[faithfulFrank]

Originally Posted by ConeyIsBabe

FRANK........... CAN YOU please elaborate on the humidistat ? I had never heard of it before and am very interested. Thank you.

Sure. The humidistat turns the A/C on, thus bringing the humidity down inside the home, when the humidity lever reaches the percentage you have it set on.

Works just like a thermostat, but instead on measuring and reacting to temperature, it measures and reacts to the humidity level. Remember, mold grows when the humidity is too high....not temperature. Proof of this would be Arizona.....unless there is a water leak or something, I doubt they have a mold problem there, even though the temps are very high there at times.
I have never been to Arizona, so please, if I am wrong about that, please correct me.

I'm told by our HVAC person that at 65%, we will not have a mold problem. So, in an UNOCCUPIED house, you can have the temp warmer, but as long as the humidity is low, you should be fine.

It cost me about $120.00 to have one installed. I might have been able to have done it myself, but HVAC down there, with heat pumps, coil heat, A/C, etc is a but more complicated then I am used to.......(at this time).

In short, I'm told that if your home is unoccupied for long periods of time, they are a good idea. If you are always there, perhaps it would not be something you would even want.

Frank D.

[ConeyIsBabe]

That's great information which I'll keep in mind for my next Florida home. When I lived in Miami for over 40 years, my home was a historic 75-year-old CBS cottage with hardwood floors and built with a crawl-space underneath. When I moved to Oregon I left everything "as is" and closed up the house with NO a/c for two years (had tenants on the property). I guess it was a dry house because when I returned to sell it, there was no mold problem.

[ChristheACguy]

Fpl (Florida Power and Light) recommends 78 degrees for most efficient use of electricity/cost. You can add a 3-7% increase in cost to your bill for every degree lower than 78. If you set your T-stat lower than 70 degrees you risk premature failure of your A/C components, which can lead to costly repairs, and at a temp lower than 70 the system will not be able to remove moisture from the home, leading to mold/mildew. With all of that in mind, you have to be comfortable, so set it to a level that is comfortable for you, but know of the risks involved should you keep it below 70.

[CoventryDude]

55 during the day and 68 when we get home at night.
Of course it was 13 F when I woke up this morning.....

75 sounds downright hot and sweaty. I don't know how you all do it.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by ChristheACguy

Fpl (Florida Power and Light) recommends 78 degrees for most efficient use of electricity/cost. You can add a 3-7% increase in cost to your bill for every degree lower than 78. If you set your T-stat lower than 70 degrees you risk premature failure of your A/C components, which can lead to costly repairs, and at a temp lower than 70 the system will not be able to remove moisture from the home, leading to mold/mildew. With all of that in mind, you have to be comfortable, so set it to a level that is comfortable for you, but know of the risks involved should you keep it below 70.

Thanks for that info - I can't believe anyone would set their AC below 70! In summer I go 78 in the day and 75 at night. I try to go as long as possible without turning it on, usually don't have to start using it until May, and then only at night. By June it's running all the time; then around October it goes off again. And I almost NEVER use any heat! lol

[mrcoolmrcool28]

Originally Posted by CoventryDude

55 during the day and 68 when we get home at night.
Of course it was 13 F when I woke up this morning.....

75 sounds downright hot and sweaty. I don't know how you all do it.

55???? Yikes! That's cold! How long does it take for your house to get up to 68 then? Do you have a programmable thermostat that kicks on so it's warmed up by the time you get home? We keep the furnace on at 66 when we're home, and it only goes down to 65 at night, 'cuz our bedroom is upstairs and it's probably 2-3 degrees cooler up there. I'd fine with turning it down lower, but mr.cool is always cold.
In the summertime we set the AC at 74. I think. It's been so long since it was hot I can't remember...

[Jonotastic]

Between 70 degrees to 75 degrees...I don't mind the cold, but I cant stand the heat...inside my house...outside i love it.

[bale002]

80 degrees all year round, almost never kicks in from November to about early May. Lower to 75 on the hottest summer afternoons if active inside the house, reset to 80 at night.

Kept bill to below $130 during summer in a 1100 sq.ft. house, currently have the lowest possible bill, according to FPL inspector, for a 3000 sq.ft. house.

Thanks to Frank for tip about the humidistat.

[CoventryDude]

Originally Posted by mrcoolmrcool28

55???? Yikes! That's cold! How long does it take for your house to get up to 68 then? Do you have a programmable thermostat that kicks on so it's warmed up by the time you get home? We keep the furnace on at 66 when we're home, and it only goes down to 65 at night, 'cuz our bedroom is upstairs and it's probably 2-3 degrees cooler up there. I'd fine with turning it down lower, but mr.cool is always cold.
In the summertime we set the AC at 74. I think. It's been so long since it was hot I can't remember...

Programmable. Oil is still too expensive for my cheap personage.

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by oeabel

I'm just curious about where people keep their thermostats set here in FL. Up north, we would set the thermostat at 73 day/68 night in the summer. But now, after being here a while, I find that cold and set it at 76 day/73 night every day of the year we run the air. But even this is feeling a little cold at times. I'm just curious where other people set their thermostats!

We also have had mold issues, especially when we leave town for a couple weeks and set the thermostat at 80. Last time we tried 78 and it was a little better. Is there an ideal temperature for keeping mold at bay?

I set my WINTER heat setting at 70/62. In the summer up north I never turned on the AC at all unless the outside temps were over 90 degrees. Then I set it at about 80. Otherwise, I just used ceiling fans. However, it was nowhere near as humid as it is in Florida, so just a breeze was enough.

Here I set it at 78 for days and nights.