Should whole house air conditioning continuously?
Question:My husband says the air should run continuously set at a chosen temp. Is this true? When I lived at home with my parents they would run it when it got hot and shut if off when it was cooler outside. I like fresh air and don't want to feel closed in with the air set at 78 (his chosen temp) when it's 72 and breezy outside. He wants to turn it on early in the summer and not shut it off until fall! Would this also be a waste of energy and would utility bills be higher if it runs continuously as opposed to turning it on only when it is truly hot and you want to cool the house?
Answers:
Your husband is correct. Set it and forget it.
Opening the windows lets in all sorts of impurities, not to mention HUMIDITY>
Don't know where he got that from. I always try to get fresh air if it's cooler outside, heck it's free! A/C cost money! Especially at today's energy costs. Turn it OFF!
And while you're at it, get a programmable thermostat so you can have it automatically change settings for when you go to work and cool the house down before you get home. It will pay for itself in a couple of months.
Theoretically, if you set it at 78 and open the windows when it is 72 outside, the outside air should cool the house and the AC should not turn on until the inside temperature reaches 78 or higher. I have heard that leaving it set at one temperature is more efficient and hence, economical, but prefer fresh air myself, so have never followed that guideline. I would set it at 78 when you are not home and close the windows etc. so that if the house temperature does rise that high, the AC will run. When you are home, leave it set at 78 but switch it to the OFF position when you want windows open. If the house gets too warm that way, close the windows and switch it back to ON position.
I just know Hubby isn't going to believe you with only one answer. Major Tom is right on the money. If it is cooler outside than his set 78, turn it off and open your windows to that wonderful free fresh air. It's cheaper than constantly running your air conditioner. . . period.
This would absolutely chew up all kinds of money. Air conditioning is the reason for power outages from a very high energy demand.
The best way to use your cooling is to set the temp in a spot where it's most comfortable to you (76 degrees) and leave it. This is the most efficient way to operate your A/C.
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