A/C On or Off?
Decatur Metro | April 11, 2011It’s getting to be that time of year. Higher humidity and temperatures usher in that yearly internal struggle about whether to keep the A/C off for just one more day.
Have you broke down yet?
It’s getting to be that time of year. Higher humidity and temperatures usher in that yearly internal struggle about whether to keep the A/C off for just one more day.
Have you broke down yet?
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Yup. We broke down on Saturday. Turns out the AC didn’t work. Such a bummer. Well at least I said it didn’t work and OakhustDada said that it was fine. I think we’ll have someone out this week to look at it.
I’ve broken down, but I think if my windows opened (they don’t) I wouldn’t have. It’s just that once it get to be 80, the stagnant air just starts to get to me. Add to this the fact I’m a Yankee and even after 13 yrs. down here, the heat is just not my thing.
Oh yeah. Although we don’t have to turn it down very low if we keep both the upstairs and downstairs units on and run the ceiling fans. But the humid air needs at least a little conditioning or our family gets cranky.
so that’s why I’m so cranky? My pre-Depression home has no air. We have windows, which opened this weekend, bringing in some really sweet smelling floral scents and chirpy bird sounds and such. After living here more than 24 years, we’re used to the heat, but the ceiling fans are turbo-charged, so friends don’t melt when they enter the dark ages here …
You have my deep, deep admiration. Not even a window A/C unit in a bedroom or family room?
well..
True confession now. I have window air conditioner in the office, because my MAC would have an attack sometimes in the Georgia summers, and although people can sweat it out, my technology can’t. And I am very lucky, since we do not have allergies in this family, so other than making our household yellow we are off the hook there in regards to pollen. But there have been summers when I’ve never turned on the office air conditioner, it just wasn’t hot enough.
Staying strong–keepin’ it off on principle (April!). . . .
ye-yah!
On … well, now it is on since we had to have it replaced. The big mutts, toddler, and mommy don’t do too well with the heat.
On. Why fight it?
On.
Which brings me to a question. One of the reasons we turn it on is not for the temperature, but for the humidity. I’ve thought about getting a whole-house dehumidifier, but wonder if it’s worth the investment.
Does anyone here have one? if so, what can you tell me about it?
dehumidifiers are just air conditioners that do not dump the waste heat outside
they will remove moisture but also heat the room
unless it is a basement , you would be better off with a window unit
they are cheaper too
wle
Thanks, wle. I was thinking about a whole-house dehumidifier, which sits outside or in the crawlspace and connects to the HVAC and uses the existing ductwork. Are you familiar with that type?
Keep it off! It is supposed to be back in the low to mid ’60’s this weekend.
I actually love keeping the air off as long as possible. The lows usually have to be in the low ’70’s before I crank it on.
My husband’s allergies keep us from opening the windows at night (or daytime) so unfortunately we’ve been regularly using the ac to cool the house late afternoons and evenings and turning the heat on to warm it up in the mornings for over a month now. Ugh, I think we need more insulation in our attic. I think the heat will stay off now until fall though.
Definitely still off! But that’s more so because of the shade of the giant trees above me. Also, screened in porches are key! Mosquitoes were already starting their assault this yesterday–couldn’t believe it.
Eh, all you early-season wussies!
Seriously– it’s not even close to being hot enough for us to turn ours on…we have bets with each other every year to see who wants it on first (whoever caves first loses). Of course, being Cuban (& thus genetically programmed to enjoy tropical temps), I always win!
Off. It might be 90 outside but only 77 inside. Ours is set at 80.
it was 90 degrees this weekend!
Why must the air be kept off simply b/c it is April? I’m not sure it proves anything but here’s your gold star if you did suffer in the heat!
It was 86 degrees on Saturday, not 90 degrees. And the low was just 62. This keeps it plenty cool overnight and in the mornings.
That is plenty bearable for me. Yes, it gets stuffy for a couple of hours in the late afternoon, but the indoor temps for most of the day is in the low 70’s with some windows open.
Of course, when I finally do crank on the A/C in May, I keep it set at 77 anyway, so it would barely even crank on right now even if it was on auto.
On. It’s more about moving the air around than anything.
I run the system’s fan (with the AC off) before going to bed … I’m not sure that’s more efficient, but it does seem to cool off the upstairs at night.
I like the outside smells and having the doors open to the screened in porch, and I love the coolness of the AC, so I leave the doors open and the AC cranked. Best of both worlds.
off. The upstairs is a bit warm for my taste (although husband likes it), but our basement is at least 20 degrees cooler, and that’s where we spend most of our time, anyway! I actually had a sweater on down there yesterday!
What a blessing to have allergies bad enough to allow AC in springtime! Seems to have saved us so much angst.
I woke up in the middle of the night fairly sweaty, so I turned it on a few hours this morning.
Off, as long as the humidity stays managable & the temp stays below 90. With the gas prices going nuts & GA Power’s recent rate increase; I am trying to save $ whereever possible.
We caved on Saturday. Our dogs looked miserable and after working our tails off in the yard Saturday and Sunday, coming in to a hot house was just not gonna fly. Looking at the forecast this week, I do feel like a bit of a wuss, but two days in the upper 80s was my limit.
If it’s any consolation, we keep the temp pretty high and run the condensate line into our rain barrel. Also, we didn’t turn our heat on until almost two weeks into November last fall. So there.
Incidentally, remember to change your air filter(s) before turning it back on (you should do this quarterly, especially if you have pets or particularly hairy family members). Will dramatically improve the efficiency of your HVAC.
We’ve had it on for weeks now. I’d be just fine without it until it hit the mid-80s inside, but my husband melts when the temp inside is anywhere above 70. (We have similar battles over the heat in the winter. My fear of cold and his fear of heat get really expensive!)
I love LOVE the fresh spring air, but when the pollen starts to get really bad we have to shut the windows and usually run the a/c (for air circulation and humidity control). If not for his allergies, we would keep the windows open much longer in the season. It’s a shame because both of us just love the fresh air, but not enough to make him suffer for it.
Ceiling fans work just great for me…..it was so cold for so long, nice to have a little “free warmth. When I turn on the AC I can just imagine dollar bills flying out of my checking account every time it kicks on.
God bless the man who invented air conditioning.
I’ve often wondered why no one’s erected a monument or something dedicated to Mr. Carrier…if not for ol’ Willis, we might not have so many Yankee transplants.
Why so many feel the need to justify their use of AC is amazing to me. If you want it, use it. If you don’t, then leave it off. Depending on the day and my mood I’ll be open window, AC, or both. Guilt-free AC for all. Enjoy more…worry less.
It’s a vicious cycle since worrying raises your body temperature, requiring that you crank the A/C lower and lower.
Generally, the temperature inside has to hit 78 before I turn on the AC. So far, it hasn’t topped 75, so no heat or ac equals super low utilities for me (in fact, believe it or not my energy bills are lower than my internet/cable bill, which seems sort of crazy).
I’d love to open windows, but my family’s allergies don’t allow it. We’ve got the ceiling fans running, but I doubt my husband will last much longer, and we will cave.
… and the ballot lever that is the A/C switch just put all polar bears on notice: “Your new home is in a natural history museum.”
No reason to suffer, and my AC’s on since Friday or Saturday…who knows. Must say though I wonder if my neighbors bum out at the noise. That said, it’s off with this impending (happening now) rain. Love the windows open when it’s cool enough to sleep…listen to the owls…