What temperature do you have your A/C set on?
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We leave the AC off all day when we're at work. It's never more than 85 when we come home. I think our fat cat can handle that.
The central A/C is set at 78 or 80 in the evening while we're at home. We shut the central A/C off before we go to bed.
I also put a small window unit in our bedroom. I have that set at 74 during the night.
I can't believe people who set their central A/C at 73 or 69 degrees. Ours would run non-stop and I don't even know if the house would get that cold on these 104 degree days we've been having in Kansas. The thought of those electric bills makes my wallet hurt.
The central A/C is set at 78 or 80 in the evening while we're at home. We shut the central A/C off before we go to bed.
I also put a small window unit in our bedroom. I have that set at 74 during the night.
I can't believe people who set their central A/C at 73 or 69 degrees. Ours would run non-stop and I don't even know if the house would get that cold on these 104 degree days we've been having in Kansas. The thought of those electric bills makes my wallet hurt.
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Originally Posted By: JRed
If I'm in an environment with central AC where I have control of the thermostat - 65F.
Window unit? As low as it'll go on the highest fan setting.
X2. I dont know how people sleep with the thermostat set at 78. I pay dearly for AC in the summer, but make up for it in the winter.
If I'm in an environment with central AC where I have control of the thermostat - 65F.
Window unit? As low as it'll go on the highest fan setting.
X2. I dont know how people sleep with the thermostat set at 78. I pay dearly for AC in the summer, but make up for it in the winter.
75 except in our master bedroom at night we keep it at 73. We keep a lot of the house a/c off with the zoning. Then if we go into that area of the house that is off we turn on that zone with it's seperate thermostat.
Originally Posted By: mikered30
Originally Posted By: JRed
If I'm in an environment with central AC where I have control of the thermostat - 65F.
Window unit? As low as it'll go on the highest fan setting.
X2. I dont know how people sleep with the thermostat set at 78. I pay dearly for AC in the summer, but make up for it in the winter.
I am comfortable at 78, but would prefer 75. But, even with 3 zones, a relatively new home and keeping it at 78, my electric bill was $524 this month.
Originally Posted By: JRed
If I'm in an environment with central AC where I have control of the thermostat - 65F.
Window unit? As low as it'll go on the highest fan setting.
X2. I dont know how people sleep with the thermostat set at 78. I pay dearly for AC in the summer, but make up for it in the winter.
I am comfortable at 78, but would prefer 75. But, even with 3 zones, a relatively new home and keeping it at 78, my electric bill was $524 this month.
At night I lower the temp to around 68 degrees plus I got the ceiling fan running. If its not chilly at night I can not fall asleep.
Its almost as if the cool air puts me into 'hibernation mode' and I get a great nights sleep.
Its almost as if the cool air puts me into 'hibernation mode' and I get a great nights sleep.
My house has two AC units. Both are set to 80F at all times. I hate huge electric bills. I have a couple nice electronic thermostats that keep the temp within 1F of the set temp.
Sometimes, the 80F leaves me wishing it were cooler. But with judicious use of ceiling fans, it's livable. Spending hours outside with 100F+ heat indexes really helps make 80F feel pleasurable.
If someone else paid my electric (and HVAC maintenance/repair) bills, I'd set them to probably 75F or so instead.
Sometimes, the 80F leaves me wishing it were cooler. But with judicious use of ceiling fans, it's livable. Spending hours outside with 100F+ heat indexes really helps make 80F feel pleasurable.
If someone else paid my electric (and HVAC maintenance/repair) bills, I'd set them to probably 75F or so instead.
73
81 deg. F. When I leave: 85 F. I have ceiling fans on and sleep under one. I don't like to be hot either. However, being a native Texan you adapt. My house is quite dry: 36% RH. That makes all the difference. If it was >50% RH, I'd be sweating and setting the T-stat around 77.
Earlier this year, I designed & installed a new duct system. THAT has made a HUGE difference. No more hot side of the house in the Summer. Having gone through that, I'm willing to bet that most people don't need a new AC unit, they need a new, properly designed duct system. Mine was restrictive on both ends.
From my weather station:
Outdoor temp: 100 F.
Outdoor humidity: 41%
Solar heat index: 124 F
Temp & humidity heat index: 106 F
Solar level: 933 W/sqr. meter
Attic Temp: 110 F
Indoor temp: 81 F
Indoor humidity: 36%
AC air temp out of the vents: 50 F.
Earlier this year, I designed & installed a new duct system. THAT has made a HUGE difference. No more hot side of the house in the Summer. Having gone through that, I'm willing to bet that most people don't need a new AC unit, they need a new, properly designed duct system. Mine was restrictive on both ends.
From my weather station:
Outdoor temp: 100 F.
Outdoor humidity: 41%
Solar heat index: 124 F
Temp & humidity heat index: 106 F
Solar level: 933 W/sqr. meter
Attic Temp: 110 F
Indoor temp: 81 F
Indoor humidity: 36%
AC air temp out of the vents: 50 F.
