Controlling the temperature inside your home or business has never been easier, especially with the widespread use of programmable thermostats and the growth in “smart” thermostats. You can easily adjust your thermostat to any temperature you like, adjust settings when you are away from home and even control indoor humidity. If comfort is your main goal, bump the temperature down as low as you like. If you’re more concerned about energy costs—but you’d still like to be comfortable—that takes a little more finesse.
We’re going to go out on a limb here and assume that just about everyone falls into the second category. You want to be cool and comfortable inside your home and make your living spaces a desirable place to be temperature-wise. By the same token, you don’t want to spend a lot of unnecessary cash to make that happen.
The best summer thermostat settings for you really depends on where you live. By learning the best temperature to set your thermostat in summer, you can save on costs. In hot-weather states like Texas, homeowners already know that the summer temperatures can rise to over 100 degrees daily. An air conditioning system that is set on 80 degrees, then, will feel pretty comfortable when compared to the outdoor temperatures.
Where To Start
Get your AC summer ready by making a few adjustments to the way you cool your home when the temperatures begin to climb. As a general rule, experts agree that 78 degrees is the magic number for your thermostat. This is considerably cooler than the summer temperatures in many parts of the country. Moreover, this temperature is universally considered to be comfortable when spending time indoors doing normal activities. Additionally, a thermostat set at 78 degrees will positively impact your summer cooling costs.
If 78 degrees is too hot for you and your family, you’ll need to play around a little with the indoor temperature until you get it just right. Ideally, you want a smaller difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures. Just a few degrees can make a big difference when coming from the outside to the inside. Therefore, if the outside temperature is over 100, a setting of 82 degrees begins to feel really good!
Keep in mind, too, that in humid climates, the air conditioner in your home helps to reduce the humidity inside, as well as cooling things off. Your perfect temperature needs to be a balance of energy efficiency, humidity control and comfort.
Remember this golden rule of air conditioning: Set the thermostat as warm as you can to still remain comfortable.
Cutting Costs
Are you interested in saving even more money on your energy costs during the summer? It’s estimated that you can save about 7% on your monthly utility bill for every degree you set your thermostat above 78.
Besides the actual temperature at which you set the thermostat, there are some other considerations when thinking about cutting costs. For example, if you are going to be away from home for more than four hours, you can save a lot of money by adjusting the thermostat accordingly. Turn up the AC by 8 to 10 degrees about 30 minutes before you are planning to leave for the day so that your AC isn’t running when no one is at home.
Maintain those energy-saving temperatures throughout the day, and leave the AC alone at night as well. Many people claim that they have to have it cold in their bedroom to be able to sleep at night. Turning the air conditioner way down, however, will raise your power bill more than you realize. Instead, you could try a floor fan or install a ceiling fan to create a nice breeze for sleeping. On cooler nights, you may even be able to to shut off the AC completely at night. In those situations, you can open the windows instead to let cooler air into your home.
Many people believe that your air conditioner must work harder to cool a home after it has been turned off or down. That’s simply not true, as any professional air conditioning company will tell you. There is absolutely no downside to adjusting your air conditioner’s thermostat during the day, either with a programmable thermostat or by making a manual adjustment.
Setting your thermostat to an excessively low temperature will not actually cool your home much better than changing the setting to a reasonable temperature and then leaving it alone. The lower setting will cause the AC to run constantly as it tries to reach that low temperature. A higher thermostat setting slows the flow of heat into your house so your air conditioner won’t have so much heat to work against.
More Tips
To combat the desire to adjust the thermostat, you can reverse the direction of your ceiling fans. This will pull air up through the rooms of your home, creating a nice breeze. You can also add some spot ventilation in the laundry room where the dryer creates a good bit of heat. Remember to turn on the bathroom fan after a shower to rid your home of that excess humidity.
ABC Can Keep Your AC Running All Summer
Summer is the time of year we depend on our air conditioners to keep our homes comfortable and cool. If you are having a hard time finding the best temperature to set your thermostat in the summer, contact an experienced air conditioning repair company for help. You may have a problem which is making your air conditioner work harder than it needs to, or you might be able to take other steps to improve your energy efficiency. Whether it’s a repair, routine maintenance or installation, the technicians at ABC can keep your air conditioner working all summer long so you don’t have to worry about either your bill or your home comfort.
