Author Topic: Insane air conditioner use  (Read 20876 times)

NorthernDreamer

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Insane air conditioner use
« on: July 04, 2017, 08:37:28 PM »
Out next door neighbours looooove air conditioning. We live in the 'burbs and do turn ours on occasionally during heat waves. Our neighbours run theirs almost constantly from May to September. Tonight it is 17 degrees celcius (62 F) and it's been running the past three hours. Seriously???

We keep our windows open most of the time so we are connected to outdoors.  Theirs are firmly shut so perhaps they do not realize it is almost chilly (😉) outside.

It honestly blows my mind. My husband and I comment on it every night, it's now a source of amusement for us. I suppose this is how many people live but I just don't get it. I'd love to see their electricity bill compared to ours!

tthree

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2017, 09:41:12 PM »
I'll one up you.  Today I heard the AC running next door more often than not.  But here's the kicker........no one lives there.  No one has lived there for 4+ years.  In an equal display of absurdity the detached garage is also heated all winter.

Fomerly known as something

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2017, 05:35:47 AM »
I went with my mom to her tour de Mcmanions, I mean local parade of homes this year.  Many of the homes were OK but I noticed the higher the priced the home, the more likely to have windows that don't really open.  Her home is in Michigan, I understand having the A/C on some days in the summer but there are many more days were it is pleasant with the windows open.

401Killer

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2017, 09:00:23 AM »
Out next door neighbours looooove air conditioning. We live in the 'burbs and do turn ours on occasionally during heat waves. Our neighbours run theirs almost constantly from May to September. Tonight it is 17 degrees celcius (62 F) and it's been running the past three hours. Seriously???

We keep our windows open most of the time so we are connected to outdoors.  Theirs are firmly shut so perhaps they do not realize it is almost chilly (😉) outside.

It honestly blows my mind. My husband and I comment on it every night, it's now a source of amusement for us. I suppose this is how many people live but I just don't get it. I'd love to see their electricity bill compared to ours!

I have the same situation next door to me as well. It's in the 60's outside and their AC is just running all night. People oblivious to this stuff just make me shake my head, laugh and feel much better about myself. More often than not their back door is wide open as well, a back door that has no storm door! So literally for hours, this door is wide open(dog always opens it) AC is blasting when its 85 degrees out, bugs have total access...

It's chaos... 

economista

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2017, 09:13:19 AM »
I got really irritated with this at the last apartment complex I lived in.  I preferred to have my A/C off and all of the windows open, but I absolutely can't stand white noise.  I hate the sound of fans, A/C, etc.  All of my neighbors had their A/C units running continuously, so I could only keep the windows open for around 30 minutes at a time before it drove me crazy and I had to shut the windows and turn on the A/C.  One day the high was 65F and they still had all of their A/Cs running!  I made a facebook post ranting about it and I was astounded at how many people commented on it telling me I was in the wrong! 

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2017, 09:18:04 AM »
Most of the time, I don't run air conditioning at all, but my mother-in-law is visiting so I am running it at 76 degrees. It's freaking killing me inside. All I can imagine is the cash that I'm currently setting on fire by running the AC. Darn it.

MrMoogle

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2017, 09:26:54 AM »
I know this isn't nearly as common as the people who run AC constantly, but I have pretty bad allergies, and my area has a lot of allergens. Most days during the spring when it's nice to have the windows open, I can't open them.  Luckily our winters are pretty mild, so I can open them then.

marielle

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2017, 09:40:54 AM »
I've had multiple people ask if it's better to keep the AC on when you're gone rather than turn it on and off constantly. Some insist it's better to just keep it running.

I moved in with a roommate and I asked if I should turn the AC off when I leave (he owns the house and is home often during the day) and he said to leave it on despite him not being home that day and that he's currently "spoiling himself with the AC". He claims to be an environmentalist. He IS making it more energy efficient by replacing various light fixtures and such, but rather than spend $1200 on six fancy fans that come with LED bulbs, plus more on bathroom lighting fixtures, he could just replace the bulbs on the existing fixtures (free or cheap) or just turn the AC down. The new fixtures do look way better, but it seems like he was more concerned about the energy efficient aspect of them which makes 0 sense because they just use regular removable LED bulbs.
I think I'm more of an environmentalist than he is without even trying to be.

