it only controls the temperature itself. Let’s say that a man realizes that someone has set the thermostat too high and he wants it cooled off now! He might be tempted to change the settings five or ten degrees cooler – only to have to re-adjust the thermostat when he feels cooler. And while the battle of the temperature settings continues, it ultimately makes more sense for house members to add or subtract a layer of clothing rather than heading straight for the thermostat. After all, if your personal comfort level is the real objective, clothing can address that problem. In the end, the thermostat isn’t your only line of defense against fluctuating temperatures. So be kind to your thermostat – your furnace will thank you.