Older thermostats typically have limited buttons, modes, and functions. They worked well for turning heaters and air conditioners off and on, engaging system fans, and humidity regulation. However, with the advent and increasingly widespread use of programmable and smart thermostats, the learning curve for these devices has steepened. If you’re still familiarizing yourself with your thermostat, you may be surprised to see it enter recovery mode. Following is everything that you need to know about recovery mode, including how it impacts your energy bill and how it affects the temperature in your Kennesaw, Georgia home.
What Recovery Mode Is
Smart and programmable thermostats are designed to minimize energy use by moderating HVAC functions when residents aren’t at home and during other times when their heating and cooling needs are limited. These devices can be programmed to turn heaters and air conditioners off when residents leave for work, attend school, or go to sleep, and to turn heaters or air conditioners back on just before normal household activities resume. Programmable thermostats can be set to adjust their settings according to users’ preferences, and smart thermostats can eventually auto-adjust themselves by gathering user data.
When adjustments are made to temperature settings to account for when rooms or the whole house is unoccupied , smart and programmable thermostats enter energy saving mode. In this state, little to no energy is used to adjust indoor temperatures and maintain them. Recovery mode simply reflects your smart or programmable thermostat’s efforts to create the indoor conditions you want just before you arrive. This way, your home will already be at your preferred temperature when you walk through the door or get out of the bed.
User Error
You might notice that your thermostat is in recovery mode long after you’ve arrived or well after you’ve awoken. In most instances, this can be an indication of user error. It would be good to ensure you’ve preset your programmable thermostat correctly, or someone that else in your home hasn’t changed the settings.
For instance, if you normally work outside of the home and have recently started telecommuting, your smart thermostat may need time to learn your new schedule and to program itself accordingly. The good news is that it’s possible to override the learned programming of a smart thermostat so that you don’t have to suffer in silence until the device catches up with your adjusted schedule.
Electrical Malfunction
In rare instances, seeing “recovery mode” on a thermostat’s display for an extended period of time or at an unexpected time is an indication of electrical malfunction. This might be the case if your thermostat is always in recovery mode, or if you’ve had your programmable or smart thermostat for quite a while. Both programmable and smart thermostats have a life expectancy of approximately 10 years, and both thermostat types should have their batteries changed annually. If your thermostat is less than 10 years old and if you’ve checked and changed the batteries in your device, give us a call.
Disabling Recovery Mode on Your Smart or Programmable Thermostat
For most smart and programmable thermostats, disabling recovery mode is relatively easy. For your device, this could be as simple as entering the preferences on the thermostat’s main menu and looking for an option to disable recovery mode. However, before disabling this feature, take a minute to read through your owner’s manual to determine how this will impact the unit’s future behaviors.
If there’s only a slight difference between your preferred “away temperature” and the temperature that you prefer while present, disabling recovery mode won’t make a big difference on your home energy bill. But, if you’ve opted to keep your home much cooler or warmer while you’re away, turning recovery mode off will keep your home’s temperature static, eliminate the use of energy saving or energy saver mode, and could cause your energy bill to rise.
When your thermostat is set correctly, you won’t see “recovery mode” in its display window very often. Instead, your thermostat will enter this mode before you wake up or before you arrive, and your living space will already be at the perfect temperature when you walk in.
We provide cooling, heating, and indoor air quality services to residents of Kennesaw, GA and the surrounding area. We also offer humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and emergency repair services. If you want a smart or programmable thermostat installed in your home, or if you need help understanding the device that you already own, get in touch with Controlled Climate Services today!
