You know that privacy film that they make for Windows? You can get it in dark colors. I just got it in Black. It keeps my bedroom which gets direct sunlight almost all day about 20° cooler. My AC doesn't even kick on half the time that it used to.
Absolutely! That's what I got it for. I started working an evening job where I don't get home until 1:30 or 2:00 in the morning and being woken up at 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. by the sun was pissing me off. The cooling of the room was secondary.
I also got a fake canopy in Black, thinking I would have to block out more light. Nope. The black privacy film works REALLY well.
You can get 4x8' slabs of styrofoam sheet insulation with reflectorized mylar on one side, easy to cut down to size with a utility knife and straightedge.
I have done this on the upper floor's east, west and south windows, & it has made a big difference! Secondary benefit is I seem to sleep better in a really dark room (neighbors have lots of bright outdoor lights...)
The lower floor has plantation blinds and shading from an overhang.
This!!! I bought blackout curtains for my patio doors which is attached off the kitchen. They work as intended but what was unintended was finding out that they kept the cold out during the winter and the heat out during the summer. Such a huge difference between the temperature swings from the door and from the other side of the curtain and it damped outside noise too.
Not really. They’re heavier and thicker material but essentially the same as regular curtains. I think they cost a little more as well but it’s negligible for what they do. I’ve been using blackout curtains for years and don’t even notice that they’re not “regular” curtains.
If I’m picking nits, they are more expensive and heavier. But for the money I save in the long run they do not have any negatives in my book. I also found mine at Costco. They had the best price by far in my area.
I grew up back East and can't imagine going back. I've lived in California since 1979, and I still can't get over how cool it gets at night especially here in the Sacramento area. I used to laugh at a person who told me to be sure to bring a sweater when it was 100° outside.. not anymore. It can get down to 58° at night! I don't miss those restless nights back East!
Yeah same here! (Portugal) even on the super hot days, you can still get cooler temps at night. Also the way you just wrote all of that made me feel so nostalgic for some strange reason. 🙂
This. Whenever it's cooler outside than in, open the doors/windows, maybe set up box fans to blow in at one side of the house and out at the other side, then around dawn close everything up to keep the heat out.
The fans that blow out will have the biggest effect, especially if you pull them back from the window a little bit.
use the Bernoulli’s principle, and open several windows, then set a fan near one window to blow out. (not in it, actually)
[https://youtu.be/YUOQad6esE4](https://youtu.be/YUOQad6esE4)
[https://youtu.be/1L2ef1CP-yw](https://youtu.be/1L2ef1CP-yw)
use the Bernoulli’s principle, and open several windows, then set a fan near one window to blow out. (not in it, actually)
[https://youtu.be/YUOQad6esE4](https://youtu.be/YUOQad6esE4)
[https://youtu.be/1L2ef1CP-yw](https://youtu.be/1L2ef1CP-yw)
What time in the day do you block the windows? I always try and leave them open in the mornings for light and then I have trouble remembering to put the shades down.
Ya, I don't do plants in my house. Dirt and things belong outside, I've seen too many people get weird diseases from the fungus in the dirt from the plants. Former RN, My first ward was infectious disease, but with so many people with cancer who should not be around live plants at all anyway, I find bringing plants inside just a complete wtf. If it's unhealthy for cancer patients, then it's unhealthy for everybody. Plants belong outside. My plants are on my porch.
A dark room only leads to depression if you NEVER go out in the light. The bedroom is dark, the rest of the house doesn't have the black privacy film. The bedroom was the room that was getting hit by the light, so that's the only room I used it in. And it's dark but it's also like 20° cooler than it used to be. That thing about light causing depression, that's only if you never go out in the light. I'm a cave dweller but I also know to get a bit of sunlight.
But if you want to see me depressed, put me out in the sun. I fucking hate the daylight. It's awful. It gets in my eyes and I can't see; it makes me hot; it melts things; it discolors things; it's fucking stupid. We made houses to keep ourselves out of the Sun. I hate the summertime and I prefer October November when it's cold and gray. When it rains, I'm like a little kid. I'll run outside and put my arms out and spin around in circles. I love clouds and grey and I'm very much not depressed. I was when I was forced to be a day-dweller. On my own, living my life the way I want to, I like it dark. I get my token little bit of sunlight right before work for my circadian rhythm, and that's all I need.
One completely dark room doesnt lead to depression. It'll mess one's circadian rhythm up, which affects your mood, but I've done a LOT of work on my circadian rhythm. Keeping the bedroom DARK and COOL is part of good sleep hygeine, and leaving that dark cool bedroom when it's time for you to wake up is another part of good sleep hygeine. Getting up and out of bed. I don't sit back here all the time. THAT would lead to depression. My bedroom being dark is one room, and that's blatantly false, that blacking out one room would cause depression.
I meant like external blinds. Instead of curtain.
To be fair, if you are in USA, it might not be available or too expensive. Where I live it's comparatively affordable.
If it's cold overnight, even just like 60, open windows and let it in and close them before it warms up.
If you can get it down near 60 overnight, you'll save a lot.
Also, AC one room. Minisplits and portable AC have really good SEERs, some better than central air. Take the bedroom to 70 and stay in there and leave the house at 78 or 80. Even just close the basement vents.
This! I live with my parents and we have very different temperature preferences. My parents keep it 76-79 to save money, but I like it 68-70. So I bought a window AC to keep my room cooler, so we don’t have to pay to cool the whole house so much.
the first step is to keep as much heat out of your house. Most comes through the windows so use curtains and blinds.
For electric machines, the best bang for your money will be a large ceiling fan.
Agree completely. And if a ceiling fan isn’t an option a small fan that blows toward you while you’re sleeping means the room doesn’t have to be as cool.
When I was a kid we didn’t have AC. Sleeping with just a sheet can sometimes feel cooler than no top layer. If it’s an option, think about linen sheets. If not linen, crisp cotton (as opposed to jersey knit) will help you feel cooler.
And like Abidos_rest says - curtains AND blinds. Having two layers and keeping them both closed all the time keeps extra heat trapped between the layers.
It can be difficult to find solutions in an apartment, because you can't control the heat radiating from other apartments, and the complex may have restrictions on what you can and can not put in your windows (ie reflective surfaces on double pane windows).
I'm in Missouri, where it doesn't cool down enough at night to open the windows and still be able to sleep. In my last apartment, I ended up using shrink wrap type window covers on my windows, which the complex didn't mind because they were clear. If your windows tilt in, you can add weatherstripping to improve the seal instead. I then used 3M hooks to hang dark colored light blocking grommet top curtains on my windows; if you put the hooks high enough (~6" above the top of the window frame), the curtain fully covers the window and blocks hot air from rising* above the top of the curtains. I wish I had a picture. An alternative would be to make a Kume curtain (Google for directions). They are made to keep hot air in during the winter but they should work just as well at keeping hot air out.
If you have to run your ac at night to sleep, don't turn it off or set your daytime temp higher than 76°F or so, otherwise you negate any benefits because it has to run constantly at night.
