My next experiment is not using my dryer. The first test went quite well!
Were a pretty constant 79 setting on the t-stat throughout the Summer.
I exercise outdoors in the mid 90s with high humidity because the alternative is not being able to do anything active outside for most of the Summer!
I guess I've acclimated to 'hot', but it still sucks a bunch of fun out of the activity.
Our AC bill isn't a terribly high expense. Moving it up to 83, 85 doesn't seem worth the $10/mo that might save us.
Nice job. I'm just not willing to toughen up that much in the summer. I keep my a/c at 75 during the day and 71 at night. I don't like the heat at all. I do keep my thermostat set lower than most (65) during the winter though, so I think my energy use is relatively balanced throughout the year. I turn off the HVAC as much as I can during the transitional months. I'm guessing you don't have much use for a heater in Houston though...
I'm impressed; I absolutely HATE the heat and run my AC at 72 which is particularly indulgent. Disclaimer: we have fully paid for solar and haven't had an electric bill in 3 years. I used to keep it around 76 before solar even though it was warmer than I liked. I have lived without AC and never could manage to sleep at night when the house was 86. I'm trying to acclimate to heat since I'm an avid hiker and I've taken up running/just getting into trail running. I even do hot yoga. I find in the office, though, if the temperature creeps above 76 I just get sleepy and unmotivated.
I do go the other way in the winter though and have comfortably adapted down to 57. So, I can live without heat, because that's as cold as it ever gets in the house.
Don't be surprised if some people don't come over in summer.
I moved from Dallas where it would be very rare NOT to have AC. I was acclimated to precise indoor temperatures.)
The funny thing is that it's been in the 80's several days but I haven't been bothered enough to set up the cooling vest. I have become acclimated to the heat!
Are you going to dry indoors or out?
Is it mostly dry in Texas?
Dry heat is much more tolerable than sticky, humid heat. My experience is that 28 C (83 F) is perfectly fine if it's dry outside, but at 90% humidity it's pretty miserable.
Is it mostly dry in Texas?
Dry heat is much more tolerable than sticky, humid heat. My experience is that 28 C (83 F) is perfectly fine if it's dry outside, but at 90% humidity it's pretty miserable.
Depends on where you are. I'm in Houston, which is right along the coast. It's frequently above 80% humidity here. Days when it's below 50% humidity I feel super human, haha.
I woke up this morning with my home being an ambient 83F. Felt great. Began my bike to work when it was 79F outside w/ 75% humidity. Immediately felt like it was 85F+.
So glad to see this! Hello from a fellow hot/humid dweller :) Last year I didn't use AC at all during day (occasionally house would get up to 89 inside), and unfortunately found a bit of surface mold on wood furniture. So this year, it's set at 84 during day, and 78 at night, but you've inspired me to try to bump that up a degree at night to 79.
For the indoor clothes drying, do you have a drying rack? A few low cost supplies will help there, I've been doing that for the past couple years (though anymore I do cheat with sheets and throw them in the dryer).
Way to go, it's great to see some forum badassity!
We joke that we either 1. only have two seasons: scorching hot or windy, humid cold with ice, and 2. we have all 4 seasons but in 1 day (pretty frequently).
gains were there.
Currently indoors, next to an open window, with an overhead fan and a floor fan going. I'm a little paranoid about the moisture and humidity creating mold. After Harvey I want nothing to do with anything moldy.
I need to try this for the cold, I very rarely use my aircon in summer (unless it is above 40 (104F)) but in winter I am always cold. I usually just try and wear extra layers before I put my heater on but I find it hard to get comfortable.
It also doesn't even get that cold where I live so it should be easier to acclimatise
79 at night accomplished. I'll do that for another week, then go for 80.
Yeah, I find the reverse for cold. Being acclimated to heat, I feel absolutely freezing at 65 F (18 C) or below. Have to work on that too!
I need to try this for the cold, I very rarely use my aircon in summer (unless it is above 40 (104F)) but in winter I am always cold. I usually just try and wear extra layers before I put my heater on but I find it hard to get comfortable.
It also doesn't even get that cold where I live so it should be easier to acclimatise79 at night accomplished. I'll do that for another week, then go for 80.