Debts_of_Despair

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #8 on: July 05, 2017, 10:30:39 AM »
You must live on the other side of my next door neighbor.  Sounds exactly like them.  I love to turn on the AC on hot, sticky nights but it's pointless when the temp goes down to 65*F or less.

RelaxedGal

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #9 on: July 05, 2017, 10:55:53 AM »
I know this isn't nearly as common as the people who run AC constantly, but I have pretty bad allergies, and my area has a lot of allergens. Most days during the spring when it's nice to have the windows open, I can't open them.  Luckily our winters are pretty mild, so I can open them then.

Our household is also held hostage by allergens.  Even when it's down to 68F overnight the house has been sealed up all day and we insulated it so well that we have to keep the air conditioning on to sleep comfortably.  My husband's allergies are so bad that he went to the allergist 2 weeks ago and did the skin test, came home with a Dr's note that he's not allowed to mow the lawn.  Even with daily allergy medicine, nightly showers (for everyone in the household)  to get off the pollen, and weekly vacuuming, we need to keep the windows closed to keep the pollen out so it's "only" a 3-4 month problem instead of trapping the pollen in for a year-round problem.  On the upside: he's a good candidate for allergy shots, is starting them today, and it should only be ~$3000 for 3 years of allergy shots which should give him 20 years allergy-free.  Are the allergy shots cost effective vs. 20 years of Allegra and air conditioning?  Maybe not, but worth it in quality of life.

NorthernDreamer

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #10 on: July 05, 2017, 11:38:18 AM »
To be honest, I did not consider using A/C because of allergies. That I can totally understand. I wonder now...but knowing them a bit, I have a feeling that is not the reason. But perhaps I should be a bit less judgy about all the humming A/C units when I walk the dog in the evening...

Fomerly known as something

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #11 on: July 05, 2017, 01:09:37 PM »
I've had multiple people ask if it's better to keep the AC on when you're gone rather than turn it on and off constantly. Some insist it's better to just keep it running.

I moved in with a roommate and I asked if I should turn the AC off when I leave (he owns the house and is home often during the day) and he said to leave it on despite him not being home that day and that he's currently "spoiling himself with the AC". He claims to be an environmentalist. He IS making it more energy efficient by replacing various light fixtures and such, but rather than spend $1200 on six fancy fans that come with LED bulbs, plus more on bathroom lighting fixtures, he could just replace the bulbs on the existing fixtures (free or cheap) or just turn the AC down. The new fixtures do look way better, but it seems like he was more concerned about the energy efficient aspect of them which makes 0 sense because they just use regular removable LED bulbs.
I think I'm more of an environmentalist than he is without even trying to be.

Based on your location of Charlotte I wouldn't ever turn the A/C completely off on many summer days.  When I was living in SW Georgia my A/C broke in July.  I got a window A/C unit to cool one room.  I had an indoor outdoor temperature gauge at the time so moved the sensor into my living room.  My A/C room was at a bearable 80*, the living room was well over 100* and it melted a couple of candles.

NathanP

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #12 on: July 05, 2017, 01:31:09 PM »
I've had multiple people ask if it's better to keep the AC on when you're gone rather than turn it on and off constantly. Some insist it's better to just keep it running.

I moved in with a roommate and I asked if I should turn the AC off when I leave (he owns the house and is home often during the day) and he said to leave it on despite him not being home that day and that he's currently "spoiling himself with the AC". He claims to be an environmentalist. He IS making it more energy efficient by replacing various light fixtures and such, but rather than spend $1200 on six fancy fans that come with LED bulbs, plus more on bathroom lighting fixtures, he could just replace the bulbs on the existing fixtures (free or cheap) or just turn the AC down. The new fixtures do look way better, but it seems like he was more concerned about the energy efficient aspect of them which makes 0 sense because they just use regular removable LED bulbs.
I think I'm more of an environmentalist than he is without even trying to be.

Based on your location of Charlotte I wouldn't ever turn the A/C completely off on many summer days.  When I was living in SW Georgia my A/C broke in July.  I got a window A/C unit to cool one room.  I had an indoor outdoor temperature gauge at the time so moved the sensor into my living room.  My A/C room was at a bearable 80*, the living room was well over 100* and it melted a couple of candles.