Last is to use fans while you're home. Mist yourself with water and sit with a fan blowing on you, and it'll feel like heaven. 💕
*Edited for spelling
1. Use less. Timers help.
2. Keep it at mild temperatures, not freezing cold.
3. Switch to newer brands if yours is too old. Newer ACs are more energy efficient.
4. If you want to switch to a fan, put a fan on the ground facing up, and if you got two, put the second on an open window. One gets the hot air upwards, and the other prevents hot air to get inside. Big fans also cool you down way more than the smaller ones.
5. Wet towels are a cheap way to keep yourself fresh. Just wrap a small one around the neck and you're good for 30 min to 1 hour. Not soaking wet, remember to twist it.
> Keep it at mild temperatures, not freezing cold.
On that point, try bumping your A/C one degree higher every week or two, to acclimate yourself gradually to higher temps. I've got mine set to 80, and along with a ceiling fan going I actually feel a bit chilly when the A/C kicks on.
Insulated blackout curtains. (Close them all day
During winter, open curtains during day but close at night or whenever it's really cold).
Leave a/c on but adjust it so the temperature is about 84 ish during the day. Turn it a little cooler when you come home.
Goal is to keep it from getting oven hot during the day.
Don't you guys have external blinds in USA?
Everyone here seems to be from USA as nobody is recommending external blinds.
Curtains still let sun to enter home, then reflect SOME of it back. External blinds block everything (well, a very small part is radiated into the home).
Well it's like that everywhere. I really don't think americans are much eorse in this regard.
But for some things, somehow, somebody has managed to instill "long term value".
It's also got to do with laws. E.g. in construction when minimum standard raises, some obvious things get mass produced, and they become a relatively "cheap" upsell. Like, triple glazed windows are maybe 10% more expensive compared to double glazed, all else being equal.
There’s probably a point of diminishing returns in setting the temp higher during the day.
I personally need it pretty chilly at night. Like 70. But it’s so hot here in Florida during the day that the AC can’t really keep up unless it’s like at 78 or 79.
I haven’t done any testing yet. Just observation.
Have you controlled this testing for factors like outside temperature, humidity levels, cloud coverage, wind speed, time spent with doors open, windows covered, etc?
Every natural resources department in the world says you will save energy by turning your heating/cooling off when you’re away for more than a couple of hours. The thermal exchange between inside and outside air is going to be greater when you have a greater difference in temperature. Keeping your HVAC on while you’re away, you are paying for all of that extra thermal exchange, rather than just the exchange that happens to make you comfortable when you’re home.
From the US gov:
> A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding environment more slowly.
> During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature.
> The same concept applies to raising your thermostat setting in the summer -- a higher interior temperature will slow the flow of heat into your house, saving energy on air conditioning. Check out our home heating infographic to learn more about how heating systems and thermostats interact.
Have you controlled this testing for factors like outside temperature, cloud coverage, wind speed, time spent with doors open, windows covered, etc?
Every natural resources department in the world says you will save energy by turning your heating/cooling off when you’re away for more than a couple of hours. The thermal exchange between inside and outside air is going to be greater when you have a greater difference in temperature. Keeping your HVAC on while you’re away, you are paying for all of that extra thermal exchange, rather than just the exchange that happens to make you comfortable when you’re home.
From the US gov:
> A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding environment more slowly.
> During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature.
> The same concept applies to raising your thermostat setting in the summer -- a higher interior temperature will slow the flow of heat into your house, saving energy on air conditioning. Check out our home heating infographic to learn more about how heating systems and thermostats interact.
Sources:
https://natural-resources.canada.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/make-your-home-more-energy-efficient/keeping-the-heat/section-9-operating-your-house-thermostats-water-heaters-furnaces-and-other-heatingco/15645
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/programmable-thermostats
https://www.energystar.gov/sites/default/files/asset/document/HeatingCoolingGuide%20FINAL_9-4-09_0.pdf
Not always.
The longer you leave home the less worth it it is to keep it cool while you're gone. Obviously its not worth keeping the ac on for a month while your gone, or a week, probably not 2 days. Maybe worth it when youre gone for 12 hours.
It does take more energy to change the temp so when leaving for a few hours definately dont change the temp on thermostat.
It doesn't matter if you leave for *any* amount of time, as your argument was heading to. It's always takes more energy to *maintain* a temperature difference (house vs. outside) than to cool that same place to that temperature difference.
Sure, if you're going to step out for a few minutes, it's silly to bother to turn off the AC because the savings is minuscule. But every day out for work and a commute? If it's all about saving money, definitely turn it off all day. The only reason to keep it on is the luxury of enjoying the cold the moment you step in the door, but you do pay for that. (One compromise is a timer system or one you can command from your phone a bit before you get home.)
> Maybe worth it when you’re gone for 12 hours.
Absolutely not. Not even a debate. It’s never worth it.
This is a frustrating fallacy cause it’s causing everybody who listens to it to waste energy and money.
The thing that uses more electricity is your AC. If you keep your AC on while away, you will use more electricity. It’s pretty simple.
Using AC to get the temperature from high to low will never use more electricity than using AC to prevent the temperature from getting high in the first place. The temperature differential between outside and inside, multiplied by time, is what determines how much energy is used. When you leave your AC on to keep the temperature low, you’re just adding more time to the equation.
Some AC's can't keep up in extreme temps. I set mine higher during the day when I'm gone but it stays on, when it gets over 90 with 95% humidity, I don't want to risk suffering. Mostly, I can't sleep if it's too hot. It takes a long time to work the moisture out of the air too.
Currently off though since the past few days have been cooler and it's not supposed to be hot enough for me to want to turn it on again for a couple more days.
Absolutely, if your AC won’t be able to get your inside temps/humidity down in time for your comfort, then you have to adjust accordingly. Just don’t be fooled into thinking you’re using less energy by “avoiding large swings in temperature.” It’s BS.
One alternative to consider is setting the thermostat higher while you’re away but just setting it back to your comfort setting earlier before you get home. If it just needs more time to pull down the temps at the end of the day, that’ll still be cheaper than keeping it cooler all day.
This is 100% incorrect, and it’s a frustrating fallacy cause it’s causing everybody who listens to it to waste energy and money.
The thing that uses more electricity is your AC. If you keep your AC off while away, you will use less electricity. It’s pretty simple. Using AC to get the temperature from high to low will never use more electricity than using AC to prevent the temperature from getting high in the first place. The temperature differential between outside and inside is what determines how much energy is used, multiplied by time. You’re just adding more time to the equation.
You should edit your comment.
I will not edit my comment because I have done a lot of testing, by adjusting my thermostat in different ways and watching the daily run time. What evidence do you have?
Have you controlled this testing for factors like outside temperature, cloud coverage, wind speed, time spent with doors open, windows covered, etc?
My evidence is that every natural resources department in the world says you will save energy by turning your heating/cooling off when you’re away for more than a couple of hours. Also, it is inherently obvious that the thermal exchange between inside and outside air is going to be greater when you have a greater difference in temperature. Keeping your HVAC on while you’re away, you are paying for all of that extra thermal exchange, rather than just the exchange that happens to make you comfortable when you’re home.
