Vacation Mode: How to Set Your Thermostat and HVAC System Before You Leave Town (According to Clark Griswold)
Hi folks! Clark W. Griswold here, family man, holiday enthusiast, and full-time HVAC misunderstanding machine. If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent hours planning the perfect family getaway. The bags are packed, the kids are yelling, Cousin Eddie may or may not be crashing at your house while you're gone... but before you hit the road in your oversized station wagon, there’s one thing you might’ve forgotten:
Setting your thermostat properly so your HVAC system doesn’t have a meltdown while you're trying to have one in peace on a beach somewhere.
Let me walk you through it—Griswold style.
“Let’s just turn it off!” – Clark, before Ellen gives him the look.
Bad idea, Clark.
Turning your system off completely is like telling your house, “Good luck, see you in a week, don’t burn down.” Summer in Iowa is hotter than Aunt Bethany’s Christmas Jello mold, and leaving your house to stew in that heat is no joke. It can cause humidity issues, warping, and your houseplants staging a full rebellion.
Instead, set your thermostat to vacation mode,somewhere between 80-85°F. Your A/C won’t be working overtime, but it’ll still keep things from turning into a sauna that smells like forgotten laundry.
“I read somewhere you should leave the windows cracked open...” – Also Clark.
Do NOT do this.
Unless you want to come home to a surprise raccoon Airbnb, keep those windows shut tight. Your A/C works best in a sealed environment, just like Cousin Eddie’s RV (unfortunately). Open windows = humidity = mold = Ellen yelling = not a good time.
“I rigged the lights to a timer using 4 extension cords and a potato.”
Okay, buddy. Let’s take it down a notch.
Light timers? Great idea. Clark-style wiring? Not so much. While you're away, use smart plugs or programmable timers to give the illusion that the Griswold home is still bustling with questionable decisions. This helps with security, and hey, if the thermostat’s running too, the house even feels lived in.
“Should I have the neighbor kid check on things?”
Yes, but not Rusty. He’s got... other plans.
Ask a neighbor or friend to pop in and make sure your A/C isn’t huffing and puffing like Cousin Eddie after walking up a flight of stairs. If your unit sounds like it’s about to launch into orbit, or the house feels more like a sauna than a home, it’s better someone catches it early.
“Why is there a squirrel in the ductwork?!”
Because you didn’t call Obsidian Heating & Cooling before leaving town, that’s why.
Before you pack the family up for another cross-country debacle, schedule a pre-vacation check-up with our pros at Obsidian. We’ll make sure your HVAC system is running like a well-oiled Winnebago, and that nothing’s nesting where it shouldn’t be.
Wrap-Up: Don’t Griswold Your HVAC System
Look, we all want the perfect vacation. And trust us, nothing ruins a family trip faster than coming home to a fried A/C, sweaty living room couch cushions, or an energy bill that makes Ellen reach for her stress wine.
So before you head out of Ankeny or anywhere in Central Iowa, take it from Clark: set that thermostat right, seal it up, and call Obsidian Heating & Cooling for a quick tune-up.
That way, when you do return, your house is just as cool and collected as you wish your family had been on the trip.
Obsidian Heating & Cooling: Keeping Ankeny vacation-ready one A/C unit at a time.
And no, we don’t install squirrel traps.