This should be based on the ability of your cooling system, and other factors such as tree cover, roofing material, and home insulation levels. My home is in Raleigh (not far from Charlotte), and on the hottest days the interior temperature rarely exceeds 81 or 82 degrees. My thermostat is programmed to be off during the day and then reach our desired temperature in the evening.

Unfortunately, I think that many people outsource their home heating/cooling needs to the thermostat. Windows are never opened, and its the "machines" job to keep me comfortable.
« Last Edit: July 05, 2017, 01:33:12 PM by NathanP »

daverobev

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #13 on: July 05, 2017, 05:10:10 PM »
Bear in mind that the a/c is also a dehumidifier.

Don't get me wrong, I generally tut as I walk around town on not-very-very-hot days, but yeah, there's something to be said for being both cool and dry.

Also, if you cook indoors, if your house has poor insulation and black shingles (seriously, why the fuck would anyone choose BLACK to go on their roof?!), it could absorb a lot of heat. I know our main bedroom is both hottest in the summer and coldest in the winter.

I'm too cheap ('frugal') to run ours much (in fact, after accidentally dropping a brand new unit out our bedroom window to the concrete below... I bought a 'portable' for our room which really isn't up to much), and I haven't put our window unit in this year yet (because. it. keeps. raining. more. tomorrow. yay.), but part of me goes... ohhhhh yeahhhhh.... air conditioning.... mmmmmmm.

Ocinfo

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #14 on: July 05, 2017, 07:24:35 PM »
There's lots of reasons to keep the A/C running beyond just keeping the house cool. I live in the city and, as much as I would like to keep windows open, it usually isn't practical. For one, the air quality isn't the best. Second, my windows are virtually sound proof which comes in handy when the garbage truck bangs the dumpster at 6AM on a Saturday or all the usual police/fire sirens throughout the night. There's also the security issue (right or wrong) that drives some people to keep windows shut, especially at night. I suppose my main point is to not judge quite so much. Ultimately it might be on but set at 80 so really not so bad.


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redbird

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #15 on: July 06, 2017, 12:46:58 AM »
There's lots of reasons to keep the A/C running beyond just keeping the house cool. I live in the city and, as much as I would like to keep windows open, it usually isn't practical. For one, the air quality isn't the best. Second, my windows are virtually sound proof which comes in handy when the garbage truck bangs the dumpster at 6AM on a Saturday or all the usual police/fire sirens throughout the night. There's also the security issue (right or wrong) that drives some people to keep windows shut, especially at night. I suppose my main point is to not judge quite so much. Ultimately it might be on but set at 80 so really not so bad.


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During the I lived in Japan I kept the A/C on more often than not because of air quality too. I lived only a few miles from a US Air Force base and the giant C-130s would fly directly over my house all the time. It literally left black soot everywhere outside. If you opened the windows on a nice day, the soot would actually start turning the insides of the curtains and the insides of the window sills black. I am not exaggerating. It was gross.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #16 on: July 06, 2017, 01:38:45 AM »
My husband is also allergic to pollen and grass and cold, dry weather. So open windows are problematic. Another thing is that sounds can come in through an open window. So what we have in the bedroom is a wall ventilator that measure the CO2 level in the bedroom and blows in filtered, fresh air from outside when necessary. It does so very silently. This works normally and I don't think it uses a lot of energy. Now in the summer we noticed that our bedroom gets quite warm and I often wake up from the heat. So when we go to bed, I turn the ventilator on to blow in air permanently (very little, very silently) and turn it off again in the morning. In the rest of the house we do not have any form for ventilation other than a vent in the wall or opening a window.

farfromfire

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #17 on: July 06, 2017, 04:04:37 AM »
I know this isn't nearly as common as the people who run AC constantly, but I have pretty bad allergies, and my area has a lot of allergens. Most days during the spring when it's nice to have the windows open, I can't open them.  Luckily our winters are pretty mild, so I can open them then.

Our household is also held hostage by allergens.  Even when it's down to 68F overnight the house has been sealed up all day and we insulated it so well that we have to keep the air conditioning on to sleep comfortably.  My husband's allergies are so bad that he went to the allergist 2 weeks ago and did the skin test, came home with a Dr's note that he's not allowed to mow the lawn.  Even with daily allergy medicine, nightly showers (for everyone in the household)  to get off the pollen, and weekly vacuuming, we need to keep the windows closed to keep the pollen out so it's "only" a 3-4 month problem instead of trapping the pollen in for a year-round problem.  On the upside: he's a good candidate for allergy shots, is starting them today, and it should only be ~$3000 for 3 years of allergy shots which should give him 20 years allergy-free.  Are the allergy shots cost effective vs. 20 years of Allegra and air conditioning?  Maybe not, but worth it in quality of life.
I hope this works for him - a relative of mine received the shots and was told they last "up to 20 years", but the allergies returned 5 years later, and doctors are reluctant to give too many "update" shots.

