What Temperature Is Your AC Thermostat Set To?

[philcobendixduo]

My A/C Scheme....

....is to "pre-cool" the house down in the early morning hours (5 a.m.-7 a.m. or so) to 68f.
Then, the thermostat goes up to 78f.
When the A/C comes on (usually late afternoon or early evening) I turn it down to 74f.
At 7:30 p.m., I turn it down to 70f and then back up to 78f when the 70f temperature is reached.
I believe that it's less wear and tear on the system to have it run for longer cycles than to be going on and off frequently.
I have the cycle time on my thermostat set for as long as possible but it still goes on/off too often in my opinion.
I would REALLY like it if the thermostat let me set an "on" point and "off" point (ie. A/C on at 75f and off at 72f) for longer run times.
I don't think there is any thermostat that lets one do that though.

 

[ea56]

When I was still working one of the managers in my office was going through menopause and having hot flashes.  She’d turn the AC down so low that I needed to have a heater fan under my desk to keep from freezing to death.  There was an AC duct right over my desk with the the arctic air blowing on me all day long.  But my upper body was practically frozen!  

 

At 5:30 pm when I’d get into my car, that had sat in the hot sun all afternoon I’d leave the AC off and the windows up until I’d thawed out!  

 

I can’t stand it when people fool around with the thermostat constantly, rather than just leaving it at a sensible temperature, like maybe 72 F.

 

Eddie

 

[Ultramatic]

 

 

All the AC's (through the wall units) are set to 72F. They were turned off once a few weeks ago when it got quite cool and breezy outside for a few hours. Otherwise they are on 24/7.

 

[delco1946]

Just had my windows restored last winter in my 1904 Craftsman in the Portland metro area. I’ve never really enjoyed the sterile quiet that comes with central AC. Now that my windows open and close it’s been very nice this summer, I leave them all open all the time and the close the doors over night. Due to its age and design, it pulls a pretty good breeze thru the main floor. Put an attic fan in so the attic doesn’t overheat, which in turn keeps the second floor substantially cooler, and I am pretty pleased. In the evening my bedroom will be anywhere from 70 to 85 ( hotter when it hits a high of 90+) and in the morning it will be low 60s generally. I break out my grandparents vintage dominion floor mounted fans when things get serious and I need to suck the colder night air asap.

 

[askolover]

AC is set to 76 all summer.  Winter the gas heat is set on 72.  Knock on wood my almost 23 year old Goodman made Amana package unit is still trucking along with it's Copeland scroll compressor.

 

[ryner1988]

We keep our AC at 78 during the day. Neither of us mind it a little warm and my wife has muscular pain that is exacerbated by constantly blowing AC. However, we do turn it down to 75 at night because we are both hot sleepers.

 

[stopmeister72]

1 ton midea u-shaped in the kitchen runs 24/7, which is open to living spaces, 3.5 ton package unit, (compressor was replaced many years ago with a used 3 ton scroll and installed a txv with a souped up condenser fan motor and blade, 9,000 btu mini split in the bedroom. The coldest it has ever been was 53 in the bedroom - between 57-59 feels food with ceiling fan on low and a thin blanket. In winter, heat is around 60-64. I have a friend who keeps her ac at 86 so i think we balance each other out
John

 

[mattl]

Got to say I'm amazed at the temps many like. Put in a 5 ton central unit about 30 years ago but rarely use it. I'm comfortable at most temps up to low 80's.   Large trees keep interior temps down, strategically open windows help along with a few fans. 

 

Just as in the winter I find 8-10 days adjustment and I'm good with warm or colder temps - after that I'm good.

 

[wayupnorth]

My 30+ year Frigidaire in a bedroom window has only had to run 6 times so far this year all night. So old its either high or low, no temp. But that bedroom is like a meat locker to pile on blankets and sleep fine.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

A/C temp here

Is set to 72. My new Carrier system is working perfectly and kept up well when we were in the upper 90's last week. We have to keep the house below 75 due to Katie's Medical needs.
In the winter the Gas Furnace is set to 68. We also use the Gas Fireplace for heating quite a bit.
WK78

 

[hobbyapocalypse]

Of the 9 places I've lived in my life only 1 had any AC, that was back in 1983-84. I own 2 cars now that supposedly have AC but I don't know for sure because I never tried either one. So it's a luxury that I don't miss. I can take the heat but I use a dehumidifier in my basement to control dampness in the summertime.

 

[sudsmaster]

 

 

In the SF Bay Area, at least in those cities that border the bay, there is generally no need for A/C. Further inland, yeah. And in high rise buildings were temps can accumulate. I have a stand alone A/C unit that sometimes I have switched on during very warm weather. But not for the past couple of years. I generally would run it when I got home from work and wanted to cool the place down. Nowadays, I can leave windows open and not have to run the portable A/C unit.

 

 

[chachp]

A/C

 

<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">It's been brutal here in Arkansas.  We keep ours at 72 during the day and it goes down to 70 at night.  Our house is really well insulated so it doesn't run all that much in the morning.  Usually around 1ish is starts running more.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">We have solar panels and all we have paid so far this summer is the $13 connection fee for our power.  We would normally have a $300 electric bill in this heat.</span>

 

[gelaundry4ever]

thermostat ac

Mine is set to 73 degrees fahrenheit.

 

[DADoES]

 
What is the kWh usage on your July bill for everyone who responded to the temperature question?

I have 1,627.

 

[supersuds]

I used 856 kWh.

