After last week’s lengthy look at what buyers and sellers should know about the home buying process, we thought we’d take a look at something that seems to be the genesis of many a family argument — home cooling.
In the summer, especially in Texas, it seems like the AC is switched on by mid-May and doesn’t go off until sometime in November. Do you set the thermostat low in hopes that it keeps the house bearable and sell a kidney to pay the electric bill, or do you keep it a little higher and just try not to die?
People have varied opinions on which is better, and what they can tolerate.
So our Aug. 22 Friday Question asked readers to let us know what their thermostats were set on — and why.
Needless to say, everyone had different answers. Some said the temperature stayed the same all day long. Others said they had one temperature setting for daytime, and another for night time.
“(We keep it at) 75 or 76 during the day. 70 at night,” said Floridian Amanda Tackett.”Ceiling fans on in rooms being used. In winter, no heat at night. (Optimum sleep temp is 55-60.) And during the day in winter I open the blinds and set the heat to cycle on below 66. Wear a sweater and reverse the fans.”
“To be technical for the health of human body, should be no more than 20 degrees different from the outdoor temp,” said Melinda Salsbury. “But mine’s on 77 daytime, 75 at night. 68 in winter.”
Monica Benson said she keeps her dogs in mind when it comes to temperature selection.
“(It is at) 77 day (dogs are in, can’t get too hot;) 73 for waking hours, 72 at night,” she said.
But at least one reader said he couldn’t handle the heat from his bill. “$500 electricity bill. Off,” said Kit Elliott.
In our very informal survey, it seems that most of our readers keep their thermostats somewhere in the mid- to low 70s, by the way.
But what if we told you that some of the most commonly held beliefs people have about the proper heating and cooling of a home are uh, wrong?
We did a little digging, and were a little surprised to find out, for instance, that a home cooling strategy many of our readers swore by (setting your thermostat for one temp during the day and another at night) is a great way to save money and energy — unless you’re using an older unit, your home isn’t well-insulated, or your windows are older.
“If your house is not a good performer, it’s not a good idea to let it get so warm during the day that it takes hours to recover at night,” Austin HVAC guy Michael Scher told the Austin American-Statesman a few years ago. “Not only are you uncomfortable for that long, but the extended run time will cost more than just cycling on and off.”
But that doesn’t mean that you should keep it on the same temperature all day, either, if you’re not home.
“Using a programmable thermostat can let the house warm up while you’re gone, then start cooling things down before you get home,” said home warranty company American Home Shield’s blog. “This allows your unit to take a break when it doesn’t need to use energy.”
We also heard from people who said their house seemed to stay hot even if the thermostat was at a relatively cool 70 or 68. Experts said that while making sure your unit is getting a yearly checkup before summer hits is important when it comes to how well the unit works, a lot of other things can go into how cool your house feels.
“AC units need to breathe. Regular cleaning can keep your unit running smoothly and efficiently. It also provides an opportunity to catch problems that might have developed over the winter,” American Home Shield said.
An article from the home improvement site Hunker also points out that size matters when it comes to home cooling.
“Many air conditioners are installed without proper consideration for the correct size, or BTU output,” the article said. “HVAC installers may use a rule of thumb to determine the size you need without considering factors such as the climate you live in.”
“The wrong size air conditioner, especially one that produces too many BTUs, may cool the air but be unable to eliminate the humidity from the air. Humid conditions are perceived by some people as hot conditions.”
“People in the home may feel clammy or sweaty as a result, as the air conditioner will be unable to dry out the air to make it comfortable,” the article said.
Leaving your windows and blinds open during the day can also warm up a room (and house), as can shutting bedroom doors at night, which reduces the air flow through the house, says this article from Huffington Post.
Even your sheets and bedding can be an issue, the article said. “If you live in a very hot climate, it may be time to ditch the comforter altogether and sleep with a single sheet.,” it said. “Cotton sheets tend to be cooler than polyester or flannel sheets. You can also try out other natural materials like bamboo sheets or buckwheat pillows.”
IF you’re feeling super nerdy, perhaps the best explanation for why your house can be so hard to keep cool in the summer comes from EnergySmartOhio’s blog, which explains the science behind what heats your home up and how that affects home cooling, where it’s the hottest, and what can make it worse.
But fear not — it’s almost September and before you know it, we’ll be enjoying those two weeks of winter we get in February, reminiscing about yet another Thanksgiving and Christmas spent having family dinners al fresco.
Texas, amirite?
Editor’s Note: Every Friday, we’ll post a hot-button question on our Facebook page. Sometimes, they’ll be serious. Sometimes, they’ll be more light-hearted. Want to take part? Like and follow us, and comment on this Friday’s question.