> A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding environment more slowly.
> During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature.
> The same concept applies to raising your thermostat setting in the summer -- a higher interior temperature will slow the flow of heat into your house, saving energy on air conditioning. Check out our home heating infographic to learn more about how heating systems and thermostats interact.
https://natural-resources.canada.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/make-your-home-more-energy-efficient/keeping-the-heat/section-9-operating-your-house-thermostats-water-heaters-furnaces-and-other-heatingco/15645
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/programmable-thermostats
https://www.energystar.gov/sites/default/files/asset/document/HeatingCoolingGuide%20FINAL_9-4-09_0.pdf
Your post was removed by the moderators of r/Frugal.
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See my other comment. I tried to reply multiple times with links but they seem to get blocked immediately.
Have you controlled this testing for factors like outside temperature, humidity levels, cloud coverage, wind speed, time spent with doors open, windows covered, etc?
Every natural resources department in the world says you will save energy by turning your heating/cooling off when you’re away for more than a couple of hours. The thermal exchange between inside and outside air is going to be greater when you have a greater difference in temperature. Keeping your HVAC on while you’re away, you are paying for all of that extra thermal exchange, rather than just the exchange that happens to make you comfortable when you’re home.
From the US gov:
> A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding environment more slowly.
> During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature.
> The same concept applies to raising your thermostat setting in the summer -- a higher interior temperature will slow the flow of heat into your house, saving energy on air conditioning. Check out our home heating infographic to learn more about how heating systems and thermostats interact.
So now that you’ve ignored the evidence, your plan is to continue not editing your comment so that more people can be misled into wasting money and energy by your BS misinformation?
The upvotes show that other people have the same experience as you hey? That they’ve done testing and found the same results? Wow that’s quite the critical thinking you’re showcasing. You’re definitely somebody with the intellectual capacity for doing independent high quality testing and variable control, gathering data we should all trust our dollars to.
Actually the upvotes show that people like your comment. That’s all. That could mean they know nothing about this but think that what you said sounds credible. It could mean that before reading your comment they already held that opinion or leaned towards it due to similar misinformation they’ve heard elsewhere (since people tend to like opinions that they already hold). It could mean that they’ve had a similar experience to you, and have done their own horribly flawed testing. It could mean that they accidentally hit the upvote button.
There are so many other explanations for upvotes, which you haven’t accounted for because you lack the capacity to consider them, just like there are so many other explanations for the testing results you experienced, even more than just the explanation I gave already, that you failed horribly at controlling variables.
Want me to list them? Or are you somebody who just likes his own opinion and doesn’t change it based on new information? If so, why would you trust yourself with running an experiment in which you have to be open to changing your opinion about what the results will show?
If you're in an apartment complex and you're on the top floor. Know that your apartment is going to get much hotter than all the other ones. It's very hard to do anything about this. What I would recommend is using blackout curtains or even putting aluminum foil over the windows. If you can in certain areas like your bedroom. The aluminum foil might be too much but blackout curtains or those roller blinds work really good for keeping that heat out of the apartment. A lot of people these days like to leave their windows wide. Open to get that sunlight. But that radiant heat adds up in your house. So you have to pick what you want.
Before they replaced the roof in my building we would hang shower curtains between the rooms so that it would keep the air in the living room so it didn't go out to the kitchen. The kitchen used to get to be 100° while the living room would be cool. It all depends on what you want.
If you go to work during the day I would just leave the AC off and then turn it on when you come home. You can even set a timer to come on maybe 2 hours before you get home.
If you work from home and you're there all day. Then I would recommend just air conditioning the room that you're in and turn on the living room air conditioner later in the day. So as you spend time in there, it's cool.
Reflectix. You can get it at Home Depot. It's not that expensive. It's basically bubble wrap that's made out of mylar. Get some Gorilla Tape and tape that shit over every exposed window on the south or west side of your house. It insulates your windows and reflects the infrared radiation (heat) so it doesn't come inside and heat up your room.
I work out of a house that's well built with a wrap around porch to or even the sun from directly coming through the windows. They turn the thermostat up to 78 at night. By the time we get to work at 8am it's sweltering in there. Then it takes until at least noon to finally cool down. I suggest what everyone else says and pic a temp and keep it there. Use heavy drapes to block the sun from heating up your home.
The best way to minimize AC use based on my culture, proper ventilation of the rooms so it's the same temp as outside. deflect or completely block sunlight from windows with reflective curtains (white colored). switch off idle electronics. and use an AC that has the heat component sitting on the outside of the room. Portable AC are way let's efficient than regular window block AC no matter wattage they claim (AC works based on heat generation to melt the coolant and then cool down room temperature)
Lastly stays in the room where AC is. you don't need all room to be cool. Just where you want to FEEL cool before you head to work and after work
Last year I got really irritated at my Nest because my thermostat is in a weird spot in a room we’re hardly in. It’s ‘learning’ was way off. I decided to keep it at the same temp all day whether we’re home or not and lower at night. Conversely I do the same with the heat in the Winter (snowy Midwest) Needless to say I was pleasantly shocked that our monthly usage and bill went down compared to the last house we were in where it also had a Nest but worked much more accurately.
The best tip is to not be home during the hottest parts of the day. Hit the gym. Get an AMC movie pass just for the summer. Take a book (or a Nintendo switch) to the park. Shift your work hours to later in the day if possible. Hit up a few thrift shops. I'm sure you can come up with more things to do
Turning if off during the day is hard on the AC when you do come home because it would likely need to work at max capacity for several hours once you turn it back on... However... it's not your AC unit soooo Have at it I guess?
Personally, I turn it up to 82 or so when I wake up and back down when I get home...
> Turning if off during the day is hard on the AC when you do come home because it would likely need to work at max capacity for several hours once you turn it back on
What "builds up" over those hours that is harming the AC and how does it harm it? How does the AC "recover" when it gets breaks?
We use black out curtains coupled with black out roller shades. During the day when they are both pulled down it is pitch dark in our room. We have both on windows in our small side rooms. In our main front room we put solar film on the picture window and bay window. It made a huge difference.
We keep ceiling fans and floor fans going at all times.
the following are objective thermodynamic truths:
* the larger the temperature difference between the inside and outside, the faster your house wants to heat back up. If you have amazing amazing insulation, this might not matter as much.
* the larger the temperature difference between the inside and outside, the harder your ac has to work to cool the inside down
which is to say, cooling your house from say 71 to 70 degrees ten times uses more energy than cooling it from 80 to 70 degrees one time. Leaving your AC set to a lower temperature is more similar to trying to cool it one degree ten times than it is trying to cool it ten degrees one time. proceed accordingly
If cost is an issue on curtains or drapes? (because drapes cost a fortune!) Get some heavy duty moving blankets from a place like Harbor Freight (where they are quite cheap) and cover the windows. Use clips at the top to hold the blanket for easy removal at night to let the heat back out again.
Put something reflective between the blanket and the window pane. I had a roll of foil bubble insulation and used that on the RV's windows when traveling to cut back on the incredible heat that can come in. It's stiff so easy to put up or take down and can be reused.