 

[chachp]

kWh used

 

<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">1,872 for us.</span>

 

[appnut]

KWH used for July

1173

 

[ea56]

We used 479 kwh for July and the bill was $176.40.  I’m fairly certain that this about double what it would have cost in most other states.  Tier 1 is $0.35 and tier 2 is $0.45 per kwh.   We are extremely conservative in our electric usage at these prices.

 

Eddie

 

[kimball455]

July bill

Atlantic City Electric

May 13, 2023 to June 14, 2023 $77.86

Budget billing $88.00/month

Temp is usually 72F Bedroom cooler at night

1100 SQF house. Well-insulated with thermal/reflective windows

Harry

 

[awooff]

Humidity

#36. How is the humidity so high with the temp soo low? Something not right with those numbers. With a 64f room from ac - shouldnt humidity be in the 30s?

 

[DADoES]

 
Harry,

Billing rates vary.  kWh usage is the more relevant data for comparing temperature setpoints (without considering other factors such as local climate differences, type of cooling system, and building size/construction ... although comments regarding such are helpful for the comparison).

My bill is $149.88 vs. my mother's $213.61 (22 miles apart so same climate, but different electric providers).  My usage is higher at 1,627 kWh vs. hers 1,431 kWh.  Our houses are of comparable size.  Mine is 30+ years newer construction.  She has a variable speed heat pump which operates at several steps between 40% and 100% of capacity.  Mine is 2-stage (70% or 100%).  I run 77°F or 78°F setpoint.  She runs 74°F to 75°F, although one of my sisters had been staying with mom for a couple weeks in July and had it on 73°F a few times, 72°F for a few hours one day.  She's on city services, I have a water well and septic system.  I have few more electronic/electric devices/doodads powered 24/7.

Also ... my July 2022 usage was 1,593 kWh for $187.23, a rate of $0.1175/kWh.

July 2023 is 1,627 kWh for $149.88, a rate of $0.0921/kWh due to the local electric cooperative reducing the cost adjustment factors this month.

 

[48bencix]

SMUD

843 KWH $168.00
1075 KWH last year.

It has been cooler this year, fewer 100 degree days. Many cool nights and mornings.

We fortunately have SMUD Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Much cheaper than PG and E.

We have electric hot water, pool pump running 10 hours a day, electric cooktop and electric ovens. Gas dryer and Gas heat.

 

[ea56]

Boy Martin, you ain’t kiddin’ that SMUD is cheaper than PGE!  You used 404 more KWH that we did and paid $8.40 less than we did!  PG&E must be have the highest electric rates in the country.  Somethings rotten in Denmark.  

 

Eddie

 

[petek]

Cold room 64f with high humidity is caused by an a/c too big for the room. It cycles off having reached the set temp before it has had a chance to remove excess moisture making things cold and clammy.

 

[DADoES]

 
I previously missed the 2nd photo on StopMeister72/John's Reply #36.  I'm not clear on the 64° vs. Room Temperature 55°.  Which is the setpoint?

Cold summer indoor temperatures apparently are an Irving thing.  The sister & SIL that run 65°F cooling are in Irving.

 

[stopmeister72]

humidity - reply #36

So the set temp is 64 can go down to 62 but the temp prob has been lengthened and taped to the window so it will get colder.  At the time of the pic, the unit has only run 3 hours and the central air vent is open as well.

usually the humidity gets down to 50 - 55%.   The mini split does not cycle the fan off when the compressor shuts off so any moisture on the coil starts to get evaporated back in the air.  I have a Cielo breeze hooked up to it to allow scheduling on and off.  There is also a function that I can use to turn the whole unit off and on and certain temps however the minisplit beeps every time it turns on or off and it is annoying and seems like a pain to try and tear into it to disable the beeper.

The unit is also on medium speed, if set to low it removes more moisture.  

53 is the coldest it has ever gotten with the central ac running as well.    Usually when it is not so hot outside, I have the central vent closed.

Right now with only the central vent - no mini split it is 64 in there at 54% humidity.

 

Dadoes - LOL, except I have a friend in Irving that has her set at 86 - not pleasant for me but she said she gets cold at 84.  maybe due to some meds that she takes for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

 

[48bencix]

SMUD

Eddie
Yes SMUD is way cheaper. Of course it is non profit so that helps. It does not pay property taxes as a municipal utility and probably does not pay license fees for its vehicles so that also saves. I think it is well run, you do not see their high voltage lines causing fires, and yes they have some running from their generating dams. Unlike the investor utilities, they own their generating facilities. The investor utilities were required to sell most of their generating facilities in 2000 leading to huge rate increases and the recall of Governor Grey Davis.

Their big mistake in my opinion was the closure of Rancho Seco Nuclear Power plant in 1989. It was not well run. The voters voted to shut it down. Perhaps it could have been improved.

 

[launderess]

Heat wave broke around here late last week/over weekend. Went to bed with AC because it was > 90 degrees F with dewpoint > 65%, woke up early AM because place was freezing. Looked over at thermostat for outdoor temp to see things had dropped to 69F with dewpoint < 60%.

Shut off AC, opened windows, turned on fans and that's how it has been ever since.

Forecasts for next few weeks of August aren't calling for return of 90 degree weather and humidity will be moderate. If that holds AC will remain off and will use fans instead.

Con Edison raised rates beginning in August so every little bit helps. Less use of AC means can use my AEG Lavamat washers at temps of 60 degrees C or above.

 

[sudsmaster]

 

 

So far this year, ZERO energy spent for A/C.

 

Typically cool SF Bay Area weather. Even on days where temps reach 80-90F, it cools down rapidly in the evenings.

 

And all I've ever needed here has been a single stand-alone AC unit, which I don't think I've had to use in years.

 

Of course this could change, but so far so good.