JordanOfGilead

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #18 on: July 06, 2017, 06:53:46 AM »
Along a similar vein to home A/C use;
I am always dumbfounded by how many people drive around with their windows up when it's 65*F - 80*F. It's freaking amazing weather. Bright sunny day, cool breeze, but you would rather breathe air recycled through your cabin air filter that is about 5 years beyond needing replaced? Absolute insanity.

Laura33

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #19 on: July 06, 2017, 07:05:15 AM »
I gotta say, this is my pet peeve about most new home construction: they are designed for 24/7 artificial climate control.  I grew up in a house without AC, but it was built in the late 19th c. in a summer home community, so it had high ceilings, big windows on almost every side, a side stairwell that got a little of the chimney effect going, and porches to shade the first floor windows from the sun.  With fans running all the time, it was tolerable for all but about 6 weeks of the year (when we put window units in the bedrooms/study).

When I was in CO and we built our house, we installed a whole house fan that was mounted in the ceiling on top of the second-floor loft overlooking the family room.  Because you get awesome temperature swings there, even if it was 90 during the day, when the sun dipped behind the mountain it would go to like 68, so we'd come home, open the basement windows, turn on the whole house fan, and the house would be cool in less than 15 minutes.

Now, though, most homes aren't designed for the local climate.  I am back in the area where I grew up, but none of the newer homes are designed to manage the hot, muggy days naturally.  So you really are forced to use the AC, because the inside of those homes gets much more miserable much more quickly than mine ever did.  And the worst part is that people then learn that this is "normal" and don't consider any other options.  My DH grew up in modern suburbia, and when we bought another one of those old summer homes, the first thing he did was install AC.  Sigh.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #20 on: July 06, 2017, 07:14:47 AM »
My boss just spent a week on vacation in New York. She complained about it being extremely hot outside. And the air conditioner being on extremely cold in every shop and restaurant. So much that you had to dress with a coat when eating. Maybe shops and restaurants overdo it a bit?

economista

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #21 on: July 06, 2017, 07:22:04 AM »
Along a similar vein to home A/C use;
I am always dumbfounded by how many people drive around with their windows up when it's 65*F - 80*F. It's freaking amazing weather. Bright sunny day, cool breeze, but you would rather breathe air recycled through your cabin air filter that is about 5 years beyond needing replaced? Absolute insanity.

If I'm driving on a rural country road, or through a suburban neighborhood without any traffic, I agree with you.  But if there are lots of other cars around (like there are 99% of the time) I don't want to hear the noise of the other cars, or breathe in their exhaust fumes, which set off my asthma like crazy and make me feel sick to my stomach.

JordanOfGilead

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #22 on: July 06, 2017, 07:24:04 AM »
Along a similar vein to home A/C use;
I am always dumbfounded by how many people drive around with their windows up when it's 65*F - 80*F. It's freaking amazing weather. Bright sunny day, cool breeze, but you would rather breathe air recycled through your cabin air filter that is about 5 years beyond needing replaced? Absolute insanity.

If I'm driving on a rural country road, or through a suburban neighborhood without any traffic, I agree with you.  But if there are lots of other cars around (like there are 99% of the time) I don't want to hear the noise of the other cars, or breathe in their exhaust fumes, which set off my asthma like crazy and make me feel sick to my stomach.
Fair enough. I should clarify that the vast majority of my driving is done through suburban areas with relatively low traffic.

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Ocinfo

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #23 on: July 06, 2017, 08:47:14 AM »
Along a similar vein to home A/C use;
I am always dumbfounded by how many people drive around with their windows up when it's 65*F - 80*F. It's freaking amazing weather. Bright sunny day, cool breeze, but you would rather breathe air recycled through your cabin air filter that is about 5 years beyond needing replaced? Absolute insanity.