Yeah, I find the reverse for cold. Being acclimated to heat, I feel absolutely freezing at 65 F (18 C) or below. Have to work on that too!
Good work!
Both of y'all should look into cold showers. They're generally a joke in the summer in Texas since my ground water is pretty warm. However, taking a cold shower in the winter is legit and will definitely acclimate you VERY quickly.
It's actually quite awesome. I'll take a cold shower at night, dry off really well, and I feel so warm like the heat is radiating from me. Toss on a pair of socks and briefs and go to bed. That's what I was doing when we were keeping the thermostat below 60F in the winter.
I need to try this for the cold, I very rarely use my aircon in summer (unless it is above 40 (104F)) but in winter I am always cold. I usually just try and wear extra layers before I put my heater on but I find it hard to get comfortable.
It also doesn't even get that cold where I live so it should be easier to acclimatise79 at night accomplished. I'll do that for another week, then go for 80.
Yeah, I find the reverse for cold. Being acclimated to heat, I feel absolutely freezing at 65 F (18 C) or below. Have to work on that too!
Good work!
Both of y'all should look into cold showers. They're generally a joke in the summer in Texas since my ground water is pretty warm. However, taking a cold shower in the winter is legit and will definitely acclimate you VERY quickly.
It's actually quite awesome. I'll take a cold shower at night, dry off really well, and I feel so warm like the heat is radiating from me. Toss on a pair of socks and briefs and go to bed. That's what I was doing when we were keeping the thermostat below 60F in the winter.
I cant even cope with cold showers in summer! but will maybe try it, its still winter now and got to about 10c (50F) overnight and I was freezing so I should be brave
Haha! Well. To be fair they aren't easy at first! The thing is, all this shit we're talking about whether it's heat or cold.. it all sucks for a few minutes and then you just carry on. That's kind of the beauty in all this.
My biggest thing I want to avoid is becoming a climaphobe. Racing from one AC building or heated car to the next. Are we, right now, simultaneously the smartest yet weakest the human species has ever been?
I used to do this in Beijing, which is hot and humid in the summers, and cold and dry in the winters.
I got so I was comfortable with the house at 30 C (86F) during the day in the summer. And I could sleep with the bedroom only cooled to 28 C (82 F) at night.
In the winter, we would only heat the house to 16-18C (60-64 F).
Now that we are back in Seattle, we have been able to keep the winter temps at 64 (I get cold at lower than that due to the dampness). We had a mini heat wave recently but due to orientation/trees surrounding us our house doesn't get that hot and seems to cool down pretty well at night -- we get a breeze off Lake Washington which helps. I had a bit of trouble sleeping the last couple of nights when it was pushing 80 at night, though. I'm glad I dont live in a hot climate any more.
Wow, I could never tolerate such high temps and sleeping in a hot room is not for me. We keep the AC cranking at 72 and if it were up to me I would have it cooler. The Hub says the unit will freeze up if we lower it any more. I also have a fan directed at the bed to make it feel even colder. I love it! AC is my one luxury and I am never giving it up!
I used to do this in Beijing, which is hot and humid in the summers, and cold and dry in the winters.
I got so I was comfortable with the house at 30 C (86F) during the day in the summer. And I could sleep with the bedroom only cooled to 28 C (82 F) at night.
In the winter, we would only heat the house to 16-18C (60-64 F).
Now that we are back in Seattle, we have been able to keep the winter temps at 64 (I get cold at lower than that due to the dampness). We had a mini heat wave recently but due to orientation/trees surrounding us our house doesn't get that hot and seems to cool down pretty well at night -- we get a breeze off Lake Washington which helps. I had a bit of trouble sleeping the last couple of nights when it was pushing 80 at night, though. I'm glad I dont live in a hot climate any more.
Now that's pretty Badass! We've definitely toyed with moving to a cooler climate and may do so in the future. But for now we've got to deal with what we've got it seems.Wow, I could never tolerate such high temps and sleeping in a hot room is not for me. We keep the AC cranking at 72 and if it were up to me I would have it cooler. The Hub says the unit will freeze up if we lower it any more. I also have a fan directed at the bed to make it feel even colder. I love it! AC is my one luxury and I am never giving it up!
