If you’re asking what temperature should I set my thermostat in winter, here’s a number to start from. One A/C maker’s winter-setting guide names sixty-eight degrees during the day and sixty to sixty-seven degrees at night as a good winter starting point. That’s a starting point, not a rule.
On a heat pump, the size of each change matters about as much as the number. Raise it one degree at a time. A large jump can call in the backup heat. And if the house still won’t warm at a sensible setting, that’s a question for a technician, not a reason to keep pushing the number up.
What Is a Good Winter Thermostat Setting?
Start at sixty-eight degrees during the day and sixty to sixty-seven degrees at night. That pairing comes from one A/C maker’s winter-setting guide, which calls it a good winter starting point. Set the daytime number first. Then decide whether the night setting feels right to the people in the house.
The same guide says there isn’t an optimal temperature that works for everyone. Comfort when the weather cools is an individual preference. That guide also says the right nighttime number will vary based on what you prefer. So the range is somewhere to begin. The number that suits one house can feel cold in another. Who’s home during the day, how you sleep and how the house holds heat all pull on the answer. Two people under one roof can land on different numbers. That’s allowed.
That guide is written for homes across the United States, and it names no Florida setting. The figures are the maker’s starting point, not an Honest Air recommendation. No guide can see your house, either. A certified technician can look at how your own system holds a setting, which is a different question from which number you picked.
How Much Should You Raise the Setting at Once?
One degree. When you do need to raise the temperature, the same maker’s guide to aux heat says to raise it one degree at a time. That’s the instruction, in full. It covers the morning change, the evening change and anything you adjust after a cool night.
That aux guide gives two reasons for the gentle approach. Gentle steps reduce the stress on your heat pump. And except in extreme cold, it says, gentle steps likely eliminate the need for the aux heat to engage. So the pace of the change does as much work as the destination.
Aux heat is the backup heat a heat pump can call in. That aux guide says it uses electric resistance heat, which costs more than standard heat pump operation. That’s the whole case for patience. You’re not protecting a number. You’re giving the heat pump room to do the work itself.
The winter-setting guide also says a heat pump can do better with gentle changes to avoid aux heat. So a large jump on a cool morning is the habit to skip. Picture a morning when the house sat at the night setting and you want the daytime number back. One degree, then another, gets you there. Reaching straight for the daytime number is the move that invites the backup heat along.
Does a Cool Florida Morning Change the Answer?
A little. Neither guide was written with Florida in mind. A cool morning in a mild climate can be a short heating stretch. So a gentle step and a service check can matter more than chasing one exact number. The pace of the change doesn’t care about the climate.
Honest Air’s maintenance page says living in the Treasure Coast area means your air conditioner likely runs for much of the year. So the first cool mornings are a natural moment to ask a different question. Is the system that cooled all summer ready to heat? Same equipment. Different job. And a gentle step won’t do much for a system that’s already struggling.
The cooling side is its own question. A separate Honest Air post covers what temperature to run your A/C in a Florida summer.
When the Setting Isn’t the Problem
Sometimes the number isn’t what’s wrong. If the aux light keeps running, or the house won’t warm at a sensible setting, stop raising the setting. That aux guide says that if aux heat runs constantly, airflow or system issues may need attention. Pushing the number higher asks more of a system that’s already telling you something. Write down what you noticed and when. Then hand it to a technician.
Honest Air’s heat pump repair page says a heat pump that doesn’t provide enough warmth on cooler evenings can have underlying issues. It names low refrigerant levels, dirty coils or airflow restrictions. The page also says its heat pump repair technicians inspect the system to identify the root cause. None of that is something you can judge from the hallway.
Honest Air’s A/C maintenance page describes a comprehensive thirty-two-point inspection and cleaning. It lists the thermostat among the parts its technicians inspect and service. The blower motor and the coils are on that list too. So if the thermostat itself is part of the question, that’s where it gets looked at.
Not sure which kind of system you have, or which one you want? Another Honest Air post compares whether a heat pump or a cooling-only system fits a Florida home.
Frequently Asked Questions About Winter Thermostat Settings
What temperature should I set my thermostat in winter?
One A/C maker’s winter-setting guide gives sixty-eight degrees by day and sixty to sixty-seven degrees at night as a starting point. That guide also says there isn’t an optimal temperature that works for everyone, so adjust it to your own comfort. On a heat pump, the same maker’s aux guide says to raise the setting one degree at a time.
Is a lower night setting a good idea on a heat pump?
The winter-setting guide’s night range covers heating in general, and that guide says the right night setting varies with your preferences. It also says a heat pump can do better with gentle changes to avoid aux heat. So a lower night number isn’t the problem on its own. A large jump back up in the morning is the habit to avoid. Ask a technician about your own system.
What does it mean if the aux light stays on?
Aux heat is the backup heat a heat pump can call in, and that aux guide says that if aux heat runs constantly, airflow or system issues may need attention. That’s your cue to stop raising the setting and book a certified technician. The light alone doesn’t name the cause. A technician can inspect the system instead of guessing.
Does the one-degree advice apply to every heating system?
The one-degree advice in the aux guide is about heat pumps. A different kind of heating system can respond differently to the same change, so the one-degree habit isn’t a universal rule. If you’re not sure which kind of system heats your home, ask a certified technician before you change how you run it.
What does Honest Air check on a maintenance visit?
Honest Air’s maintenance page describes a comprehensive thirty-two-point inspection and cleaning. The parts it lists for inspection and service include the evaporator and condenser coils, electrical connections and refrigerant levels. The list also names the blower motor, the condenser fan, the compressor, the drain lines and the thermostat. That last one matters here, because the thermostat is the part you’ve been adjusting.
Start Gently, Then Ask the Technician
A maintenance visit with Honest Air includes a 32-point inspection and cleaning, and the maintenance page lists the thermostat among the parts its technicians inspect and service.
What the thermostat shows, and how the house feels at a given setting, can help a technician narrow the question down. So keep it simple. Note the setting you chose. Note whether the aux light came on, and whether the house ever caught up.
Start at the maker’s number and move one degree at a time. If you’re still unsure about your winter thermostat setting, you can book an A/C service visit with Honest Air and have a certified technician look at how your system handles the cooler months on the Treasure Coast.
