Author Topic: How cool to set your thermostat?  (Read 21623 times)

studentdoc2

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 101
  • Location: Chicago
How cool to set your thermostat?
« on: May 20, 2014, 07:31:51 PM »
With summer months upon us and temperatures starting to climb, I'm wondering at what temperature people set their thermostat for AC. I know some people are able to get by without any AC at all, and I'm terribly jealous.  In a third-floor apartment with banks of west-facing windows, we get tons of afternoon sunlight and heat that routinely cook our apartment 10-20 degrees above the temperatures outside (and while I'm all for adaptation, temperatures exceeding 90 degrees and 95% humidity are just not acceptable), and there's little we can do to modify the situation (e.g., planting trees and buying better windows are out). We already have blackout curtains, and this summer we're installing some heat-reflective insulation on our windows (goodbye sunlight, but hopefully reduced cooling costs) as well as begging my landlord to install some ceiling fans.

For others who have to resort to AC-cooling, what's a reasonable compromise between mustachian electricity bills and heat stroke? 74 degrees? 78? 85?

CarDude

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 609
  • Location: Chicago, IL
  • Beep Beep!
    • The CCD
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2014, 07:42:11 PM »
We're at 73 right now for daytime. We were at 75...wife got hot. Got to keep the wife happy.

Joggernot

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 510
  • Age: 78
  • Location: Gulf Coast, TX
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2014, 07:53:43 PM »
We set for 80°F for the A/C to come on.  It has come on several times in the past two weeks, but not on all the time.  We both like to work outside in the heat, so 80°F is fine.

Jack

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4725
  • Location: Atlanta, GA
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2014, 08:36:03 PM »
With the windows open and cross-ventilation I'm comfortable up to about 82F (in Georgia, so with humidity), but if it gets any hotter and I close the windows I have to set the thermostat at 80F for equivalent comfort.

RapmasterD

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 589
  • Location: SF Peninsula
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2014, 09:19:12 PM »
Air conditioning? WTF is air conditioning? [insert sound effect of old man loudly clearing throat here]

Greg

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1448
  • Location: Olympia, WA, USA
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2014, 09:32:36 PM »
Try mounting bamboo shade on the outside.  Stopping the sun before it comes through the glass is 10x better than stopping it after it comes through the glass.

eyesonthehorizon

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 964
  • Location: Texas
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2014, 11:51:19 PM »
Summers in north Texas - variably dry or horribly humid, and outdoor temperatures usually in the mid-90s but frequently up to the lower 100s - I usually keep my summer thermostat setting at 83 degrees, and run a ceiling fan in whatever room I'm inhabiting. I keep my west-facing windows blinded during daylight if I'm bordering 'hot' but open the south-facing (while I'm home - shutter those things when you aren't!) In the evenings and frequently overnight I'll open windows to admit and trap nice cool air for the day - since you're on the third floor, do you feel safe having them open at night?

If you don't have a ceiling fan, a room fan is well worth the investment and can often be had stupidly cheap used.

(Winters I shoot for 64-66 degrees because I am a sad sorry Southerner wimp.)

BFGirl

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 766
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2014, 12:40:08 AM »
Another one from North Texas here.  I keep mine around 77 and have ceiling fans in most rooms.  During the worst months of summer there are times that it doesn't get below that at night.  I remember it being 90 at 4 am when we were leaving for a trip one year.

Emg03063

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 458
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2014, 01:27:57 AM »
I'm pretty comfortable at 78 in NC.  Try increasing your set point gradually over a couple of weeks.  Your body will adapt and you will notice it less (other than being uncomfortably cold in restaurants with thermostats at 72 in the same clothes).  I echo the comments on blocking the sunlight outside the windows.  Try shade screen.

MrMathMustache

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 55
  • Age: 45
  • Location: Florida
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #9 on: May 21, 2014, 02:50:02 AM »
South Florida here, so I only really need to use A/C from May through October.  I keep mine at 80 when home, 82 when I'm away.  Electricity bill normally tops out at $65-70 in August and September for a 1000 s.f. condo.

nikki

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 642
  • Age: 37
  • Location: South Korea
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2014, 03:08:55 AM »
...

Last summer we managed to get accustomed to around 30C (86 F) during the day, though at night I push it down to 28 or 29C (82-84 F) -- find it hard to sleep at higher temps. 

You really can get used to it if you bump the temps up gradually.