If I'm driving on a rural country road, or through a suburban neighborhood without any traffic, I agree with you.  But if there are lots of other cars around (like there are 99% of the time) I don't want to hear the noise of the other cars, or breathe in their exhaust fumes, which set off my asthma like crazy and make me feel sick to my stomach.
Fair enough. I should clarify that the vast majority of my driving is done through suburban areas with relatively low traffic.

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Definitely a disconnect on this issue between city and rural. If I'm on a country road or highway out of town then my windows are usually down. In the city, almost always up. Between the sitting in traffic and random people trying to talk/solicit when windows are down it's just better to have them up.

I had my windows down a few weeks ago and got called multiple derogatory names after a guy tried to give me a business card for his auto body shop due to a dent on the back of my car. Karma almost got him as he then ran a red light, nearly got hit by a truck, and nearly ran over a pedestrian.


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TVRodriguez

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #24 on: July 06, 2017, 08:59:45 AM »
My boss just spent a week on vacation in New York. She complained about it being extremely hot outside. And the air conditioner being on extremely cold in every shop and restaurant. So much that you had to dress with a coat when eating. Maybe shops and restaurants overdo it a bit?

You have just described Miami. 

mtn

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #25 on: July 06, 2017, 09:41:02 AM »
My inlaws have to have theirs running constantly due to my MIL's MS. Humidity is not her friend. She's also always cold, so she's bundled up. (Yes, they've tried, and still use dehumidifiers).

Ours is set to 71-73, depending on what the day looks like. But that is because of the dogs. If the weather report shows it will be nice all day I'll turn it off. When we were on vacation, I had it set to 80 except for about 45 minutes in the morning when I had it kick in for humidity control.

gardeningandgreen

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #26 on: July 06, 2017, 09:59:19 AM »

Also, if you cook indoors, if your house has poor insulation and black shingles (seriously, why the fuck would anyone choose BLACK to go on their roof?!), it could absorb a lot of heat. I know our main bedroom is both hottest in the summer and coldest in the winter.


I live in Minnesota where it is cold for 9 months out of the year. Black shingles are the best idea here! If we don't have snow it warms the house some! Obviously if you live in Texas black shingles are a terrible idea!

A Definite Beta Guy

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #27 on: July 06, 2017, 03:35:28 PM »
My neighbors air conditioner is humming along a good 2-3 times as often as mine. I don't get it at all, especially since they have a one-story ranch and I have a split level home.

I can see how they might not be able to keep their windows open at night, but they should be able to keep them open long enough to get in some good air.

It's July, so we're running the AC now, but we have it set at 74 and run fans on the upper level (which is probably more like 77 or 78).


paddedhat

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #28 on: July 09, 2017, 09:32:27 AM »
I know this isn't nearly as common as the people who run AC constantly, but I have pretty bad allergies, and my area has a lot of allergens. Most days during the spring when it's nice to have the windows open, I can't open them.  Luckily our winters are pretty mild, so I can open them then.

This must be more common than you think. One of the first things the realtor told us, when we were looking to move to farm country, where something is blooming from March through October, is that you need to think about this is if you have severe allergies. For many the AC is the only way to hide from the pollen overload,  and even days when the field adjacent to the back yard gets a sweet and delightful coating of wet cow, or even waaaaay worse, wet pig shit.

Sibley

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #29 on: July 09, 2017, 01:31:01 PM »
I know this isn't nearly as common as the people who run AC constantly, but I have pretty bad allergies, and my area has a lot of allergens. Most days during the spring when it's nice to have the windows open, I can't open them.  Luckily our winters are pretty mild, so I can open them then.

Our household is also held hostage by allergens.  Even when it's down to 68F overnight the house has been sealed up all day and we insulated it so well that we have to keep the air conditioning on to sleep comfortably.  My husband's allergies are so bad that he went to the allergist 2 weeks ago and did the skin test, came home with a Dr's note that he's not allowed to mow the lawn.  Even with daily allergy medicine, nightly showers (for everyone in the household)  to get off the pollen, and weekly vacuuming, we need to keep the windows closed to keep the pollen out so it's "only" a 3-4 month problem instead of trapping the pollen in for a year-round problem.  On the upside: he's a good candidate for allergy shots, is starting them today, and it should only be ~$3000 for 3 years of allergy shots which should give him 20 years allergy-free.  Are the allergy shots cost effective vs. 20 years of Allegra and air conditioning?  Maybe not, but worth it in quality of life.

