The thermostat is an essential part of your home’s heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system. As you may know, it serves as the user control interface for the furnace and air conditioning system (or heat pump). You can make your home warmer or cooler by adjusting the thermostat. Some thermostats, however, are capable of entering recovery mode. The following post explains the purpose of recovery mode and how it works.
What Is Recovery Mode?
Recovery mode is a feature on certain thermostats that indicates the thermostat has exited an energy-saving mode and is now in the process of warming or cooling the home. Many thermostats, including programmable and smart thermostats, offer an energy-saving mode. You can program the thermostat to achieve a higher temperature during the summer while you are at work. When the thermostat exits this mode and begins to cool your home, it will enter recovery mode.
The Mechanics of Recovery Mode
How does recovery mode work exactly? Recovery mode is designed to acclimate your home’s temperature for that of which you programmed the thermostat. If you programmed the thermostat for 70 degrees at 4:00 p.m., for instance, recovery mode means that it will begin cooling your home prior to 4:00 p.m. During this time, the thermostat will tell your air conditioner to cool your home.
Recovery mode, of course, proceeds an energy-saving mode. Energy-saving modes are characterized by little or no HVAC activity. If you’re at work during the day, you can program the thermostat not to run the air conditioner during these hours. As the thermostat exits this energy-saving mode, it will enter recovery mode. Recovery mode is the transition from an energy-saving mode to a desirable, comfortable temperature.
How to Tell If Your Thermostat Is In Recovery Mode
If your thermostat is in recovery mode, you may notice an indicator light illuminated on it. Some thermostats have indicator lights for their various modes, including one for the recovery mode. Other thermostats will display the words “recovery” or “recovery mode.” Alternatively, smart thermostats may send a notification to your mobile device.
With that said, not all thermostats have a recovery mode. While most thermostats support scheduled temperature adjustments for energy efficiency, recovery mode is a relatively new thermostat feature. It just means that the thermostat has exited an energy-saving mode and is now attempting to cool or warm your home.
