Set your A/C at 80 degree F during summer

[E.T.]

Seriously guys. Sometimes I think no one here has actually read the blog.

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/06/14/the-worlds-most-efficient-air-conditioner/

I get where he's coming from, but I'm not sure that it works for everyone. I live in a humid hot part of the US and I'm outside for more than an hour every day walking, doing chores, etc. I imagine it's hard to properly acclimate to seasonal temps when most of my day is in an office that I can't control the temp for. I tried living without A/C for a while and I ended up cranky and sleepless after a couple weeks. I caved and bought window A/C units pretty quickly. I don't know what temp it gets down to, but we only run the A/C when we're in that room if it's hot.

[DadJokes]

Seriously guys. Sometimes I think no one here has actually read the blog.

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/06/14/the-worlds-most-efficient-air-conditioner/

He also lives in the dry Colorado air. I think the only states with a lower average humidity are Arizona, New Mexico, & Nevada.

[Cranky]

Also, in Colorado it cools off a lot at night. A LOT. So you really just need a system that blows the cool night air in during the night.

This does not work so well where overnight temperatures stay in the 80s.

[Free Spirit]

I’m acclimated to the heat (I work a physically demanding job outside, in long sleeves and pants, 5 days a week) but I live in a ridiculously humid part of the US and I’m not risking my home to save a few bucks ever again.

We actually moved from our last place due to mold. Everything was damp all the time. I became a crazy mold inspector -literally sniffing out random locations throughout the house on a daily basis. Bleach everything! More vinegar! Little pots of salt in every corner. What a nightmare.

I’m pretty sure there were some leaks in that house, it was also old and not insulated. My preferred temperature is around 75 degrees but I could never get the humidity below 70% and we had a dehumidifier running nonstop. The a/c unit would cycle very fast and never quite dehumidify the air. We had it checked multiple times but the guys would just throw their hands up and say, “looks like it’s working fine! I dunno what to tell ya!” Sigh. Something (probably multiple things!) were not right in that house. We ended up losing 99% of our possessions, it’s a good thing I tend toward minimalism.

In our new space I won’t go above 72, any higher and I swear I can feel the damp creeping in and I’m just not willing to fight that battle anymore. I vastly prefer dry clothing and bedsheets.

[dsw]

I haven't run air conditioning in decades. I would say that it gets up to 80 and sometimes a little further in my house during the hottest spells, but largely it stays in the 70s through most of the summer.

That said, I can definitely see how I might run it one day when I'm much older. Right now the heat is not at all uncomfortable, but it does seem like older people are often more sensitive to the higher temperatures.

One of the things I really like during the summer is going from different temperatures throughout the day. Either by walking from the full sun to the shade or to walking into an air conditioned grocery or better yet a walk-in beer cooler. I think I would miss that if I were in air conditioning all day and night.

[brute]

In our new space I won’t go above 72, any higher and I swear I can feel the damp creeping in and I’m just not willing to fight that battle anymore. I vastly prefer dry clothing and bedsheets.

Truth. It's just not worth it. When we travel to other houses, I bring a cooler full of ice packs and keep one on my back and one of my chest, switching them every couple hours.

[jinga nation]

Seriously guys. Sometimes I think no one here has actually read the blog.

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/06/14/the-worlds-most-efficient-air-conditioner/

I dare Mr MM to survive a Tampa Bay summer without AC; summer lasts late April to late Oct.

[ecchastang]

I’m acclimated to the heat (I work a physically demanding job outside, in long sleeves and pants, 5 days a week) but I live in a ridiculously humid part of the US and I’m not risking my home to save a few bucks ever again.

We actually moved from our last place due to mold. Everything was damp all the time. I became a crazy mold inspector -literally sniffing out random locations throughout the house on a daily basis. Bleach everything! More vinegar! Little pots of salt in every corner. What a nightmare.

I’m pretty sure there were some leaks in that house, it was also old and not insulated. My preferred temperature is around 75 degrees but I could never get the humidity below 70% and we had a dehumidifier running nonstop. The a/c unit would cycle very fast and never quite dehumidify the air. We had it checked multiple times but the guys would just throw their hands up and say, “looks like it’s working fine! I dunno what to tell ya!” Sigh. Something (probably multiple things!) were not right in that house. We ended up losing 99% of our possessions, it’s a good thing I tend toward minimalism.

In our new space I won’t go above 72, any higher and I swear I can feel the damp creeping in and I’m just not willing to fight that battle anymore. I vastly prefer dry clothing and bedsheets.

You actually create a higher relative humidity and mold problems by having a cooler temperature. 

[FLAFI]

Modern AC units regulate humidity. AC units have evaporator coils that condense water vapor from the air which is sent to a drain and outside the home. Thus, an AC unit both cools the air and reduces humidity. The more you cool the home the lower the humidity goes. This process is largely responsible for Florida growing from a small Southern state before WWII to the third most populous state in the Union.       

[Fire2029]

I live in the deep south.

Two AC units (one for up, one for down). When we bought the house they were both 10 seer units from 1998. At the beginning of the second summer the upstairs AC went while still in the home warranty that came with the house. After some fighting I got the condensor and evaporator coil (so entire AC system) replaced with a single stage 14 seer unit for $700 out of pocket.

This spring I paid to replace the downstairs unit with an 18 seer two stage dual fuel heat pump (variable speed natural gas furnace as aux), and I was able to downsize a full ton.

When I had the 10 seer units I kept the temp at 78 when home to keep the bill down.

Now that I have the 18 and 14 seer units, and have done air sealing and cellulose insulation, I keep them at 74 when home and spend less money than when the 10 seers were at 78. I have both on ecobees so they figure out when we aren't home, schedule is erratic. Highest I would put it now is 76.

[Cassie]

We live in low humidity so not everyone has a/c.  Luckily swamp coolers work well in this climate and are cheaper. It cools down at night. I have lived in places where that’s not the case and it’s miserable.  I have noticed that I get overheated easily since I have gotten older. That never used to happen.

[ambimammular]

During the day (I work from home): 80
While we sleep (turned down at 7:30 right before the kiddos bedtime): 76

B. I'd probably bump it up 2 during the day, but much above 76 at night and I am sweating, which makes for uncomfortable sleep

Yep, 80 is fine for me during the day, but sleeping 75 with ceiling fan on is as high as I'll let it go

This is what we do to keep our marriage happy.