You can get [pretty cheap blackout curtains on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074J7GQ6B?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1). They're not super fancy, but they do the trick. Add [one-way reflective window film](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W5F5XZN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and the cooling effect is compounded greatly.
Those work OK as curtains if not good blackouts, they let light in, as I found out the hard way. What I've discovered though is the moving blankets which are a lot thicker, will act as insulation, keeping heat out and cold in.
I use them, and they let very little light in. It's not good enough for a darkroom, but it works nicely for day sleepers and for keeping the heat down. And not everyone wants to live life with moving blankets clipped to their curtain rods.
If your place gets super hot and the AC can cool it off right away, then turn it off. If the AC takes a long time, then leave it on around 76°. Turn it cooler when you get home. Or you leave it off. When you get home in the cooler part of late afternoon, then set up fans to blow the hot air out of the house at door or windows. Or set up a path for outside cooler air to blow through and out. Then after some cooling, turn on the AC.
Best idea - use a timer to turn those fans on 30 minutes before you get home. We did that for years, finally got a couple trees to grow enough to provide some helpful shade.
If you want to save the most, block sunlight from entering the windows while you are away and set the AC on 78-80. Whatever the highest number you can stand is. Get some fans to move the air and maybe a dehumidifier if you live somewhere with both high temperatures and high humidity. Use the water you collect from the air to water a collection of houseplants that clean the air.
Tried to h e dehumidifier. Does help, but it works at least partially by heating. So it adds 5-6 degrees to the room temperature. The drier, warmer air felt somewhat better, but the additional heat is real.
I'm in the same boat. Here's how I manage it:
- set the ac @ 78 when I leave for work. (Otherwise it'll run for hours trying to chill back down when I get home)
- shut the door to the room that gets the warmest, so the rest of the house stays somewhat cooler and the ac gets some breaks.
- put a sheet of reflective foil insulation on the inside of windows that get afternoon sun. It makes a noticeable difference in temperatures. I already had some of that "frosted glass" film on those windows, so the foil isn't obvious outside.
- use lots of fans. I'd love to keep my apartment at 70 when I'm home, but I can't afford the bill. So I have a couple of fans in the living room pointed at where I sit and a couple more in the bedroom pointed at where I sleep. With just a sheet, I can sleep comfortably at 75 degrees.
This might make your house look like a trap house, but tin foil on windows reflects the heat and keeps the cold air in. I did this a lot when I needed a dark and cold room when I was working nights. You could do the nice privacy window peel and stick, then the tinfoil over top. It might help mask the appearance of the tin foil. Also, use blackout curtains along with the tinfoil.
An attic trapdoor is a big hole cut in your insulation. There's several different attic door covers - I just got a tent style and it's eliminated a big hotspot.
Also small fans near the vents to blow the cold air out into the room.
I have double layers of blackout curtains on the window that gets the most sun. Cooled that room right down.
If you can't afford much, taping aluminum foil over the window panes will reflect a lot of heat. Tacking sheets or blankets over the windows will give more insulation.
Some of your situation depends on if there are units above you. If you have a unit above you then turning off the AC may work well as their cooler apartment above you will help keep your unit cool.
You can also turn your AC off probably a few hours before you leave in the morning as the morning is the coolest time of day and the lag in temperature change will allow the unit to stay comfortable a bit longer.
Also, keep in mind that a large part of the world does not use AC and your body can normally adjust. Correct clothing materials, fans, and shade/reflective materials go a long way. Upgrades if you ever go with a detached house are white roof and outside walls, high ceilings, and pulling in cool air overnight.
Shade trees are wonderful for the house as well.
I never move into an apt without making sure it doesn't have any walls with Western or southern exposure to the summer sun. Even walls get so hot, your ac has to work hard to cool your apt.
The cost of investing to get savings is the answer but it costs to get ceiling fans or black out curtains.
Keep your air filter clean with minimal filtration the thicker the more it pulls on the system. I don’t do this but something to note.
Spend as much time in lower floors if two story.
Wear less clothes. Strange but just like bundling up in the winter.
Freezing cold showers, lots of ice water and consider taking more than a shower a day. Water is still cheaper than power….
Go elsewhere during the day and come home only after it cools down. Use curtains and everything else suggested in other comments to keep heat away while you are out.
If you are feeling over-heated - put ice packs on your neck and arm pits to help bring your temp down. Eat a few freeze pops and you'll feel refreshed. A quick "cool-down shower" also works for me - just pop in to get yourself wet and air dry
Honestly getting used to the heat is one of the cheapest ways to manage it. I lived in the tropics for a year and didn’t use an AC at all even with nighttime temperatures of 30°C+ and high humidity. You get used to drinking plenty of water, sleeping with just a light cotton sheet, and using a fan when needed. The combination of sweat on a cotton sheet and a fan works as a fairly effective evaporative cooler.
Turning the AC off while you're not at home is always more efficient than leaving it on.
The way to think about it is in terms of heat flow.
When the outdoors is warmer than your apartment, heat is flowing into it. The rate at which heat flows into your apartment is basically proportional to the difference in temperature. So when you turn your AC off, heat flows into your apartment until it reaches a warm temperature, then the flow of heat slows down to nearly nothing. When the AC is on all day, the heat is flowing in all day and the AC has to periodically work to keep the temperature down.
When your AC runs, it is spending energy to pump heat out of your apartment. Your AC power (and electric bill) is proportional to the amount of heat your AC pumps out.
I saved a lot of money by switching back to window units. 1 or 2 units run all day long. The central is set to 76. If the window units can't keep up, which is rare, central kicks in.
The AC will use the same amount of power to run whether the room is 72 or 85, keep it off during the day and turn it on when you get home. Make sure all your windows are double pane and covered during the day (atleast by a curtain, a blanket or blackout curtain would work better though)
As others have said, blackout curtains for windows. Do not turn the AC off while you are gone, but set it high like to 78 or 85 degrees or whatever.
Also plan meals for dinner that do not involve using the oven. Stovetop is fine for heating as it is only on a short time. If you have a washer/dryer in your unit, do.laundry after dark, or at least run the dryer after dark.
I live where summer temps can and hit 115, and doing all the above really helps.
Surprised no one mentioned this yet: if you can:
Run the A/C on DRY. That's dehumidify. It more draws moisture out of the air rather than actually cool, although the cooling compressor does still run. Cools as well as AC but uses much less electricity. In my experience anyway. I run 'DRY' exclusively in the summer nowadays. It does depend a little on your environment, it won't work in purely dry environments. But I'm in a 'mid-humid' environment, on the east coast, and it works great.
Second tip is to spend time 'leak-proofing' your space. Acs have to work a lot because air seeps in from all sorts of areas, raising the temp and causing the ac to work more. Closing the cracks between baseboards, floorboards and floor, with something like clear caulk, should do wonders. Helps keep bugs out, too. A mid sized room should take about 30 minutes or so, depending on how much furniture you have around the walls.
