Tips on How to Prevent “Thermostat Wars” at Home

“We never fight over the thermostat, every single member of our family enjoys the same temperature range!”

Said no family ever.

In fact, if you’re like every other family in the country, you’ve probably had some pretty heated arguments over the temperature in your home.

And there’s a good chance that you’re still arguing about it to this day.

To help, we’ll show you how you can keep everyone comfortable and happy with long-term solutions like temperature zoning or smart thermostats.

But first, let’s go over some short-term survival tips for the days that you lose the temperature battle.

• Dress in layers. This is just common sense, yes. But make sure you’re mindful of the materials you are using. Light cotton materials don’t do much to keep you warm. Instead opt for heavier fabrics like wool or flannel. And always, always, wear socks. Feet have a big effect on our body temperature!
• Cook a meal. Your oven and stove produce a lot of heat that can keep you warm. So, if you’re the cold one in the house, offer to cook dinner. Your family will be grateful and you’ll benefit from spending time in a warm, cozy kitchen!
• Get moving. The best way to stay warm is to get your blood flowing. Take a 15-minute break every hour to get up and do jumping jacks, walk around the house or even take a walk outdoors.
• Eat protein-rich foods. We often think of hot soups or hot chocolate as go-to warm up foods. But actually, proteins do a much better job of warming the entire body because it creates a higher level of DIT (diet-induced thermogenesis), which raises the body temperature.
• Invest in a space heater. A more dramatic (but effective) way to stay warm is to invest in a space heater. We suggest keeping one in a certain room and keeping the door to that room closed to keep the space as warm as possible. Do beware of how often you are using this though, space heaters consume a lot of electrical energy and cause your utility bills to skyrocket if you’re not careful!

• Rely on a portable fan. A portable fan can work wonders to keep you cool and they don’t consume much electricity either. If you want to get advanced with it, try grabbing a large bowl of ice and sticking it in front of that fan for a personal blast of cold air.
• Move away from windows. If it’s a hot, sunny day outside, your best bet is to stay away from windows. Windows are a huge source of “heat gain” (outside heat that enters your home). Keep the blinds drawn and move as far away from a window as possible.
• Wear lightweight, loose cotton. Cotton is the most breathable material and is a natural fiber so it absorbs moisture, pulling heat away from your body.
• Lose the socks. Our feet have important vessels that act as heat exchangers. Basically, our feet help us regulate our body temperature. So, if you keep them cool and toss the socks, your body temperature will regulate and cool down.
• Keep pulse points cool. Your blood runs closer to the surface of the body at pulse points (neck, wrists, elbows, ankles, etc). So, placing an ice compress on these areas can quickly cool the entire body down.

1) Invest in a programmable thermostat
Programmable thermostats allow you to set specific temperature “schedules” throughout the day/week.

So, let’s say that you enjoy a brisk temperature of 70 degrees, but your kids prefer a warmer 77. Well, a programmable thermostat would allow you to keep your home at 70 degrees while you’re home throughout the day. But come 3pm, you can schedule for the temperature to automatically adjust to 77 degrees, making for a warmer home when the kids come home from school.

You can also schedule for the temperature to rise when no one is home and save money on cooling costs. In fact, according to Energy Star, you can save up to $180 a year when you use a programmable thermostat properly.

2) “Zone” your HVAC system
If your home currently has only one thermostat, your HVAC system isn’t providing optimal comfort. When you “zone” your HVAC system, you can precisely control the temperature in different areas of your home.

So, if you like colder temperatures than the rest of your family, you can keep your bedroom temperature as cold as you like without it affecting the rest of the rooms in your home.

Basically, a zoned system uses motorized “dampers” that are installed into the air ducts and can cut off airflow to certain areas of the house. This allows you to control the temperature of that particular area to your liking.