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re: AC management strategy when you go to work
Posted on 7/19/26 at 8:15 pm to tewino
Posted on 7/19/26 at 8:15 pm to tewino
One time, I ran numbers on heat transfer managing thermostat versus not managing thermostat and there wasn’t but about1% difference. I now put it on 70 nights and 73 days because that is where I am comfortable.
1
Posted on 7/19/26 at 8:20 pm to tewino
Leave it set on 75 degrees when you leave. 
Posted on 7/19/26 at 8:26 pm to cubsfan5150
quote:
Link to study please
The only studies you will find are from firms like Energy Star and their advice is a national energy-saving guideline, not really accurate for a state like Louisiana with a very humid climate.
A lot of people forget that central AC does more than just cool the house. It also pulls humidity out of the air.
In a hot, humid place like Louisiana, turning it off or bumping the thermostat up too much can let the humidity climb. Then the system has to work harder later to bring both the temperature and humidity back down. You generally want indoor humidity below 60%, and ideally around 45–55%.
You might save a little energy by raising the thermostat, but in a typical house with air leakage, the savings may not be much because humid air keeps getting in.
This post was edited on 7/19/26 at 8:28 pm
Posted on 7/19/26 at 8:27 pm to Spankum
quote:
and there wasn’t but about1% difference
Yep. Very minimal difference.
Posted on 7/19/26 at 8:28 pm to tewino
Well, lucky for me it's summer so there's people at the house all day, so I just pony up and pay the bill
Posted on 7/19/26 at 8:38 pm to fightin tigers
quote:
If you are worried enough about your electricity then you bought a house that was too big for you to afford.
I live in a 100 year old home that I am restoring. It was my grandparents. Every room has a window unit and every room can be closed off. Have an upvote.
Posted on 7/19/26 at 8:39 pm to cubsfan5150
77 at early evening into night (daughter has her room at 76) then 79 to 78 during the day.
Posted on 7/19/26 at 8:41 pm to VoodooGlowSkull
Mine is in the 130 year range, I think.
The idea of lowering rhe AC to save money is something that died in the 1980s when science showed up.
The idea of lowering rhe AC to save money is something that died in the 1980s when science showed up.
Posted on 7/19/26 at 8:44 pm to tewino
Are you that silly? Just set the dang thermostat at what temp you want and leave it alone.
Posted on 7/19/26 at 8:46 pm to Jmcc64
quote:
77 at early evening into night (daughter has her room at 76) then 79 to 78 during the day.
Gross
Posted on 7/19/26 at 9:00 pm to tewino
I'm in a similar situation living alone in a 4br home. I set mine to 78 while I'm at work and then 75 when I get home. 72 to sleep. I also closed off the vents in 2 bedrooms that I rarely use so I'm basically cooling only 1600sf instead of 2000. If I need to use the rooms I can easily open the vents. My highest bill so far this year was last month at $125. Also, I like to sleep cold so I've adjusted my dampers in the attic to where my bedroom gets more air flow and it stays about 2° cooler than the thermostat reading. It works well for me and as I've mentioned my energy bill stays pretty low.
I highly recommend closing the vents in the extra bedrooms and adjusting your dampers.
ETA: for those saying that it's better/cheaper to maintain a temp than to cool down a house after setting it up higher during the day, that's only true if you're home is well insulated and energy efficient. Currently I'm in an older house and it has poor insulation and old, single pane windows. It's not efficient at all and when I tried leaving my thermostat at 74 during the day last summer my bill was over $300. This year I'm setting it up to 78° during the day and my bill is less than half.
My previous house was the opposite (new, well insulated, radiant barrier roof decking, double pane windows, etc.) and it was better to keep it cool during the day.
Eta again:
I shouldn't have said "seal off" but rather minimize air flow to the unused rooms and maximize air flow to the master bedroom. Even with my registers closed I still get a minimal amount of air flow and those rooms stay climate controlled.
I highly recommend closing the vents in the extra bedrooms and adjusting your dampers.
ETA: for those saying that it's better/cheaper to maintain a temp than to cool down a house after setting it up higher during the day, that's only true if you're home is well insulated and energy efficient. Currently I'm in an older house and it has poor insulation and old, single pane windows. It's not efficient at all and when I tried leaving my thermostat at 74 during the day last summer my bill was over $300. This year I'm setting it up to 78° during the day and my bill is less than half.