Ceiling fans are awesome.

Very similar to my air con temp settings: 29C or 30C during the day when I can handle it; 28C at night. But I don't have a ceiling fan--just a standing fan (love!).

wtjbatman

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1301
  • Age: 40
  • Location: Missouri
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2014, 03:15:55 AM »
We don't pay for electricity at our current place, so in the middle of summer we set it to 68 degrees. And by it, I mean two inefficient window AC units. It gets down to about 72-75, depending on how hot and sunny it is outside.

plantingourpennies

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 443
  • None.
    • Money, Kittens, Happiness
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2014, 04:52:23 AM »
Another view from South Florida here.  We almost always have the AC off during the day, and then manually turn it on if it's 88 or above or we are really uncomfortable.   But we turn it on at night (usually around 9 or 10) and bring the internal temp down to 76 or so. 

jwilliams0215

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 89
  • Age: 40
  • Location: Tampa, FL
  • WinningWilliams
    • WinningWilliams
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #13 on: May 21, 2014, 06:13:31 AM »
Tampa, Florida here. TECO provides the energy in our area and has a nice program that offers a programmable thermostat and lower rates on average if you don't use energy during peak times (energy saver program). So we have it off during the day, bring it down to 83 at 6:30 and then 80 and 9:30. Plus you can track your usage which motivates you to find ways to bring it down!

Hedge_87

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 661
  • Age: 36
  • Location: South central ks
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #14 on: May 21, 2014, 06:22:26 AM »
We haven't turned ours on yet.... it's been getting pretty warm here in Kansas but it still cools down at night.  Our house has a whole house fan in the main hall way. We just tough it out until the sun goes down (we are normally screwing around outside till dark anyways) then fire the fan up and such that nice cool air in. I could probably go completely without it but the wife will want it turned on eventually.  I'm guessing we will set it at 85 during the day and 75 at night

Mississippi Mudstache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2169
  • Age: 40
  • Location: Danielsville, GA
    • A Riving Home - Ramblings of a Recusant Woodworker
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #15 on: May 21, 2014, 06:23:05 AM »
We try to keep ours set at 75 in the summertime. Our thermostat is located in the bedroom, which receives no direct sunlight in the afternoon, so it gets quite a bit hotter than that in the living room and kitchen, which are full of big windows that get direct afternoon sun. My wife often bumps the temp down to 73 to keep it reasonable in the living areas. I would be happy to keep it higher, but I don't stay at home with 2 young kids. She does.

aj_yooper

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1090
  • Age: 12
  • Location: Chicagoland
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #16 on: May 21, 2014, 06:26:17 AM »
In Illinois, we keep the AC at 78 when we are home during the day; it sets back to 84 at night or when we are not home.  If it feels too hot, we keep the fan running or modify by a degree or so, but not often.  Our total monthly average for the past two years (June, July, August months) is under 6 kWh/day.  July 2012 was our highest usage at 16 kWh/day.

During winter months, we keep it at 68 during the day and 64 at night or when we are not home. 
« Last Edit: May 21, 2014, 06:47:31 AM by aj_yooper »

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23048
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #17 on: May 21, 2014, 06:37:25 AM »
We do 26-28 degrees (79-84 F) in the summer depending on humidity, and 17 (62 F) in the winter.

rocksinmyhead

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1489
  • Location: Oklahoma
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #18 on: May 21, 2014, 07:19:28 AM »
We set ours at 78-80F. I hate it, but our rental house is basically a sieve with a really inefficient air source heat pump/AC. We have ceiling fans, so that helps. And we're in northeastern Oklahoma, so it is no Houston but still pretty humid :(

This winter we kept it between 58-62F, which was a first. It was cold but not terrible, and we definitely saved energy/money even though this winter was a lot colder than last year (I made a sweet plot comparing average KWH/day for each month vs. cooling/heating degree days for that month but I can't find it now, I'm gonna keep tracking it though).

Samsam

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 273
  • Location: Charlotte
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #19 on: May 21, 2014, 07:21:19 AM »
Mine is set at 76-77 for now.