I bet you could indeed tolerate higher temps if you acclimated to them! Trust me though when I say... no one really likes the heat and humidity. And to be fair I'm definitely not giving up AC anytime either, at least not completely.
Side note: Today's high in Houston is 102F (39C) for my bike commute home & to the grocery store. :)
Hello from someone who does the same thing! When I started reading your post and it said your house gets to 86 degrees during the day my initial thought was "Well that's not bad at all!". I live in the great state of Michigan - I only run my A/C around one week per year when we get our week of weather in that pushes 100 degrees with the heat index. Outside of that I open my windows at night and close up during the day. As long as my thermostat reads 90 or under we don't turn the air on; 86 feels quite comfortable to me now. It's been cooling off at night and when I woke up to a 70 degree house it felt so cold! I'd say I don't know how people do it but in the winter my house sits at a comfy 64 degrees. I agree that riding my bike and pushing myself to adapt helps; it's amazing what our bodies are capable of!
Another consideration is a person's physiology.
Some people sweat more than others. Some people also get...more stinky than others.
(Unfortunately I have a 28mi commute, so biking doesn't make sense for a normal workday.)
Another consideration is a person's physiology.
Some people sweat more than others. Some people also get...more stinky than others.
Depending on if/who one has to interact with...the temperatures inside your home...and outside when you are being active (commuting) may dictate extra steps.
So glad to see this! Hello from a fellow hot/humid dweller :) Last year I didn't use AC at all during day (occasionally house would get up to 89 inside), and unfortunately found a bit of surface mold on wood furniture. So this year, it's set at 84 during day, and 78 at night, but you've inspired me to try to bump that up a degree at night to 79.
For the indoor clothes drying, do you have a drying rack? A few low cost supplies will help there, I've been doing that for the past couple years (though anymore I do cheat with sheets and throw them in the dryer).
Way to go, it's great to see some forum badassity!
Woohoo! Mold is a definite concern with all of the humidity. I don't know how people dealt with it before AC, hmm..
Yeah I have a medium sized wooden rack I got for free from my grandparents. It is really nice, but I have to do much smaller loads of laundry.
Though electricity's cheap where I live I prefer to stay in tune with the weather rather than avoid it.Nailed it! And that sounds like you've got this down pat. Good stuff.
Has anyone else out there heard of this, does anyone have a clue as to why the idea seems to have disappeared?
Since you say you're an environmentalist and that your home is barely insulated, why don't you work on that with your savings from lower AC? Then maybe you wouldn't need any? Where I live (Canada), we have hot and humid summers and frigid winters. My house is insulated to the gills with triple pane, gas-filled windows and if kept closed up on hot days, stays around 25C. Even cooler in the basement if some urgent relief is needed. Sometimes I do put on the air, depending on what I'm doing, but the summers are so short here, that I want to be hot.
I grew up in central Florida before anything was air conditioned, and I lived in Miami, without a/c, when me kids were small.
Honestly, nothing got moldy except the shower, which needed regular scrubbing with bleach, but I've had to do that up north, too. If you left wet towels in a pile they got yucky, but the easy solution was to not do that. We didn't have a dryer when I was growing up, so everything got hung outside, and it was fine.
But houses were built for that! We had cement block construction, no drywall, and the windows were set up for a cross breeze, and we ate out on the porch in the summer.
It's much harder to acclimate when you go in and out of the a/c.
.... "dessicant waterfall" to cool it w/o air conditioning. IIRC, the waterfall was made of something like the little packets that are packed into various objects like pills to remove moisture. Idea being, if you can decrease the humidity in a high humidity region like the mid-atlantic, you'll feel a lot cooler and decrease the necessity of A/C.
Has anyone else out there heard of this, does anyone have a clue as to why the idea seems to have disappeared?
Never heard of that, but that is neat. From an energy savings standpoint that might be a potential solution, but it's still attempting to create a comfort/convenience.
I've often thought that if humidity could be removed from our air here on the hottest, most humid days (only really a few weeks of every summer where I am), then we could do away with the expensive to install and run central A/C systems in a lot of our houses.