A programmable thermostat allows you to program temperature settings for different times of the day based on your family’s schedule. When your home is empty, the thermostat will automatically adjust itself to use an energy-saving setting. When people begin to come back home, the thermostat will automatically return your home to a more comfortable setting. But what about those times when there is a change in your family’s normal schedule? That’s where your thermostat’s “hold” and “run” modes become useful. Today we’re going to talk about what a programmable thermostat’s hold and run modes are and when they are convenient to use in your home!
What are a programmable thermostat’s hold and run modes?
When you initially set up your programmable thermostat, the settings you use are based on your family’s predictable schedule. Although your family might stick to that schedule a majority of the time, things can come up that alter your plans.
If you are home during a time of the day that your home is normally unoccupied, you won’t want to use your programmable thermostat’s typical settings. But you also don’t want to have to reprogram everything just so you can stay comfortable for one day. Instead, programmable thermostats have “hold” and “run” modes that are designed to address this exact problem.
When you press the “hold” button on your thermostat, the current setting will be locked into place and any normal programmable settings will be ignored. So if you know you are going to be home for the day, you can press the hold button in the morning and keep your home comfortable all day long. As soon as you want your home to go back to its normal programmed settings, you simply hit the “run” setting and everything will go back to normal.
When are a programmable thermostat’s hold and run modes useful?
- Holidays. On single-day holidays like Memorial Day or the 4th of July, you can hold your thermostat settings for the day and set them back to normal when the holiday is over.
- Sick days. The hold and run modes are useful for sick days for two reasons. For one, it allows you to lock in settings during a day that your home would normally be unoccupied. In addition, many people get uncomfortable while they are sick and want to use a setting that’s hotter or colder than the normal settings in their home.
- When you have guests. If you are hosting a party or have a lot of people over for some reason, the extra body heat will make your home hotter. You might want to use a lower setting than normal, which can easily be done with the hold and run modes.
- When you are on vacation. This is a special case because many thermostats have their vacation mode that is separate from the hold and runs modes. Regardless, vacation mode works in the same way. The difference is that with vacation mode, you can tell your thermostat what day you are coming back and it will automatically resume your normal settings before you even get back home.
If you have any questions about programmable thermostat hold and run modes, or if you’d like a cooling system serviced or installed in your home, contact Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning, your St. Charles, MO, air conditioning contractor. We provide service all over the St. Louis area, including towns like St. Paul, St. Peters, and Town and Country, MO.
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