[Wing Feathers]

What is the worst that could happen? I'd like to get a vacation condo, so it would be vacant for months at a time... but don't want to pay the electric bills year round. Has anyone dealt with this? Thanks

[airics]

it can get cold in winter, pipes could freeze and break... then you have a huge problem...when we are not at the house, we keep temp at 45

[scirocco22]

In the summer, I usually leave the thermostat in the house at about 95 but my electric bill is still pretty high so I may up it closer to 100. What do the rest of you do in the summer when you're gone for extended periods?

[airics]

we are there in the summer, so i have to pay the bill... but last year, my highest was $280 and i kept the ac at 78

[olecapt]

Cycling of temperature in a home takes a toll. It is a good idea to limit it. I would suggest someplace around 85 or 90. You other have large thermal expansion in things like wallboard and plumbing. Makes for tape failures and nail pops. At the lower end you also don't want cycling or the freezing of pipes in a cold snap....so 45 or 50.

[Wing Feathers]

Thank you for the constructive answers Reps where I can give em

I am also amazed that nobody has built a thermostat that applies heat or a/c as needed. Every thermostat I come across requires that the homeowner flip a switch... unlike a car's climate control, which applies heat or a/c as required.

[scirocco22]

drinkme, I think the newer digital thermostats are auto-change from heating to cooling and cooling to heating. The one that I've been looking at is this one but I think other manufacturers have similar models:

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by scirocco22

drinkme, I think the newer digital thermostats are auto-change from heating to cooling and cooling to heating. The one that I've been looking at is this one but I think other manufacturers have similar models:

My ten year old quasi-digital have an auto mode that switches automatically. I don't use it because my units are old and don't always switch properly from heat to cool. Sometimes we have to hit it four or five times. I am hoping one of these years they will completely fail to switch and then I can replace them. But no luck so far.

[jpk]

I installed a solar powered attic fan in the hopes it would take some stress off the house and reduce the need to run the house fan or A/C while away. No idea whether it really works, but here's to hoping green technology can do something useful.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by jpk

I installed a solar powered attic fan in the hopes it would take some stress off the house and reduce the need to run the house fan or A/C while away. No idea whether it really works, but here's to hoping green technology can do something useful.

My attic is vented by a pair of quarter horse fans driven from the AC lines. That is above 10 inches of mineral wool. I think I may go to 18 inches.

I wonder how big an array it takes to drive a 1/4 horse motor?