In fact, the high heat levels in an empty house will usually cause refrigerators to use more energy than they would in an active household. This provides for the lowest possible cost, while at the same time safeguarding the continued operation of the refrigerator. Many unoccupied homes need a small amount of air conditioning every day throughout the summer for humidity control. Without daily air conditioning, high summer humidity can accumulate indoors and give rise to mold or mildew. Mold and mildew can grow nearly anywhere if the relative humidity is consistently 70 percent or higher.
Most homeowners use one of the following techniques to guard against mildew problems.
This provides the highest level of security against mildew growth. This technique uses the least power. See specific humidistat setup instructions below. F. This is the least efficient method and is recommended only for short or infrequent summer trips. Water heaters left on in vacant homes are wasteful.