Nest recommends 82 degrees when I'm away. Most A/C can only cool down 10 degrees so if it gets to 95 in the apartment during the day, its only going to get to 85 with A/C on so you can't let it get crazy hot
. Make sure you close all your blinds/curtains while away so not to let in any of the direct sun. Take shorter/cooler showers as all that steam just adds moisture to your house and helps make it feel way hotter.
> Most A/C can only cool down 10 degrees
More like 20°, but that's just between the intake air temp and output air temp, regardless of what the outdoor air temp is. Since the A/C is just recirculating indoor air, the longer it runs the more it's refrigerating air that already been refrigerated, so eventually it can cool down more than 20° from the initial air temp.
> Most A/C can only cool down 10 degrees so if it gets to 95 in the apartment during the day, its only going to get to 85 with A/C on
Might want to get your AC checked then.
Mine has no problem cooling my trailer down 30 degrees colder than the outside temp. (72F as opposed to 102F outside.)
Its not about outside air temp, its about inside air temp as thats the air the A/C uses to cool. It sucks air from inside your house, cools it down and pushes it out. So if you set the temp to 82 degrees during the day, when you come home and it kicks in for 72 degrees, its cooling it from 82 to 72, 10 degrees, even if it was 105 out, doesn't matter because thats not the air its using. Now there are better A/Cs that can cool to 15-20 degrees but it's an apartment so I'm not betting its set up for optimum cooling.
In morning run AC around 75/76. Then toward Noon, Set AC to 80 for afternoon peak heat .Depending on your location, AC setup and residence, your unit/system may struggle if you're trying to keep AC at absurdly cold setting in the afternoon.
Find ways to block heat at the window. If you have multiple and spare rooms, avoid the west and maybe south facing rooms in the afternoon and keep the door closed.
Set your ceiling fan to counterclockwise flow.
Take a cold shower in the morning before pipes heat up the water.
Wear loose and light clothing at home.
Drink plenty of cold water. Eat cold fruit snacks (melons, cantaloupe, etc.
Minimize stove/oven use in the afternoon and evening. Make and prep those certain meals ahead of time in the morning when it's cool.
All things considered, it really helps if you grew up with hot summers and lived in a house without central air and heat.
Spend time outdoors safely. 78-80 and some fans feel great when you walk in from 100 degrees heat.
One-way reflective window film and blackout curtains. Both quite inexpensive. Open all the windows at night when it's cool, let the cool air in. Close them in the morning when it starts to get warm again. Keep the windows closed until it cools down again in the evening.
If you can shade the windows on the sunny side (preferebly on the outside of the house, but on the inside if you cannot) and have ventilation open on the shaded side you can probably keep it colder while out without running the AC, but the effect is highly depending on how your place is built, and what isolation you have.
If all your windows are at one side I would shade it on the outside, and have the windows set to allow ventilation if possible (depends on what kind of windows and neigbourhood you have)
Go to the website of your electric utility company and read their recommendations. Mine says to pre-cool the dwelling early in the day (night and very early morning would do if you have to leave home to go to work), then set the thermostat higher. Keep the sun out of the apartment as much as possible.
A damp dishtowel (like a flour sack towel) draped over a box fan will generate cool air.
I open every window i can at night on nights when it's cooler, let it cool down inside as much as possible. Then before the sun's really out close everything up. I have blackout curtains over all the windows and close those too. It stays comfortable without even running the ac unless it's in the upper 90s for a couple consecutive days.
Not sure where you are located. I live in southern Louisiana and I had central a.c/heating in an older house. That went out 8 years ago. We use our ceiling fans and plug in fans for most of the day. We have the fans strategically placed for when we turn the windows units on to circulate the air through the house. We don't turn the window units on til it is past noon or 84 degrees in the house. In winter we use space heaters and honestly not much since the house is insulated well and it pretty much is warm all year long.
open the windows at night, keep them closed during the day.
Use blackout curtains or even reflective curtains during th day to keep everything inside dark and only open them as much as you need/ never completely open. Use rescue blankets if you don't/can't purchase curtains.
Put damp towels over your radioators. the sun hitting the towls drying them create vapor which will again cool down the surrounding air (doesn't work in damp climate).
Shut off as many electric devices as you can. Only use your fans if you are directly affected by the current.
Shower or if you want/need to preserve water, put damp towels over your neck and wrist. If you are sitting, put your feet in a foor bath. Don't do it over a prolonged time though.
If it’s a window unit, and you have some technical ability, start by cleaning the fins on the condenser with a wire brush. It will run so much more efficiently. Then block out as much sunlight as possible while you’re at work, while running it on its lowest setting.
I have shifted to running the AC to keep the house at 74° during occupancy and 76° when empty then running portable fans (only two rooms have ceiling fans) in the bedrooms or other rooms while I'm in them. Portable fans are going to use far less electricity than the unit running the entire house and I find them more effective because my rental house has such an underpowered and inefficient unit. It would probably still be far cheaper to just run a portable fan in every room 24/7 than to run the air conditioner 12-16 hours per day based on the estimates I've seen of how much power central air conditioners draw. Humidity also makes a difference, I try to keep my house on the dry side because I think it makes a world of difference to be in 76° heat with high humidity versus low humidity.
You should describe your place and your AC.
I live in an uninsulated attic.
100m2.
One Minisplit 3.5kwh / 12BTU
Central Europe, continental climate. Had 2 100f+/37c+ heat waves already.
Temp set to 24-25c/75-77f, as my house is brick, and setting is lower cools the walls and everything to the point where it's unpleasant, too cold.
AC is on since April. Occasionally does get rest every few days, but not much. Mostly we let it go to sleep once the load is too small for it to modulate to.
It used 185kwh as measured on the plug. Also matches what AC is reporting.
With kwh price of \~20cm that's like 10-15€ or $ per month.
Buy and use fans more when ac is not absolutely necessary. I am a big anti got weather guy. Normally my room is 65 or under at night. I recently bought a higher powered fan. Draws .5amps and I keep my ac at 72-74. The 9amp ac runs maybe 25% as Much as before and I don’t need to turn it on hours before bed either. Big difference.
In my main living room I bought an energy meter and noticed on these hot days in consuming 1KWH per hour from just that one 9amp ac. I dropped the set point from 70 to 78ish and ran the fan. I was using maybe 3kwh per 12 hour day. Night even less.
I now understand why my grandparents always had no ac but plenty of fans going.
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Depends on where you are / what kind of house you have.
I live in a brick house with asphalt shingles. Both of those get really hot during the day. I will go out and hose them down so that I can benefit from the evaporative cooling technique. When I do, I can literally see steam comin off my shingles. I set up a sprinkler on a timer for ever 30-40 minutes to spray down my house (what it can reach). Seems to help a bit. Keeps the interior to 80 degrees when the outside is 90something.
In our house, 1. Like mom did, opening blinds or shades in morning and evening , closer more during sunny part of day. 2. Ac generally only used certain time of day (12-6pm) , and hot activities, laundry, baking, and dishwasher cannot be done during those times. 3. Fans on in the morning. 4. Hot enough, humid enough, have to do sweat inducing activities, then go for it, and not worry about it. 5. Eco mode.