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
73 degrees and the ceiling fan is running.
Same thing here..I have no idea how anyone can sleep with the temperature set at 76 or higher.
73 degrees and the ceiling fan is running.
Same thing here..I have no idea how anyone can sleep with the temperature set at 76 or higher.
Patman
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Originally Posted By: 65cuda
We run ours at 77 degrees all the time. In some cases it costs more to turn the unit off or way high while not there because they unit then has to work to bring the heat back down.
One of my friends found this out the hard way yesterday, he went on vacation for a week so he thought he would save money by turning his AC off completely. It was a very hot week here in the area, hitting 100F on Thursday for instance. So when he returned home, the inside of his house was almost 100 degrees! He turned the AC back on and went out for a few hours, but even by the end of the night, his house was still over 90 degrees and he couldn't get a good night's sleep. He would have been better off to set the AC at 85 while he was gone, at least it would not have been such a sauna in there when he returned.
We run ours at 77 degrees all the time. In some cases it costs more to turn the unit off or way high while not there because they unit then has to work to bring the heat back down.
One of my friends found this out the hard way yesterday, he went on vacation for a week so he thought he would save money by turning his AC off completely. It was a very hot week here in the area, hitting 100F on Thursday for instance. So when he returned home, the inside of his house was almost 100 degrees! He turned the AC back on and went out for a few hours, but even by the end of the night, his house was still over 90 degrees and he couldn't get a good night's sleep. He would have been better off to set the AC at 85 while he was gone, at least it would not have been such a sauna in there when he returned.
74F pretty much all the time. I don't let the temperature swing as much during the hot season compared to winter.
73 during the day, 75 when we leave and at night. SledDriver any tutorials on your duct system? ours suffers horribly from hot side/coolside.
Originally Posted By: volvos_rock
73 during the day, 75 when we leave and at night. SledDriver any tutorials on your duct system? ours suffers horribly from hot side/coolside.
Wow, it's already a shock when I walk in my house when I've been out awhile. +22 deg F daytime difference. I have been known to frequent walk-in beer coolers though for a quick chill-out.
Borrow from a library or buy a copy of ACCA's Manual J & Manual D. Go through ALL the calculations and make yourself a big spreadsheet. That plus a lot of internet research is what I used.
73 during the day, 75 when we leave and at night. SledDriver any tutorials on your duct system? ours suffers horribly from hot side/coolside.
Wow, it's already a shock when I walk in my house when I've been out awhile. +22 deg F daytime difference. I have been known to frequent walk-in beer coolers though for a quick chill-out.
Borrow from a library or buy a copy of ACCA's Manual J & Manual D. Go through ALL the calculations and make yourself a big spreadsheet. That plus a lot of internet research is what I used.
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Yeah, builders usually go cheap on the HVAC systems. My house is 2 floors, ~2,800 sq ft (I'm not saying that's big and not interested in sq ft wars), but has only two air returns downstairs, and one upstairs. At the house I used to live in in NY, every room had an air return. But adding such things isn't exactly easy to do on a finished house, especially upstairs, and even downstairs when you (like me) have no basement.
78 F
I have a good sized wall AC unit not central air. I have to set it cooler to cool the house than those with CA do. When temps are severe like we have had the last week( 95-100+ )I set it to 65 and max blower and it runs 24/7. I also have fans going to circulate the air through the house and even blowing on me. When the temp is more reasonable( 80's )I will set it to something like 68-72 and I generally shut it off at night although at times I will leave it on economy mode where it goes on and off maintaining the set temp. Once again fans are used to circulate air and on me.
My electric bill in the middle of summer during a real heat wave will run $140-$180. Well worth it! The OP talks about people who "whine" about the heat. I have a medical condition( serious illness )where I am extremely sensitive to heat. The medicine I take for it increases that problem with heat for me. I have been in the ER 2X's in the last year due to heat related issues. I have to have the temp cool. Even in the winter I try and keep the house cool. My thermostat for the heat stays at 65-68 during the day and 62 at night during the winter heating months.
I would never survive in a home where the temp is in the 80's. Way too hot for me.
My electric bill in the middle of summer during a real heat wave will run $140-$180. Well worth it! The OP talks about people who "whine" about the heat. I have a medical condition( serious illness )where I am extremely sensitive to heat. The medicine I take for it increases that problem with heat for me. I have been in the ER 2X's in the last year due to heat related issues. I have to have the temp cool. Even in the winter I try and keep the house cool. My thermostat for the heat stays at 65-68 during the day and 62 at night during the winter heating months.
I would never survive in a home where the temp is in the 80's. Way too hot for me.
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77 which really only affects the 1st floor and basement, and the room A/C are set to whatever we want it to. I usually have mine running full blast at night, I like it cold, and I need white noise like a fan, to sleep.
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