My previous house was the opposite (new, well insulated, radiant barrier roof decking, double pane windows, etc.) and it was better to keep it cool during the day.
Eta again:
I shouldn't have said "seal off" but rather minimize air flow to the unused rooms and maximize air flow to the master bedroom. Even with my registers closed I still get a minimal amount of air flow and those rooms stay climate controlled.
This post was edited on 7/20/26 at 8:45 am
Posted on 7/19/26 at 9:24 pm to tewino
quote:
just me in a big house so when I go to work, is it better to turn the AC off and come back to a hot as hell house it takes about an hour to cool off or should I set the thermostat to 80 when I go to work And then turn it down when I get home. Which way is cheaper
It’s air “conditioning”. Set the stat no higher than 75 when you leave. Walk in to a comfortable home that’s being conditioned properly throughout the day. Leaving the system off in a high humidity environment is an invitation for issues inside the home including mold and mildew. High humidity is terrible for paint, wall paper, furniture and structural components.There’s a reason homes are built with a vapor barrier….to keep moisture out. Do your part to help your home avoid problems. You need to remove heat and humidity even while you’re not home.
Posted on 7/19/26 at 9:28 pm to tewino
One thing that I noticed during COVID was that it almost made zero difference to adjust the thermostat during the day.
We used to program ours to turn up to 76 or so during the day and turn down to 71 at 4. It really didn't matter on our bill. Maybe $5. I just leave that bad boy running at full blast all day now.
We used to program ours to turn up to 76 or so during the day and turn down to 71 at 4. It really didn't matter on our bill. Maybe $5. I just leave that bad boy running at full blast all day now.
Posted on 7/19/26 at 9:35 pm to MRTigerFan
quote:
I highly recommend closing the vents in the extra bedrooms and adjusting your dampers.
Yea…. That’s not how an AC works.
This post was edited on 7/19/26 at 9:35 pm
Posted on 7/19/26 at 10:18 pm to Ldogg123
quote:
Yea…. That’s not how an AC works.
Um yeah, that's exactly how an ac works. I basically sealed off 2 rooms so now I have less volume to cool. I also fully opened the damper to my master bedroom while slightly closing others and my bedroom stays slightly cooler than the rest of the house.
Please explain how what I'm currently doing isn't how an ac works. Also please explain what is the purpose of adjustable vents and dampers if not to adjust air flow.
I bet you're one of those people (like most women) who thinks the lower you set the thermostat the faster it cools off the house.
This post was edited on 7/19/26 at 10:22 pm
Posted on 7/19/26 at 10:36 pm to MRTigerFan
You really shouldn’t close your registers. Adjust the dampers, sure but you need to be careful about handling your airflow to prevent mildew.
Your dampers are there to adjust between the seasons, not seal off whole rooms.
Your dampers are there to adjust between the seasons, not seal off whole rooms.
Posted on 7/19/26 at 10:41 pm to heatom2
Even with the vents/registers closed there's still a minimal amount of air flow coming through. At least with mine there is. They're old. It's enough to prevent mildew. I don't have any dampers closed completely. The "sealed off" rooms stay around 82-84° during the hottest part of the day which is perfectly fine for climate control and humidity.
ETA: I never said to close the dampers completely.
ETA: I never said to close the dampers completely.
This post was edited on 7/19/26 at 10:52 pm
Posted on 7/19/26 at 10:54 pm to tewino
I’m team set it and forget it. We’re at 71 day and night. Now, I got babies napping during the day so I don’t have a choice, but I’m a believer regardless.
We have a variable speed unit, and that thing will be running on half throttle even when it’s hot as frick outside.
When you turn if off or jack it up to 80 you also let all the contents of your house get warmer. When everything stays cool it’s easier to maintain.
We have a variable speed unit, and that thing will be running on half throttle even when it’s hot as frick outside.
When you turn if off or jack it up to 80 you also let all the contents of your house get warmer. When everything stays cool it’s easier to maintain.
Posted on 7/19/26 at 10:55 pm to stout
Yes. Dehumidified air “feels” cooler than humid air.
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