One of the longest-running debates regarding air conditioning is what temperature is ideal for the summer season. Some vouch for temperatures in the 60s whereas others are happy with 80 degrees. The reality is that the overall best temperature really depends on your family’s preferences and your budget.

WHAT DO THE EXPERTS SAY?

If you speak to experts regarding the ideal temperature for your home air conditioning system during the summer, many will tell you that approximately 78 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal. This is sufficient to maintain a comfortable temperature for your family while you spend time indoors, and it also yields an affordable price for your monthly energy bills. However, selecting this temperature is just the start of the discussion.

A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT CAN CHANGE THINGS SIGNIFICANTLY

Many newer centralized home air conditioning systems have a programmable or a smart thermostat. These allow the homeowner to set the desired temperature for each moment throughout the seven-day week. If you chose to do so, you could have your home thermostat set for 68 degrees on Monday at 6 p.m. and 88 degrees on Sunday at 8 a.m.

By employing this programmable function, you can use your smart thermostat to set an ideal temperature for your family while you’re at home. You can then have the thermostat increase the temperature when you and your family are away. Essentially, this allows you to save money on electricity. You won’t have to utilize as much power to cool the home when it’s empty.

NO ONE LIKES WALKING INTO A HOT HOME

The idea of saving money on electricity may cause some people to want to turn their air conditioning systems off entirely when they leave their houses. While this is obviously one method for saving energy, it comes at the cost of totally sacrificing personal comfort.

When you walk back into your home, it will certainly be extremely hot and humid. You’ll have to turn the air conditioning system back on and wait. After an hour or so, you may have achieved a temperature adequate to let you enjoy being in your home. The reality is that this isn’t even the best way to handle your cooling equipment. It has to work very hard to recover that state of comfort. Fortunately, making this sacrifice isn’t necessary. With a programmable thermostat, you don’t have to.

USING A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT EFFECTIVELY

A programmable thermostat can help to guarantee both your family’s comfort and great energy savings. You can program the thermostat to a higher temperature about an hour before you leave your house. Then, you can program your thermostat to return to your ideal at-home temperature about an hour or so before you come back. These selections provide you with the best of both worlds. You get to save money on your monthly power bill, and you don’t have to do it at the expense of your personal well-being.

A LOOK AT EXACT TEMPERATURE RECOMMENDATIONS

While the ideal indoor air temperature is estimated to be 78 degrees, that’s only for when you’re physically at home. Experts recommend setting your thermostat to 88 degrees when you’re not there. This higher temperature setting will keep your home air temperature within a feasible range to cool back down to 78 degrees in about an hour or so before you return.

FINDING WHAT FITS FOR YOUR FAMILY

Each individual’s preference is going to be different from the next person’s choice. For this reason, it’s advisable to start at 78 degrees Fahrenheit and to adjust from there. Spend a day with this temperature to see how your family feels. If you all agree that it’s way too hot, consider decreasing your thermostat by a single degree at a time.

Continue moving your thermostat setting down by this small increment each day until you find an adequate home environment that works for your entire family. It’s recommended not to go below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Most home air conditioning systems are not designed to cool a home to that level. In fact, you may risk freezing up your evaporator coil if your system is set to a temperature that low.

A FEW WORDS ON HOME HUMIDITY LEVELS

Many people don’t realize just how much the humidity level in their homes can affect their families’ comfort. When your body gets hot, it sweats. Naturally, the body cools down as this perspiration evaporates into the air.

When the humidity level is high, not all of the perspiration on your skin evaporates. This makes your skin feel clammy and sweaty. Your body essentially causes you to feel as if it’s warmer than it actually is in your environment. In fact, when the humidity level is high, you can feel as though it’s 5 to 10 degrees warmer than it actually is inside your home.

As you’ve just discovered, a high indoor humidity level is your worst enemy. It’s advisable to install a home dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from the air inside your residence. Even using portable dehumidifiers in the most trafficked rooms of your house can help to reduce the humidity level and make your home feel more comfortable to be in.

TIPS TO LOWER YOUR COOLING BILL DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS

While having a home air conditioning system is a great way to stay comfortable during the scorching hot summer months, it should be just one of many tactics that you utilize to keep cool. Installing home ceiling fans can be a great addition to your cooling efforts.

You’ll want to have these fans running in a counterclockwise direction. This motion will force air down onto your family. Just having a breeze on your body can make a huge difference in how you feel. Experts suggest that while this cooling effect varies from one person to another, it can decrease the perceived temperature of a room from 2 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit. That can make a big difference in how comfortable you are while at home.

When it comes to keeping your home cool and your wallet full, you should be very careful with your doors and windows. Keeping them closed during the daytime can help to keep the warm, humid air out. Unfortunately, many homeowners trying to reduce their monthly energy bills will open their windows for a portion of the day and then switch over to their central air conditioning systems when it gets too warm inside. This is generally unwise.

First, when you open your windows, you’re letting all of the heat from the outdoors back into your home. This is heat that your central air conditioning unit is going to have to transfer back outside. In addition, the air you let in has humidity in it. This is humidity that your central air conditioning system will have to work to remove from the air in your home. Stick to keeping your windows closed throughout the daytime, and only open them at night if the air is cool and less humid.

QUALITY AC SERVICES

If you’re in need of AC services in Dallas, Fort Worth, or the surrounding region, turn to Air Patrol Air Conditioning. We provide installation, repair, and maintenance for both heating and cooling equipment. We also remedy indoor air quality problems, and we can perform a whole-home audit to help you resolve your energy issues. Give us a call today, and let our experienced technicians assist you.