I bump my thermostat up to 78-80 if I'm going to be out for more than a couple hours. Keep the windows covered and doors shut. When I get home, I set it down to 75 and turn on some overhead fans, and usually I'll feel fine like that for a while and will bring it down a few degrees as needed. That way I don't come home and always immediately ask my AC to drop me from 80 to 70 degrees. It can be more gradual. Because 75 with a fan in the dark still feels pretty darn good coming in from a 90+ degree sunny day.
Don’t turn it off completely. I learned my lesson about that. All number of things can go wrong in your home if you let the temp climb over 80. Ruined food. Ruined medicines. Malfunctioning appliances, particularly the fridge and freezer. Keep it at 78-80 no higher. And keep a fan going even if it’s a small one. Moving the air makes a ton of difference.
You should turn it DOWN but not off. I wouldn't go lower than about 76... 78 at the most. If it's completely off it won't cool the dwelling down fast enough but you'll find this out with experience. Residential units aren't designed for the stressful loads of extreme temperature shifts. By all means experiment with this but completely off is a recipe for a dead unit unless it's significantly overspecd for the dwelling.
There is no way you will save money on AC usage in any way. AC are heavy wattage appliance that is going to give you more bill. Just minimize the usage and nothing more you can do to minimize the bill. Last option to switch off.
The air conditioner can only go twenty degrees cooler than outside. So if it's 100, the temp should be set to 80. Sucks, but I run a few fans. Also try to cook with the slow cooker as much as possible.
Ok.
"an AC compressor is designed to operate at a specific temperature range. when it is 100+ degrees outside, there is only so much the compressor can do. unless you have a super, oversized compressor, the laws of physics will limit how much heat the refrigerant can release into the air."
https://www.reddit.com/r/hvacadvice/comments/oafl8n/can_an_ac_be_designed_to_cool_more_than_20/
Honestly, a big part of it is just conditioning yourself. I lived in a house with no AC where it was regularly over 90 in the summer with periods of time where it was well over 100 with humidty/heat index. It sucked. But over time you adapt.
If you have a programmable thermostat, don't set it to turn off. Keep it at like 85 and then go down to 80 about 30 minutes before you get home. Otherwise, I would just keep it at a steady 80
Get light blocking drapes and keep them closed during the day, especially the windows that let sunlight in.
Open shades and windows at night if you live where it cools off.
Use fans. The energy usage of a fan is much less than an air conditioner. Hell, use two fans. But keep them pointed at you. Fans cool people they don't cool the air. Spray yourself down with a mister to increase the evaporative cooling effect.
If you want to minimize usage (and assuming you don't get any interesting deals where electricity is much cheaper while you're at work) turn the AC off during the day when you're at work.
You'll come home to a hot apartment and your AC will run for a long time to cool things down--but fewer minutes than it would have to *maintain* that temperature difference all day.
Depending on you and how hot things get, you may find it's worth it to keep the AC set to something like 80F while you're at work and when you get home you can set it to your preferred value--only because it's kind of demoralizing to come home to a 90F dwelling after work every day. You'll pay more, but it might be worth it.
Always, always, always start your AC in the morning when the temperature is at its coolest. Your air-conditioner won't run as long when it's maintaining a low temp (70°F/20°C). If you find it running too much, your AC is undersized.
When sizing for 1000 sqft room, start at 1.5 tonnes, then add 1 tonne every 1000 sqft above that you need cooled.
Of course, there are other small factors such as the amount of south facing windows, larger than normal volume for the same square footage, R-Value, etc, etc...
If you have curtains or something to use a curtain blocking direct sun from coming in windows will help.
Yes! I’ve even seen reflective panels/sheets that can be put between the window and curtains/shades that will reflect the sunlight.
You know that privacy film that they make for Windows? You can get it in dark colors. I just got it in Black. It keeps my bedroom which gets direct sunlight almost all day about 20° cooler. My AC doesn't even kick on half the time that it used to.
Cool! Does it make the room darker?
Absolutely! That's what I got it for. I started working an evening job where I don't get home until 1:30 or 2:00 in the morning and being woken up at 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. by the sun was pissing me off. The cooling of the room was secondary. I also got a fake canopy in Black, thinking I would have to block out more light. Nope. The black privacy film works REALLY well.
You can get 4x8' slabs of styrofoam sheet insulation with reflectorized mylar on one side, easy to cut down to size with a utility knife and straightedge.
Neighbors hate this one simple trick
I have done this on the upper floor's east, west and south windows, & it has made a big difference! Secondary benefit is I seem to sleep better in a really dark room (neighbors have lots of bright outdoor lights...) The lower floor has plantation blinds and shading from an overhang.
This, blocking the sun rays coming in will keep things much cooler, saving energy.
Lights off on rooms not in. Airflow/ doorways open
This!!! I bought blackout curtains for my patio doors which is attached off the kitchen. They work as intended but what was unintended was finding out that they kept the cold out during the winter and the heat out during the summer. Such a huge difference between the temperature swings from the door and from the other side of the curtain and it damped outside noise too.
Is there anything negative with having blackout curtains?
Not really. They’re heavier and thicker material but essentially the same as regular curtains. I think they cost a little more as well but it’s negligible for what they do. I’ve been using blackout curtains for years and don’t even notice that they’re not “regular” curtains.
If I’m picking nits, they are more expensive and heavier. But for the money I save in the long run they do not have any negatives in my book. I also found mine at Costco. They had the best price by far in my area.
And open the windows at night so the cool air comes in!
Shoot where I live it doesn’t even cool off at night. And this heat is already ridiculous.
Yep, read that comment and thought “It gets cool at night”. LOL
95F at midnight here in Tx. Even the "cold" tap water comes out at 85 lmfao
Yep. We have hot water and not as hot water.
Try adding Alabama humidity to that for some extra fun.
Deep South Louisiana here This Summer fucking sucks lol
Ahhh, but you have some tasty food to console you.
Oh I’m close enough to the gulf for that humidity. We got plenty.
Oh we have humidity here in Texas too. Even in the DFW area it can be 50% or higher.
50% is lovely. I’m in Houston. 90% is the norm.
Welp, now I'm even more terrified of climate change. Can't imagine being constantly warm.
I grew up back East and can't imagine going back. I've lived in California since 1979, and I still can't get over how cool it gets at night especially here in the Sacramento area. I used to laugh at a person who told me to be sure to bring a sweater when it was 100° outside.. not anymore. It can get down to 58° at night! I don't miss those restless nights back East!
Yeah same here! (Portugal) even on the super hot days, you can still get cooler temps at night. Also the way you just wrote all of that made me feel so nostalgic for some strange reason. 🙂
arizona?
You own tires?!?!
This. Whenever it's cooler outside than in, open the doors/windows, maybe set up box fans to blow in at one side of the house and out at the other side, then around dawn close everything up to keep the heat out.