Rural

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5051
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #20 on: May 21, 2014, 07:25:13 AM »
I've just turned ours on, set at 78, with the goal being to manage indoor humidity. The dehumidifier pumps heat into whatever room it's in, so that's a disadvantage in summer. We're up to 75% indoor humidity again, so I need to monitor To be sure it goes down a bit.

mrsggrowsveg

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 542
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #21 on: May 21, 2014, 07:29:48 AM »
We set ours at 80 when we turn it on.  Last year we barely needed it because it is always windy and our house is well shaded. 

nordlead

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 146
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #22 on: May 21, 2014, 08:08:25 AM »
I turn on our AC to 78-80 when it hits 90 outside (upstate NY, so fairly humid). To help when the AC is off (and even when the AC is on), we have floor and window fans, and a ceiling fan upstairs in our bedroom.

dcheesi

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1309
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #23 on: May 21, 2014, 08:17:05 AM »
80 during the day, 77 at night. Right now it's still cool enough to open windows at night, so it's not running much.

nawhite

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1081
  • Location: Golden, CO
    • The Reckless Choice
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #24 on: May 21, 2014, 11:04:46 AM »
We set ours at 80 when we turn it on.  Last year we barely needed it because it is always windy and our house is well shaded.

Same here in Denver. 80 degrees on the thermostat, a couple well placed trees, some window awnings and some ceiling fans, and we only turn the A/C on about 2x per year.

oldtoyota

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3179
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #25 on: May 21, 2014, 11:11:15 AM »
78 F. We have not turned it on yet for this year.

I live in humid and muggy DC and have also been looking into ways to cut electricity costs.

Due to El Nino and man's poor use of nature, we're due for an intensely hot summer this year. I echo others who say to stop the sun before it comes into your home. I keep the curtains closed against the sun when it's on the front of my east-facing home. After 12 noon when the sun is straight overhead and into evening, I will open the curtains to use the light.

Ceiling fans help a lot too. I have one more I need to install upstairs. We added three ceiling fans, and it's allowed us to go longer without using AC.

As you know, it can cool down a lot at night. I focus on getting that cool air into the house at night using fans and then the house starts off cooler in the morning and doesn't get as hot overall (or at least it takes longer before it gets hot).

Good luck!
« Last Edit: May 21, 2014, 11:13:06 AM by oldtoyota »

BlueMR2

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2313
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #26 on: May 21, 2014, 11:20:07 AM »
At 78F we can still be functional.  At 80F all we do is sit still and sweat.  Oh, and drink LOTS of water.  Amazing how 2 degrees can make such a drastic difference.

Kriegsspiel

  • Guest
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #27 on: May 22, 2014, 11:12:51 AM »
North Texas also, I get the 10-15 degrees hotter than outside air, all my windows are on the same wall so I can't get any cross breeze. I leave my central air off, though, and try to sit in a box fan's vortex, in a pair of shorts. If you have the back of the fan by a window it will pull in the outside air. I haven't gotten heat stroke yet, I like to think it builds character.

Sometimes at night, if it's broiling hot and I can't sleep, I'll turn the AC on for a few mins to flush out the hot air and get it more in line with outside, then turn it back off.

payitoff

  • Guest
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #28 on: May 22, 2014, 11:34:41 AM »
75F on Auto here in SoCal, just got my power bill and it was $57.62

rocksinmyhead

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1489
  • Location: Oklahoma
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #29 on: May 22, 2014, 04:07:56 PM »
At 78F we can still be functional.  At 80F all we do is sit still and sweat.  Oh, and drink LOTS of water.  Amazing how 2 degrees can make such a drastic difference.

yeah, I agree. ours generally hovers between those temps and I feel like I NOTICE when it gets up to 80.

kimmarg

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 750
  • Location: Northern New England
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #30 on: May 22, 2014, 04:12:22 PM »
I am still basking in the glory of having passed our last frost date and am still paying for my winter heating bill ;)

When I lived on third floor west facing windows oven I bought the Milar coated insulation (like you put in your car window) on a roll from the hardware store and left it up whenever I wasn't home. Made a big difference!

Mortgage Free Mike

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 129
  • Age: 39
    • Save on Almost Everything
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #31 on: May 22, 2014, 06:44:44 PM »
 78, but I tend to like things warmer. I also don't exercise in the house. If I did I might want it lower. In the winter I set it between 70 and 72.

gimp

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2344
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #32 on: May 22, 2014, 07:08:25 PM »
I open the windows. In the SF bay area, it gets down to 60 at night, very quickly after dark, no AC needed. During the day, I'm at work. During the evening, I'll sit outside with a beer and my dinner, maybe splash in the pool.

