The setback temperature on a thermostat is a specific, lower temperature setting designed to increase heating efficiency and prevent your home from getting dangerously cold. It acts as a minimum floor temperature that your heating system will maintain, even outside of your normal programming schedules.
Understanding Setback Temperature
Think of the setback temperature as a safety net for your heating system. While you might program your thermostat to drop to a lower temperature when you're asleep or away to save energy, the setback temperature is the absolute lowest point it will reach.
According to our reference, the setback temperature is:
the temperature that your thermostat will never fall below, even outside of normal programming. This feature is designed to increase heating efficiency and ensure your house never gets dangerously cold.
Why Use a Setback Temperature?
There are two primary reasons homeowners utilize a setback temperature:
- Energy Efficiency: While letting your home cool down significantly saves energy, letting it get too cold might mean your heating system has to work harder (and longer) to bring it back up to your comfortable temperature. A carefully chosen setback temperature balances energy savings with the effort required to reheat.
- Protection: Extremely low indoor temperatures can pose risks, such as freezing pipes, which can cause significant damage. The setback temperature ensures your home stays above a critical threshold to prevent such issues.
How Setback Temperature Works in Practice
When your thermostat is in a programmed "away" or "sleep" mode set below the setback temperature, it will only drop to the setback temperature itself, not the lower programmed temperature. If your program is set above the setback temperature, the program takes precedence.
Let's look at an example:
| Scenario | Programmed Temperature | Setback Temperature | Actual Temperature Maintained | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You're Away | 60°F (15.5°C) | 62°F (16.6°C) | 62°F (16.6°C) | Thermostat maintains setback as it's higher |
| You're Asleep | 64°F (17.8°C) | 62°F (16.6°C) | 64°F (17.8°C) | Thermostat maintains programmed temperature |
| Unexpected Cold Snap/System Glitch | Unreachable | 62°F (16.6°C) | 62°F (16.6°C) | Setback prevents temperature from falling below |
- Note: Not all thermostats have a user-adjustable setback temperature feature; some may have a fixed, non-adjustable lower limit set by the manufacturer. Advanced or smart thermostats are more likely to offer this specific setting.
Setting Your Setback Temperature
The ideal setback temperature can vary based on factors like your home's insulation, local climate, and personal comfort levels.
- Recommendations often range from 60°F to 65°F (15°C to 18°C), but it's wise to consider:
- The outdoor temperature.
- The risk of pipes freezing in exposed areas (like basements or crawl spaces).
- How quickly your heating system can warm the house back up.
Setting the setback too low defeats its purpose of efficiency and protection, while setting it too high minimizes energy savings.
By understanding and correctly utilizing the setback temperature feature, you can effectively manage your home's heating for both comfort and cost savings.
