Who controls your thermostat?
Are you thinking you do?
The most accurate answer is probably everyone in the house, but no one has touched it if you ask. I often hear that “my husband/wife likes to turn the thermostat so low that I freeze.
Would you please tell him/her NOT to do that?
So . . . where should your air conditioning thermostat be set?
It would help you, as the operator of the thermostat, to know a little bit about humidity. Humidity has everything to do with the proper temperature setting. Just like outdoors, when humidity is higher, it feels warmer. Your air conditioning system is not only removing the heat from your home, it’s removing the moisture as well. (You may have noticed the water coming from the drain on your air conditioning unit.)
Now, back to the thermostat setting question.
The proper setting for the air conditioner is whatever makes you comfortable and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to operate. Now this is the really neat part. When the temperature outside is in the 90 degrees range and it’s very humid, you are able to turn your thermostat up one or two degrees or possibly more. The reason is, because it is so hot outside, the run time of your unit is longer. It should be running almost non-stop if it is sized properly for your home and, therefore, it removes more moisture from your home. The result is, it feels cooler. So when it’s hot and humid, raise the temperature setting on the thermostat and you’ll be just as comfortable and save money on operating cost.
In summary, we find that most people in western Kentucky with properly sized equipment keep their thermostat between 74 and 77 degrees.
Here are more money saving tips to help lower utility bills and keep you more comfortable this summer:
- Install programmable thermostats and raise the temperature when you are gone.
- Shut your curtains and blinds to block the sun rays.
- Use ceiling fans to create wind chill.
- Don’t cook inside during the heat of the day.
- Use a clothes line instead of the clothes dryer on hot days.
- Wash clothes and hands in cold water.
- Keep your air conditioning filters and your units clean and serviced.
- If your garage is attached to your house, keep a hot vehicle outside until it cools off rather than parking immediately in the attached garage.
- Have your insulation levels checked in the attic to make sure you have enough.
- Seal any leaks in your home. Hot air wants to come inside too!
We will be glad to help you any way we can. Just give us a call.