I had allergy shots, and while they did help a LOT, they didn't get rid of everything. Then I moved allergy zones and developed a new allergy which primarily comes out as asthma. Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. But, I don't need to use AC all the time.

PDXTabs

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #30 on: July 09, 2017, 01:33:47 PM »
On the upside: he's a good candidate for allergy shots, is starting them today, and it should only be ~$3000 for 3 years of allergy shots which should give him 20 years allergy-free.  Are the allergy shots cost effective vs. 20 years of Allegra and air conditioning?  Maybe not, but worth it in quality of life.

I have had good luck with shots.
I have friends that have had good luck with Helminth therapy. http://helminthictherapywiki.org/wiki/index.php/Helminthic_Therapy_Wiki

ender

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #31 on: July 09, 2017, 01:37:11 PM »
Bear in mind that the a/c is also a dehumidifier.


+1

This is probably why we run ours in evenings when it's cool outside the most.

LiveLean

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #32 on: July 09, 2017, 01:46:33 PM »
I have a 1,300 square foot beach house that rents by the week in the summer months. So I pay utilities.

My June bill was $325. It's an old house, not very well insulated, and I assume tenants just keep it at 65, leave the doors to the screen porch open, etc. I'm temped to install a Nest or some other remotely programmable system, but the management agency discourages owners from doing so.

Plus I think it would just piss me off to look at my phone from 800 miles away and see what the temp is set at.

But every so often like this week I get a vacancy, which sucks in mid-July. On the bright side, my cousin and very-handy husband who live nearby go over and he fixes or updates a half dozen things. "Good news," my cousin said today when she called. "They heeded your request and turned the AC up to 84. The bad news is that window unit downstairs (where there's no AC) was blowing full-blast and two of your doors were left unlocked."


SnackDog

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #33 on: July 09, 2017, 03:04:48 PM »
It is too humid where we live to open the windows even when the temps are tolerable. We need to run the AC 24/7 just to manage humidity and not have mold on the walls.  We still get mold and fungus in the closets.  Our place also has no screens so in addition to dust and noise we would get mosquitos.  No thanks!

Gone Fishing

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #34 on: July 09, 2017, 03:54:37 PM »
It is too humid where we live to open the windows even when the temps are tolerable. We need to run the AC 24/7 just to manage humidity and not have mold on the walls.  We still get mold and fungus in the closets.  Our place also has no screens so in addition to dust and noise we would get mosquitos.  No thanks!

I have a buddy that worked forclosures in the southeast.  Anything left vacant without HVAC running grew massive amounts of black mold in a very short amount of time. 

Cassie

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #35 on: July 09, 2017, 04:18:09 PM »
My allergies have steadily gotten worse as I age. 20 years ago I did allergy shots and they did not help at all. Recently I went back to the allergist and when tested almost everything came out at a 4+ which is the highest you can have. Now I am trying allergy drops specifically mixed for what I am allergic to. It cost 80/month and the insurance won't cover them.  It has only been a few months but so far they are helping. I have lived all over the country and when young often didn't have air even in hot climates. It really depends on the temps, humidity, etc about usage. When I was young there were many times I wish I had it.  It is really terrible to lay awake at night and not be able to sleep because of the heat.

TheAnonOne

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #36 on: July 11, 2017, 11:11:10 AM »
I grew up in WI and still live in the mid-west. My body is 110% cool-weather, even if it is mostly a mental thing. During the spring, summer and fall, we run the AC quite a bit.

Though, we make up for it by keeping the house colder during the winter around 62*F and set the AC during the summer at 68*F

Face punches welcome!

GuitarStv

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #37 on: July 11, 2017, 11:58:55 AM »
My allergies have steadily gotten worse as I age. 20 years ago I did allergy shots and they did not help at all.

My understanding is that allergy shots need to be given multiple times a year for about five or six years for them to be effective.  FWIW - I've had four family members who have followed this to largely resolve their allergy problems, and currently my wife is on year 3 of a round.

galliver

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #38 on: July 11, 2017, 03:22:06 PM »
We somewhat frequently run AC for an hour or so just after it starts to cool down outside, which might look wonky to an impartial observer. But we have the lower floor apartment with pretty good thermal mass, so it will stay habitably cool past noon even on 100F+ days...but by late afternoon/early evening it catches up and won't get cool enough to sleep until about dawn without intervention. Our upstairs neighbors seem to run theirs all summer, but they're older, and it's upstairs.

