[GT182]

We keep our ac at 73, and it doesn't run constantly either.

[68gtoMN]

Wherever it feels comfortable. Day (when nobody home) 75, when home 73. Night I like it cool, down to 70. Electric bill was 103. Can't wait to see next month with all of this heat. Not to worry though, I am willing to pay to be comfortable. Next house will have multiple furnaces/zones.

[BVR421]

Originally Posted by importsmasher

When I lived in Phoenix I used to keep it at 85 in the summer. Here in Utah we have window units we never use. The evaporative cooler keeps it around 75 during the day and almost too cold at night. In winter we set the heater to 68. Importsmasher

I really miss the Utah climate. After 12 years now I even miss the snow.
Here in So Arizona I love the swamp cooler until monsoon then its no longer effective.
when its below 107 here I keep the AC 83-84 cycles 30mins on 30 mins off
when it goes to 114 I have to keep it at 87-88 or it will never drop low enough to cycle off. with ceiling fans and minimal clothes (typical of So. Az dress) 88 is ok
Last month bill was $250 1000sq ft house. Thats being very conscious of every electrical drain. No kids opening doors all the time. 80% of that is AC which we can save once the monsoon weather changes and we switch back to swamp coolers.
I feel bad for the folks in the midwest who dont have the cooling for this weeks extraordinary heat.

[JLHarper]

What about the old standard of 800 sq ft per ton of AC in a new house?
I know there are circumstances outside the norm to this rule but is it still followed by housing industry?

Also, isnt it bad to try and run OVER a 15 degree difference from the outside temp to the inside? Never set them over 20 degree difference or it could damage the system.

If its 100 outside than set inside thermostat at 85.

I had to put in a special compressor and A/C system for one of my lab rooms at work that had large freezers running 24/7...burned it up in the winter so that would have been oppisite of this "rule" I posted first...?

Jeff

[Mr-Bratt]

well just to ad, ours seems to be just in the ON setting almost all the time the last few days.OHhhhh the bill.

[shawn e.]

Use a programmable stat 72 heating 74 cooling, 65 at night in heating 78 at night in cooling. Stat has an outdoor sensor so we open the house up when the outside temp drops lower than the house. We use common sense and when it gets really hot we bump the cooling temp up a little, but no more than 78.

Shawn

[FirebirdHank]

Outside temp just dropped to 75, some showers in the area. Doors and windows are being opened as I type. First time in more than a week that we will have some fresh air in this house. Normally we keep the a/c temp at 76, the heat in winter is programmed at 68 daytime, 62 while sleeping. Some summers the a/c is only on for a half dozen days or so. Not so this year.