That works roughly anywhere, except you might have to open the windows more, as long as you can get a breeze going... and it's below, say, 80 outside. If there's a breeze, 60, 70, 80, whatever. If there's no breeze, it sucks to sleep at 80.

Hedge_87

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 661
  • Age: 36
  • Location: South central ks
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #33 on: May 22, 2014, 07:29:37 PM »
I am still basking in the glory of having passed our last frost date and am still paying for my winter heating bill ;)

When I lived on third floor west facing windows oven I bought the Milar coated insulation (like you put in your car window) on a roll from the hardware store and left it up whenever I wasn't home. Made a big difference!
Ours was supposed to be April 15th but two weeks ago we where still having frost warnings lol. Now it's hit low 90's all this week

William

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 194
  • Age: 34
  • Location: Nebraska
    • First Quarter Finance
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #34 on: May 22, 2014, 08:31:40 PM »
Really depends on humidity.

And also, what I like to do is never be home.  That way I can kill the A/C completely and have windows open late at night when I'm home.

Badass by 41

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 157
  • Location: San Francisco Bay Area
    • Journal
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #35 on: May 27, 2014, 06:25:17 PM »
60 in the day 65 at night ... fans when it's hotter than that.

Emilyngh

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 901
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #36 on: May 27, 2014, 06:31:33 PM »
78, although we still don't have our AC on yet here (woot!).   

There was a high of 88 today, but it'll get down into the low 60s tonight.   We'll have all upstairs windows open and fans on and it'll cool the house down nicely.   Our house seems to then hold the cool well into the day.

oldtoyota

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3179
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #37 on: May 27, 2014, 07:37:55 PM »
House is 87 degrees at 9:30 at night. Gotta get some fans going to bring in that cool post-rain air.

Have not used AC yet.

MayDay

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4952
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #38 on: May 27, 2014, 07:45:26 PM »
When it is on, we set it to 80.  But I usually let the house temp get up to 85-86 before I turn it on.  Really the lack of humidity with the a/c running is what helps the most. 

We try to do windows open at night, closed during the day, but in an apartment that might not help much.  I do find that closing our white blinds on the west facing windows helps a lot in the afternoons.  PI hate to do it because I love the sunlight, but I think it is worth it. 

Thegoblinchief

  • Guest
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #39 on: May 27, 2014, 08:01:03 PM »
Haven't turned it on yet this year, so I'm not sure where our badassity threshold lies. In winter we managed to be just fine at 63F, so I am shooting for 85 or higher summer. It's gotten up to 84 inside a couple days already and we didn't feel the need for AC despite very high humidity.

The absolute best advice I could give is to spend time OUTDOORS, preferably doing active work (depending on fitness). Bike, walk, garden. That more than anything will help you adapt. Just push water (cool, not cold) and eat fruits like bananas to replenish electrolytes naturally.

ambimammular

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 424
  • Age: 46
  • Location: Indiana
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #40 on: May 27, 2014, 09:50:45 PM »
During the day we leave it off most of the time.  (It makes it miserable for home exercise though.) 

And put it to 78 when we need to get rid of the humidity at night. No one sleeps well on sweaty sheets.

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #41 on: May 27, 2014, 10:14:05 PM »
78, although we still don't have our AC on yet here (woot!).   

There was a high of 88 today, but it'll get down into the low 60s tonight.   We'll have all upstairs windows open and fans on and it'll cool the house down nicely.   Our house seems to then hold the cool well into the day.

This for us, almost word for word.  In the dead of summer, I leave it at 82 during the day, then either turn it to 78 so we can sleep, and/or do the windows open, fans running everywhere routine to suck in the night air if it's cool enough.  Close the windows and pull down the cellular shades as soon as I get up in the morning to block the morning sun and seal in the cool.

Greg

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1448
  • Location: Olympia, WA, USA
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #42 on: May 27, 2014, 10:16:34 PM »
We don't have central A/C.   

We have a hydronic heated concrete floor, so in the warmer months (like now) we just turn the heat off.  The concrete slab is a huge heat sink, and feels cool almost always, the exception being if the humidity is very high. 

So the floor is our A/C.  We keep our thermostat at 66F, so when it warms up we just turn off the heat entirely.

It helps a great deal to have the concrete floor, and also upstairs we have four 2'x2' awning windows that we open in the summer, and leave open until September.  That, and a screened sleeping porch where we keep our bed in the summer.  Our house is nestled in a grove of big leaf maple trees so they do our air conditioning.