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #39 on: July 11, 2017, 03:32:43 PM »
I'm one of those people that feels the cold and also the heat! Of course, you need to dress appropriately (no t shirts and hot air blasting when it's snowing outside!) but heating/cooling is not something I skimp on. I believe it's a health issue not to have a warm house in winter, and being too hot in the summer prevents me from sleeping properly. I'll skimp in other areas!

JordanOfGilead

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #40 on: July 12, 2017, 08:45:33 AM »
How did this turn from a mustachian topic to a bunch of people trying to justify being soft? You don't have to convince us. It's your wallet that suffers.

marielle

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #41 on: July 12, 2017, 08:55:21 AM »
I believe it's a health issue not to have a warm house in winter, and being too hot in the summer prevents me from sleeping properly.

How is it a health issue? Obviously I don't mean keep your house at 40F in the winter, but what is the issue with 60F? With warm clothes and small electrical blankets that shouldn't be a big deal at all. Some people go even colder.

farmecologist

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #42 on: July 12, 2017, 09:53:26 AM »
I grew up in WI and still live in the mid-west. My body is 110% cool-weather, even if it is mostly a mental thing. During the spring, summer and fall, we run the AC quite a bit.

Though, we make up for it by keeping the house colder during the winter around 62*F and set the AC during the summer at 68*F

Face punches welcome!

We do exactly the same thing ( we are from Minnesota ).  The problem is...our summers are quite humid.  Humidity just drives us nuts...we can't sleep well with high humidity, etc...  So yes, we do run the A/C quite a bit.  The thing is, I don't feel like our utility bills are exorbitant during the summer.   Certainly more than the winter, but I'm not saving 'huge amounts of cash' by not running it. 

Also, do realize that air-conditioner sizing has a lot to do with how long a unit runs.  Many times A/C units are oversized so they don't run as long..but don't remove as much humidity ( not good ).  A smaller sized unit that runs longer removes much more humidity.   

There are also many newer A/C units with 'variable speed compressors' that are specifically designed to run longer in a more efficient manner to remove humidity. 

My point is...the run time of an A/C unit can have very little to do with how much energy it is using. 


mtn

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #43 on: July 12, 2017, 10:34:47 AM »
I grew up in WI and still live in the mid-west. My body is 110% cool-weather, even if it is mostly a mental thing. During the spring, summer and fall, we run the AC quite a bit.

Though, we make up for it by keeping the house colder during the winter around 62*F and set the AC during the summer at 68*F

Face punches welcome!

We do exactly the same thing ( we are from Minnesota ).  The problem is...our summers are quite humid.  Humidity just drives us nuts...we can't sleep well with high humidity, etc...  So yes, we do run the A/C quite a bit.  The thing is, I don't feel like our utility bills are exorbitant during the summer.   Certainly more than the winter, but I'm not saving 'huge amounts of cash' by not running it. 

Also, do realize that air-conditioner sizing has a lot to do with how long a unit runs.  Many times A/C units are oversized so they don't run as long..but don't remove as much humidity ( not good ).  A smaller sized unit that runs longer removes much more humidity.   

There are also many newer A/C units with 'variable speed compressors' that are specifically designed to run longer in a more efficient manner to remove humidity. 

My point is...the run time of an A/C unit can have very little to do with how much energy it is using.

No kidding--we're in Chicagoland and have had the AC running about 30 minutes every hour for the past week. Otherwise we'll get mold.

A Definite Beta Guy

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #44 on: July 12, 2017, 12:54:09 PM »
I grew up in WI and still live in the mid-west. My body is 110% cool-weather, even if it is mostly a mental thing. During the spring, summer and fall, we run the AC quite a bit.

Though, we make up for it by keeping the house colder during the winter around 62*F and set the AC during the summer at 68*F

Face punches welcome!

We do exactly the same thing ( we are from Minnesota ).  The problem is...our summers are quite humid.  Humidity just drives us nuts...we can't sleep well with high humidity, etc...  So yes, we do run the A/C quite a bit.  The thing is, I don't feel like our utility bills are exorbitant during the summer.   Certainly more than the winter, but I'm not saving 'huge amounts of cash' by not running it. 