The fans that blow out will have the biggest effect, especially if you pull them back from the window a little bit. use the Bernoulli’s principle, and open several windows, then set a fan near one window to blow out. (not in it, actually) [https://youtu.be/YUOQad6esE4](https://youtu.be/YUOQad6esE4) [https://youtu.be/1L2ef1CP-yw](https://youtu.be/1L2ef1CP-yw)
use the Bernoulli’s principle, and open several windows, then set a fan near one window to blow out. (not in it, actually) [https://youtu.be/YUOQad6esE4](https://youtu.be/YUOQad6esE4) [https://youtu.be/1L2ef1CP-yw](https://youtu.be/1L2ef1CP-yw)
With a box fan. Cooling the walls is as important of a thing you can do. Also buy cheap heat sensing gun to check k for hotspots you can caulk up
What time in the day do you block the windows? I always try and leave them open in the mornings for light and then I have trouble remembering to put the shades down.
Insulated curtain liners and room darkening curtains. I live in a cave from May-September.
Funny, we call it cave mode. Works perfectly.
I’m part vampire 🤷♀️
I bought black out privacy film for my windows. I'm 100% vampire.
The thing about privacy film... Doesn't it make the room darker? I like plants in the house plus a dark room leads to depression.
Ya, I don't do plants in my house. Dirt and things belong outside, I've seen too many people get weird diseases from the fungus in the dirt from the plants. Former RN, My first ward was infectious disease, but with so many people with cancer who should not be around live plants at all anyway, I find bringing plants inside just a complete wtf. If it's unhealthy for cancer patients, then it's unhealthy for everybody. Plants belong outside. My plants are on my porch. A dark room only leads to depression if you NEVER go out in the light. The bedroom is dark, the rest of the house doesn't have the black privacy film. The bedroom was the room that was getting hit by the light, so that's the only room I used it in. And it's dark but it's also like 20° cooler than it used to be. That thing about light causing depression, that's only if you never go out in the light. I'm a cave dweller but I also know to get a bit of sunlight. But if you want to see me depressed, put me out in the sun. I fucking hate the daylight. It's awful. It gets in my eyes and I can't see; it makes me hot; it melts things; it discolors things; it's fucking stupid. We made houses to keep ourselves out of the Sun. I hate the summertime and I prefer October November when it's cold and gray. When it rains, I'm like a little kid. I'll run outside and put my arms out and spin around in circles. I love clouds and grey and I'm very much not depressed. I was when I was forced to be a day-dweller. On my own, living my life the way I want to, I like it dark. I get my token little bit of sunlight right before work for my circadian rhythm, and that's all I need. One completely dark room doesnt lead to depression. It'll mess one's circadian rhythm up, which affects your mood, but I've done a LOT of work on my circadian rhythm. Keeping the bedroom DARK and COOL is part of good sleep hygeine, and leaving that dark cool bedroom when it's time for you to wake up is another part of good sleep hygeine. Getting up and out of bed. I don't sit back here all the time. THAT would lead to depression. My bedroom being dark is one room, and that's blatantly false, that blacking out one room would cause depression.
If the insulation is on the INSIDE, you are not in the cave. Insulation needs to be on the outside for greatest effect.
Indeed but I can’t afford to insulate at this time. Curtains work in my case better than nothing
Aluminum foil, for the ultimate frugality in insulating against thermal radiation.
I meant like external blinds. Instead of curtain. To be fair, if you are in USA, it might not be available or too expensive. Where I live it's comparatively affordable.
They are available. I haven’t looked into it. Thanks for the suggestion
If it's cold overnight, even just like 60, open windows and let it in and close them before it warms up. If you can get it down near 60 overnight, you'll save a lot. Also, AC one room. Minisplits and portable AC have really good SEERs, some better than central air. Take the bedroom to 70 and stay in there and leave the house at 78 or 80. Even just close the basement vents.
This! I live with my parents and we have very different temperature preferences. My parents keep it 76-79 to save money, but I like it 68-70. So I bought a window AC to keep my room cooler, so we don’t have to pay to cool the whole house so much.
This is what we do. We have a portable AC unit for the bedroom and set it at 67 degrees. Keep the rest of the house at 78-80.
Posting from AZ. It’s 90 degrees out at 3am🙂🫶🏻👍🏼
Yeah, here too all of August, with 100% humidity. Gotta fall back on turning the smallest bathroom into a reverse sauna.
the first step is to keep as much heat out of your house. Most comes through the windows so use curtains and blinds. For electric machines, the best bang for your money will be a large ceiling fan.
Agree completely. And if a ceiling fan isn’t an option a small fan that blows toward you while you’re sleeping means the room doesn’t have to be as cool. When I was a kid we didn’t have AC. Sleeping with just a sheet can sometimes feel cooler than no top layer. If it’s an option, think about linen sheets. If not linen, crisp cotton (as opposed to jersey knit) will help you feel cooler. And like Abidos_rest says - curtains AND blinds. Having two layers and keeping them both closed all the time keeps extra heat trapped between the layers.
It can be difficult to find solutions in an apartment, because you can't control the heat radiating from other apartments, and the complex may have restrictions on what you can and can not put in your windows (ie reflective surfaces on double pane windows). I'm in Missouri, where it doesn't cool down enough at night to open the windows and still be able to sleep. In my last apartment, I ended up using shrink wrap type window covers on my windows, which the complex didn't mind because they were clear. If your windows tilt in, you can add weatherstripping to improve the seal instead. I then used 3M hooks to hang dark colored light blocking grommet top curtains on my windows; if you put the hooks high enough (~6" above the top of the window frame), the curtain fully covers the window and blocks hot air from rising* above the top of the curtains. I wish I had a picture. An alternative would be to make a Kume curtain (Google for directions). They are made to keep hot air in during the winter but they should work just as well at keeping hot air out. If you have to run your ac at night to sleep, don't turn it off or set your daytime temp higher than 76°F or so, otherwise you negate any benefits because it has to run constantly at night. Last is to use fans while you're home. Mist yourself with water and sit with a fan blowing on you, and it'll feel like heaven. 💕 *Edited for spelling
1. Use less. Timers help. 2. Keep it at mild temperatures, not freezing cold. 3. Switch to newer brands if yours is too old. Newer ACs are more energy efficient. 4. If you want to switch to a fan, put a fan on the ground facing up, and if you got two, put the second on an open window. One gets the hot air upwards, and the other prevents hot air to get inside. Big fans also cool you down way more than the smaller ones. 5. Wet towels are a cheap way to keep yourself fresh. Just wrap a small one around the neck and you're good for 30 min to 1 hour. Not soaking wet, remember to twist it.
> Keep it at mild temperatures, not freezing cold. On that point, try bumping your A/C one degree higher every week or two, to acclimate yourself gradually to higher temps. I've got mine set to 80, and along with a ceiling fan going I actually feel a bit chilly when the A/C kicks on.
Insulated blackout curtains. (Close them all day During winter, open curtains during day but close at night or whenever it's really cold). Leave a/c on but adjust it so the temperature is about 84 ish during the day. Turn it a little cooler when you come home. Goal is to keep it from getting oven hot during the day.
Don't you guys have external blinds in USA? Everyone here seems to be from USA as nobody is recommending external blinds. Curtains still let sun to enter home, then reflect SOME of it back. External blinds block everything (well, a very small part is radiated into the home).
