What Do You Set Your Air Conditioner To?

Mother Dragon

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Both our units stay at 78-80 all the time. We just replaced both of them (one was 33 years old and the other 28) so we'll see what the higher efficiency does. It's going to take a while to recoup the $18K the two new units, wiring, plumbing, and breaker box cost. Our house is large and all-electric, so on balanced billing we pay about $500 a month.
 

EmersonandEvie

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Whoever made those recommendations does NOT live in the southeast. We just had a spell of days where the heat index was over 105. That kind of heat and humidity just steals your breath away. :fireblob:

We set our unit (central air) to 75. That keeps it comfortable for us, but we are so used to the heat that anything below 72 is cold! We had our highest electric bill we have had since moving to Georgia last month, but that's because, I swear, our unit never turned off. Our lows were only 77 to 80. :bawling:

I can't wait for the day we move farther north! Just one more year...:please::please::please:
 

1 bruce 1

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Whoever made those recommendations does NOT live in the southeast. We just had a spell of days where the heat index was over 105. That kind of heat and humidity just steals your breath away. :fireblob:

We set our unit (central air) to 75. That keeps it comfortable for us, but we are so used to the heat that anything below 72 is cold! We had our highest electric bill we have had since moving to Georgia last month, but that's because, I swear, our unit never turned off. Our lows were only 77 to 80. :bawling:

I can't wait for the day we move farther north! Just one more year...:please::please::please:
My time spent in the south east made me think the folks were friendly, lots of beautiful places to see, but that humidity sent me packing.
If it's humid, I'm not satisfied until the thermostat reads "crushed or cubed?" and ice comes shooting out of the air ducts.
 

EmersonandEvie

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My time spent in the south east made me think the folks were friendly, lots of beautiful places to see, but that humidity sent me packing.
If it's humid, I'm not satisfied until the thermostat reads "crushed or cubed?" and ice comes shooting out of the air ducts.
I cannot wait, and neither can my husband. He is from northwest South Carolina and I am from Columbia, so we know heat, but this is just...I don't know. I was in marching band in high school and spent many a summer day under the blazing sun, and I swear the heat here (below Macon) is just different. We also really, really miss a good snow every once in a while. We got maybe 1/2 inch last year that was gone by lunch and everyone lost their freaking minds. It was the event of the century. :flail:
 

lizzie

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I have 2 air conditioners in my house...both window units...both set on 73.Without the air,my electric bill might run around $80 ish.With the air it's been around $115.I don't care...I will pay it.I need to be able to breathe and sleep and the kiddos,both feline and canine,need to be comfortable.
 

muffy

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First of all I have a heat pump not an air conditioner. I don't know if they are the same thing or not. My heat pump
I never understood people who say "It's a dry heat, so it feels cooler", so is an oven!
EXACTLY.
is getting old and it needs to be replaced soon. I would die if I had to leave it at 78. I try to keep it at 62 or 63. I get hot flashes all night if I don't.
 

micknsnicks2mom

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i have one window unit, which i have in an upstairs window. i can't have the cool/cold air blowing on me -- i have raynaud's. i keep it set at 67 degrees F. i'm almost always on the first floor of my house, and the temp there is around 76 (with the ac running upstairs).

78 degrees F is the minimum temp i'm comfortable enough with during the winter months!
 

di and bob

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Getting used to the heat definitely helps. But we are forced to, we have to work in it. I just wanted to say that you CAN get 3rd degree burns form teh sun. I have treated people who have fallen asleep sunbathing with huge blisters, and damage to even the deep layers of skin! We have even had to skin graft!
 

mani

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25C for cooling (it's really getting the humidity down indoors that is the big thing, and it's getting a lot worse). It's the end of winter here at the moment and I have it on 19C for heat.
 

goingpostal

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We only have window ACs and I set them to 74-75, just enough to feel comfortable and not overheat anyone. I prefer it warm though, my husband would probably have them set at 68 if he could.
 

laureen227

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My AC is not programmable. In the summer, it's usually 76-78 degrees F/winter usually 68-72 degrees F. I live in Texas - at this time of year, with temps over 100 degrees F after around 11am, 76 is about as cool as you can get your home, unless you want the AC running around the clock.
Need I say we Texans were not too sympathetic to the recent heat wave in the UK?
 

MoochNNoodles

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I thought they used to say it was more energy efficient to maintain one temperature. :dunno:

It's been stupid humid here. With the central air and ceiling fans I could probably get away with 78 depending on how many articles of clothing you expect me to keep on. :lol: No way would we like sleeping with it at 82!! :headshake: When I was growing up my parents never used the central air to save money. Sleeping was miserable with 2 windows open and fans. I often didn't sleep till 3-4am. We use and appreciate our central air!

I keep the house at 76 most of the time now. We used to keep it at 78 before we had kids. Now that's just too hot feeling. When I'm working out I always turn it down a degree or two because one of the vents blows right at the elliptical. :thumbsup:
 

sivyaleah

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We could never set ours that high. We have an old house that had to be retrofitted for a/c. When you do that, it never winds up being perfect and we still have areas of outside air infiltration so it's never a balanced system. To make it worse, the front of the house faces west and there's no trees to shade it so it bakes in the summer, raising the temperature indoors by quite a bit.

We usually have it set on 71 (don't @ me!). That keeps it relatively comfortable. Sometimes we can get away with 72 if there is low humidity. Sometimes, we have to put it to 70 if the humidity is really high. It's a crap shoot honestly.

For sleeping we both need it on the cool side. We both toss and turn if it's warm. 72 at night is just way too hot for us - at least in this house. When we were away recently we noticed we set the thermostat completely different so it's clearly a problem with our home.
 

1 bruce 1

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We could never set ours that high. We have an old house that had to be retrofitted for a/c. When you do that, it never winds up being perfect and we still have areas of outside air infiltration so it's never a balanced system. To make it worse, the front of the house faces west and there's no trees to shade it so it bakes in the summer, raising the temperature indoors by quite a bit.

We usually have it set on 71 (don't @ me!). That keeps it relatively comfortable. Sometimes we can get away with 72 if there is low humidity. Sometimes, we have to put it to 70 if the humidity is really high. It's a crap shoot honestly.

For sleeping we both need it on the cool side. We both toss and turn if it's warm. 72 at night is just way too hot for us - at least in this house. When we were away recently we noticed we set the thermostat completely different so it's clearly a problem with our home.
Have you checked into those light blocking drapes? We hang them along the west end windows of the sunroom during the summer. It doesn't A/C, but blocking out that sun helps a lot.
 

catlover73

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I do not do well with it being warm or humid in my house due to migraines. During the summer the air is set around 70F. I do not change it while we are at work for my cats. My heat during the winter is usually set at 68. I think when we had the record setting polar vortex last winter we had it up to 73 for a few days. During that time it was so cold here that my hubby's office was closed for 3 days and most schools were closed. We have a garage so we never had issues with our car. My hubby drove me to and from work during this nasty weather to keep me safe.
 
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