Also, do realize that air-conditioner sizing has a lot to do with how long a unit runs.  Many times A/C units are oversized so they don't run as long..but don't remove as much humidity ( not good ).  A smaller sized unit that runs longer removes much more humidity.   

There are also many newer A/C units with 'variable speed compressors' that are specifically designed to run longer in a more efficient manner to remove humidity. 

My point is...the run time of an A/C unit can have very little to do with how much energy it is using.


I'll have to keep this in mind when I replace the AC unit. Relative humidity in Chicago is 83% right now. The last 2 weeks have been "not fun"

ysette9

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #45 on: July 12, 2017, 02:09:20 PM »
As a CA native I am somewhat shocked and disgusted to hear that there are places out there that are so humid that black mold will grow if you don't climate-control a building. Gross! Remind me why people chose to settle places like that to begin with?

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I am always dumbfounded by how many people drive around with their windows up when it's 65*F - 80*F. It's freaking amazing weather. Bright sunny day, cool breeze, but you would rather breathe air recycled through your cabin air filter that is about 5 years beyond needing replaced? Absolute insanity.

As long as I'm not on the freeway, I get this. At higher speeds the noise really gets to me. Unfortunately my toddler can't stand the "wind" of open windows in the car. Every time I try to sneak some open windows past her she complains. The upside of having the quiet of closed windows is that I can hear and respond to her 500 "why?" questions. :)

farmecologist

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #46 on: July 12, 2017, 02:34:14 PM »
As a CA native I am somewhat shocked and disgusted to hear that there are places out there that are so humid that black mold will grow if you don't climate-control a building. Gross! Remind me why people chose to settle places like that to begin with?

I hear you.  Many people seem to believe that Minnesota is up near the arctic circle somewhere (no joke)...but that's certainly not the case!  Especially down here in southern MN.  Summers can be hot and humid..and it seems to be getting worse.  However, it is really only hot/humid a few weeks of the year.  Spring and Fall are really great here. 

With that being said, we have visited Orlando, Atlanta, etc... during the summer months and I honestly don't understand how people down there cope with it..even with A/C.  The humidity down there is overwhelming to me.  May be you 'get used to it' but I'm not so sure. 


AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #47 on: July 12, 2017, 03:56:25 PM »
I believe it's a health issue not to have a warm house in winter, and being too hot in the summer prevents me from sleeping properly.

How is it a health issue? Obviously I don't mean keep your house at 40F in the winter, but what is the issue with 60F? With warm clothes and small electrical blankets that shouldn't be a big deal at all. Some people go even colder.

In NZ, people don't typically have any central heating. Our winters are cold and damp, and a huge percentage of our houses are as well (stems from people's stupid idea of building British style houses in a climate no suited for them). Damp houses grow mold, even if you can't see it, and mold leads to respiratory illnesses. We have one the highest rates of childhood asthma in the world, largely due to our crappy housing stock. I also believe that it's important to have a warm home as you get older - you have less physical resources to fight illness, and you're less likely to be able to shake off a cold if you're burning those resources just to keep warm. None of these things may be a problem for you. But I keep my home warm and dry in winter anyway. Yes, it costs money, but for me it's the same as buying decent quality food (which isn't expensive, not suggesting that) and making sure I service my car. It's all preventative maintenance.

birdman2003

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #48 on: July 12, 2017, 03:57:43 PM »
Our 100+ year old house doesn't have AC but we did put window units in the bedrooms for sleeping.  We cook outdoors in the summer and try to enjoy the longer days.  A cold shower feels refreshing and saves on the hot water bill!

galliver

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Re: Insane air conditioner use
« Reply #49 on: July 12, 2017, 04:09:52 PM »
As a CA native I am somewhat shocked and disgusted to hear that there are places out there that are so humid that black mold will grow if you don't climate-control a building. Gross! Remind me why people chose to settle places like that to begin with?

Because you can run AC/heat full blast in a McMansion there for the price of Bay Area housing? ;) That's what I'm guessing, anyway. (No malice, I grew up in the Bay Area, lived a while in IL-Chicago and Champaign, now in SoCal and hate it.)

Apparently many places in the Northeast use heating oil which is freakishly expensive instead of natural gas or electric even? Every geographical location is inefficient in its own way...
« Last Edit: July 12, 2017, 05:58:28 PM by galliver »