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LINewbie
Tigger the the Rescue!
Member since 8/08 5647 total posts
Name:
LB
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Turning CAC/Heat "totally off"?
Just a question... When go OOT, we like to turn off our CAC/heat system (unless it is the dead of winter - then we just turn it way down). Ditto this time of "in between" season where fans cool the house enough.
But MIL says we should always keep the switch to cool/heat, even if it's set so high or low that it'll never go one. She says its bad for the system to turn it off.
True or not true?
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Posted 5/17/10 8:45 PM  |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: Turning CAC/Heat "totally off"?
It's not bad for the system. The "system" doesn't know if it's off because the switch is in the off position and not sending a signal for heat/AC, or if it's not sending a signal because it doesn't need it. All the thermostat is is an on-off switch.
In the spring and fall, sometimes I'll leave it on, just because if we get a surprise heat wave/cold front in the middle of the night, the thermostat will turn on the system, but I leave mine off most of the time when it's nice weather.
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| Posted 5/18/10 7:45 AM |
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LINewbie
Tigger the the Rescue!
Member since 8/08 5647 total posts
Name:
LB
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Re: Turning CAC/Heat "totally off"?
Thanks for the reply 
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| Posted 5/25/10 9:30 PM |
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Kristin616
Member since 8/06 3595 total posts
Name:
Kris
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Re: Turning CAC/Heat "totally off"?
I have never heard that it was bad for the system. We shut our heat totally off last week.
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| Posted 5/25/10 9:36 PM |
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JessInCA
live laugh love
Member since 8/06 5082 total posts
Name:
Jess
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Re: Turning CAC/Heat "totally off"?
We turn our system off all the time and nothing bad has happened yet!
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| Posted 5/27/10 12:33 PM |
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MrsO
Big Brothers to Be
Member since 1/07 4521 total posts
Name:
Maureen
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Re: Turning CAC/Heat "totally off"?
I would think if you are constantly turning it on and off daily it might be bad. But turning the system off shouldn't effect it.
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| Posted 5/27/10 2:08 PM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: Turning CAC/Heat "totally off"?
Posted by MrsO
I would think if you are constantly turning it on and off daily it might be bad. But turning the system off shouldn't effect it.
But that's exactly what the thermostat does as a part of it's normal function. It turns the entire system on and off many times a day.
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| Posted 5/29/10 3:07 PM |
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Blazesyth
*yawn*
Member since 5/05 8129 total posts
Name:
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Re: Turning CAC/Heat "totally off"?
I heard that with an oil burner it is bad to turn it off, because if the system doesnt have anything moving thru it and that will dry out the gaskets and cause them to crack.
How true that is, I don't know...
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| Posted 5/29/10 3:15 PM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: Turning CAC/Heat "totally off"?
Posted by Blazesyth
I heard that with an oil burner it is bad to turn it off, because if the system doesnt have anything moving thru it and that will dry out the gaskets and cause them to crack.
How true that is, I don't know...
Turning the system off at the actual furnace in the basement is much different than turning off the thermostat. I don't bother turning off the furnace, just the thermostat.
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| Posted 5/29/10 5:30 PM |
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