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I finally got around to using my schedule on my digital thermostat and wonder what others set theirs to (in the summer) when not home. I have mine on 77 but wonder if it is the right setting. I like it nice and cool while I am here (73) but wonder if I am saving money by setting it this high or even if I am not setting it high enough. That said southern summers here can be very hot and it would seem setting it too high would be detrimental as it would have to run for some time to cool the house back down once I return home.
You are right in that setting the thermostat too high while you are gone can have negative aspects. By keeping the house a constant temp it actually helps keep the a/c from overworking. People that turn the a/c off or up really high during the day in very hot areas and then come in and "slam it down" to freezing or even a mid 70's are not doing themselves any favors. By trying to get it too cold so fast all it does is freeze the unit up and it goes out. Then you have no a/c at all and have to turn it off and wait for it to defrost. Or if you even want a somewhat tolerable feeling it never gets there as it is so hot that to get to that temp the unit must run nonstop. We used attend a church that would turn the a/c or heat completely off till about an hour before everyone would show up. I can not even count on all hands and feet how many times the a/c or heat went out and they had to replace units. Instead if they would have simply just turned it to where it would not come on as often instead of off it would have been better and people would have been comfortable. My bil turns theirs up or off completely while they are away during the day then comes in and turns the a/c on to 77 or 78. YUCK!!! The a/c still has to run for the better part of the late afternoon (the WORST time to be sucking up that much electricity) and into the evening and they still don't get "comfortable". Well duh.
Find a temp to set it at while your away that you seem to feel that it does not have to work extra hard for when you come home for it to be comfortable for you. If you can set it at 78 during the away hours and you come in and turn it down to 73 and it runs nonstop for over an hour then change the setting to 77 or 76 while your away. It should not have to run nonstop for over an hour at any time unless it is REALLY HOT!!!! Keep your blinds closed during the day, interior doors open and ceiling fans on. Make sure you clean or change out filters at least quarterly if not every other month. All of that will help in the efficiency of your a/c. Check duct work to make sure none are loose or crimped. Make sure vents are open and the return is working. One thing you may want to check on in a warm climate is window tinting. 3M makes a superb product that is professionaly applied that really helps cut down on excess heat and sun damage to the interior of your home and furnishings.
The programmable stat I have will lower the set point in increments till it reaches its new set point point. For example I have mine set at 74 degrees during the night and have it programed to rise set point to 79 degrees at 8AM and to lower set point to 74 degrees at 5 PM when everyone starts coming home. The stat has a learning algorithm and will start lowering the set point at maybe 3 PM to reach the 74 degrees. If it sees that it it took to long or to quick reach the set point will adjust itself to reach the set point in the most efficient time line.
I don't ever need to use A / C. In fact none of the two brand new window A / C units are even installed. And we just had a few days up near 90 F.
I am starting to wonder about using the Reflectix radiant barrier type insulation in an under roof air flow system in a really hot climate and what effect that might have on the need for A / C. Why does not more new home construction use it, the stuff is amazing.
The installation I did for part of my roof has worked dramatically. If I was in a climate like Florida I think I would really try a ton of Reflectix installed in the attic space with a super vent system and see what effect that would have on the need for A / C.
To me, if you never let that attic volume get hot, is the real key to little need for lots of A / C. That and good windows with low-E coating to minimize solar gain.
You still might need some A/C but I would guess it would be more for humidity control rather than temperature. I would pay far more attention to how your insulation system works than focusing on what the thermostat is doing. Probably save a ton of money over a year.
Our Florida home is 4 years old. I had all the new "available" upgrades added to our home construction. We upgraded our insullation to R30 ceiling and walls, still our home gets warm. A/C is 16 SEER with a friendly auto thermostat.. Our builder would not allow us to use an insulated double pane window which we had in Pennsylvania but we are soon getting the film installed over our windows and doors....
We do have a solar hot water heater that saves us around 30% in total electricity costs and we have a swimming pool solar heater set at 90 degrees. We tried to reduce our electric costs and will not be uncomfortable. The extras were a lot of dough but we are still looking to reduce our current electric bills of $245-340 a month. We have a 2,800 SF home on one floor and our roof is vented to around 90% of our total roof space.
A grid of installed solar panels on our roof would run $30,000 and is only guaranteed for 140 mph winds and 15 years so the payback is too long. I called FP+L when we were getting our home built and discovered at that time they do not buy back electricity... So if we didn't use all of solar generated electricity on any given day we just couldn't sell it to someone who could use it.
we keep ours at 79 degrees and it keeps the whole house very cool even when it's 100 degrees out side. the temperature is very comfortable because the a/c takes most the humidity out of the air. our humidity level is around 70%. so 80 degrees is very comfortable to us. if we kept our air that cold it would be pretty darn cold. BBBBRRRRRR THAT'S WHY WE MOVED SOUTH TO GET AWAY FROM THE COLD.
A properly charged and functioning air conditioner will NOT "freeze-up." I'm familiar with both commercial and residential units, in situations where the ACs would be completely off for the day, and then be cranked on full-bore to prep for crowds. What does happen in such situations is that the dehumidifying aspect of the AC doesn't have a chance to dry out the air in a damp climate, making the room feel clammy and cold rather than comfortable. There are a lot of factors that go into the lifespan of a unit. Lightning, power surges and brownouts, birds, rodent, and ant issues are some of those factors.
Our Florida home is 4 years old. I had all the new "available" upgrades added to our home construction. We upgraded our insulation to R30 ceiling and walls, still our home gets warm.
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You should check into making sure the intake is large enough. So many times you'll find the return is restrictive not allowing the system to breathe as it should. Also a sign your system might be under charged is hearing the line set bubble boiling. It sounds kinda like a constant hissing sound while it's on. If not charged correctly and the airflow is too restricted not even the best system can do what it's suppose to. Those two factors can be present and the air coming out of the vents will still be cold.
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I know nothing about thermostat settings......