SmilingBob

  • Guest
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #43 on: May 28, 2014, 07:41:02 AM »
Houston.checking in.  We've already seen 90F+ days and not running the AC is not an option for us.  I have three kids (2 toddlers and a tween) and a complainypants wife.  78F is what I have it set for daytime, and it kicks down to 75F at night for sleeping.  It basically runs non-stop for 5 months of the year (and sometimes longer, we are known to have hot temperatures even into November).  Even with a well designed, well insulated home with extensive radiant barrier and newer AC units we are lucky to get below $300  /mo electricity bills.  I could probably jack it up into the 80's and we would still be paying several hundred dollars per month since the heat index is generally well over 100F throughout the summer with super high humidity to boot, so might as well be relatively comfortable.

Yes, Houston is a shithole.  Never move here, trust me.

ketchup

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4323
  • Age: 33
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #44 on: May 28, 2014, 08:03:07 AM »
Western Chicago suburbs, mid 90s well-constructed/insulated house.  Ours is at 77F right now.  We've only run it a few times so far.  If I lived alone I'd probably have it at 82 and barely use it.  I tell myself that at least.  Living with three other people (girlfriend + GF's sister + GF's sister's BF) means compromises.  But hey, 77F is still far better than most people.

Cinder

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 468
  • Location: Central PA
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #45 on: May 29, 2014, 06:10:11 AM »
Air conditioning? WTF is air conditioning? [insert sound effect of old man loudly clearing throat here]

Our house doesn't have AC.  It didn't even have fans, we got them installed after the first summer in the house.  Having the air move around helps alot!  I wish I had your problem.. our daily temps are only up in the mid to high 70's right now in central PA, and the wife is still too cold.  Having all electric heat means that winters are our time for terrible electric bills, but summer we don't use anything.

When my mother visits, she 'has' to have AC.  So she bought a window AC unit we keep in a closest, and when she visits (around once a year) we throw that in for her. 

Once or twice we needed to put it in our own window when temps were over 100, humidity was crazy, etc... I think we only had it set for 80~85ish and that was plenty for us, and just to sleep. 

clarkm04

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 180
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #46 on: May 29, 2014, 07:12:00 AM »
Midwest with a south facing house.

We set ours to 78 F in the summer.  Typically in the early summer (mid May to mid June), we shut the air off and open the windows from 10 pm to 7 am.  That lowers the temp down to 71-73.  Then I close and curtain every window at 7 am.  As the day warms, the temp climbs until the air kicks on around 1 pm.  A/C keeps the house at 78 from 1ish to 10ish when the outside temp falls below 78 and we open the windows again.

In about two weeks, the nights won't get cool enough, so we'll have the air on 100% of the time from mid-June to early September.

lauren_knows

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 846
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Annandale, VA, USA
  • Happiness is a choice
    • The Crowdsourced FIRE simulator
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #47 on: May 29, 2014, 08:09:01 AM »
About 74 during the daytime, and 71 at night.

In this 100% humidity climate, and my sweaty man-beast of a body, I won't get sleep at night otherwise.

JoyBlogette

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 241
  • Location: Canada
    • My Journal
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #48 on: May 29, 2014, 08:45:22 AM »
We just turned the AC on last night.  We set to 26 C at night and when we're not home and 24 C otherwise.  I read somewhere that a two degree difference is the most efficient.  Or maybe I just made that up...

blackomen

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 209
  • Location: Former Californian in Dallas
  • Antifragile since 1983
    • Gimme Serendipity (a Stumbleupon Clone)
Re: How cool to set your thermostat?
« Reply #49 on: July 11, 2014, 03:33:15 PM »
Humidity also plays a role in the maximum temperature I consider tolerable.  When room temperature reaches around 80, it starts to get a little uncomfortable..  I'll wear shorts and turn on the fan.  Only if it still feels unreasonable in less clothing + the fan then do I turn on the AC.  This usually works out to a temperature of about 80-85 (27-30 Celsius.)  I usually can't tolerate a room temperature over 85 regardless of humidity or the use of a fan.

I have cats and will keep the thermostat at 85 when people are not in the house (I hear cats can tolerate higher temperatures fine compared to people.)
« Last Edit: July 11, 2014, 03:36:03 PM by blackomen »

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!