No, these are extremely rare in the USA. You hear about our consumer spending and healthcare, can’t you tell the USA loves to be wasteful? 🤣
I suppose, though people here get those things to be ahead in the long term. It's not for the love of the planet or anything, just the dough :)
So much is disposable in our culture--I don't think a lot of longterm thought is the norm here! It's more, "what's convenient today?"
Well it's like that everywhere. I really don't think americans are much eorse in this regard. But for some things, somehow, somebody has managed to instill "long term value". It's also got to do with laws. E.g. in construction when minimum standard raises, some obvious things get mass produced, and they become a relatively "cheap" upsell. Like, triple glazed windows are maybe 10% more expensive compared to double glazed, all else being equal.
It sounds like a better solution, but considering OP is in an apartment, they probably can't make any changes to the outside of their building.
Big swings in your temperature setting uses more electricity.
There’s probably a point of diminishing returns in setting the temp higher during the day. I personally need it pretty chilly at night. Like 70. But it’s so hot here in Florida during the day that the AC can’t really keep up unless it’s like at 78 or 79. I haven’t done any testing yet. Just observation.
I’m in Texas on a top-floor apartment. I’ve done some testing and turning up the thermostat by large amounts saves no electricity.
What do you usually set it to?
Usually 76 during the day and 74 at night. If I’m gone for most of the day I’ll do 77 and then slowly bring it back down (like 1 degree every 2 hours)
Have you controlled this testing for factors like outside temperature, humidity levels, cloud coverage, wind speed, time spent with doors open, windows covered, etc? Every natural resources department in the world says you will save energy by turning your heating/cooling off when you’re away for more than a couple of hours. The thermal exchange between inside and outside air is going to be greater when you have a greater difference in temperature. Keeping your HVAC on while you’re away, you are paying for all of that extra thermal exchange, rather than just the exchange that happens to make you comfortable when you’re home. From the US gov: > A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding environment more slowly. > During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature. > The same concept applies to raising your thermostat setting in the summer -- a higher interior temperature will slow the flow of heat into your house, saving energy on air conditioning. Check out our home heating infographic to learn more about how heating systems and thermostats interact.
Have you controlled this testing for factors like outside temperature, cloud coverage, wind speed, time spent with doors open, windows covered, etc? Every natural resources department in the world says you will save energy by turning your heating/cooling off when you’re away for more than a couple of hours. The thermal exchange between inside and outside air is going to be greater when you have a greater difference in temperature. Keeping your HVAC on while you’re away, you are paying for all of that extra thermal exchange, rather than just the exchange that happens to make you comfortable when you’re home. From the US gov: > A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding environment more slowly. > During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature. > The same concept applies to raising your thermostat setting in the summer -- a higher interior temperature will slow the flow of heat into your house, saving energy on air conditioning. Check out our home heating infographic to learn more about how heating systems and thermostats interact. Sources: https://natural-resources.canada.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/make-your-home-more-energy-efficient/keeping-the-heat/section-9-operating-your-house-thermostats-water-heaters-furnaces-and-other-heatingco/15645 https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/programmable-thermostats https://www.energystar.gov/sites/default/files/asset/document/HeatingCoolingGuide%20FINAL_9-4-09_0.pdf
Right so it’s better to keep it on before 12pm. Only ever turn it on for 15 minutes till 6pm having cool air in is important.
Not always. The longer you leave home the less worth it it is to keep it cool while you're gone. Obviously its not worth keeping the ac on for a month while your gone, or a week, probably not 2 days. Maybe worth it when youre gone for 12 hours. It does take more energy to change the temp so when leaving for a few hours definately dont change the temp on thermostat.
It doesn't matter if you leave for *any* amount of time, as your argument was heading to. It's always takes more energy to *maintain* a temperature difference (house vs. outside) than to cool that same place to that temperature difference. Sure, if you're going to step out for a few minutes, it's silly to bother to turn off the AC because the savings is minuscule. But every day out for work and a commute? If it's all about saving money, definitely turn it off all day. The only reason to keep it on is the luxury of enjoying the cold the moment you step in the door, but you do pay for that. (One compromise is a timer system or one you can command from your phone a bit before you get home.)
> Maybe worth it when you’re gone for 12 hours. Absolutely not. Not even a debate. It’s never worth it. This is a frustrating fallacy cause it’s causing everybody who listens to it to waste energy and money. The thing that uses more electricity is your AC. If you keep your AC on while away, you will use more electricity. It’s pretty simple. Using AC to get the temperature from high to low will never use more electricity than using AC to prevent the temperature from getting high in the first place. The temperature differential between outside and inside, multiplied by time, is what determines how much energy is used. When you leave your AC on to keep the temperature low, you’re just adding more time to the equation.
Some AC's can't keep up in extreme temps. I set mine higher during the day when I'm gone but it stays on, when it gets over 90 with 95% humidity, I don't want to risk suffering. Mostly, I can't sleep if it's too hot. It takes a long time to work the moisture out of the air too. Currently off though since the past few days have been cooler and it's not supposed to be hot enough for me to want to turn it on again for a couple more days.
Absolutely, if your AC won’t be able to get your inside temps/humidity down in time for your comfort, then you have to adjust accordingly. Just don’t be fooled into thinking you’re using less energy by “avoiding large swings in temperature.” It’s BS. One alternative to consider is setting the thermostat higher while you’re away but just setting it back to your comfort setting earlier before you get home. If it just needs more time to pull down the temps at the end of the day, that’ll still be cheaper than keeping it cooler all day.
This is 100% incorrect, and it’s a frustrating fallacy cause it’s causing everybody who listens to it to waste energy and money. The thing that uses more electricity is your AC. If you keep your AC off while away, you will use less electricity. It’s pretty simple. Using AC to get the temperature from high to low will never use more electricity than using AC to prevent the temperature from getting high in the first place. The temperature differential between outside and inside is what determines how much energy is used, multiplied by time. You’re just adding more time to the equation. You should edit your comment.
I will not edit my comment because I have done a lot of testing, by adjusting my thermostat in different ways and watching the daily run time. What evidence do you have?
Have you controlled this testing for factors like outside temperature, cloud coverage, wind speed, time spent with doors open, windows covered, etc? My evidence is that every natural resources department in the world says you will save energy by turning your heating/cooling off when you’re away for more than a couple of hours. Also, it is inherently obvious that the thermal exchange between inside and outside air is going to be greater when you have a greater difference in temperature. Keeping your HVAC on while you’re away, you are paying for all of that extra thermal exchange, rather than just the exchange that happens to make you comfortable when you’re home. > A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding environment more slowly. > During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature. > The same concept applies to raising your thermostat setting in the summer -- a higher interior temperature will slow the flow of heat into your house, saving energy on air conditioning. Check out our home heating infographic to learn more about how heating systems and thermostats interact. https://natural-resources.canada.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/make-your-home-more-energy-efficient/keeping-the-heat/section-9-operating-your-house-thermostats-water-heaters-furnaces-and-other-heatingco/15645 https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/programmable-thermostats https://www.energystar.gov/sites/default/files/asset/document/HeatingCoolingGuide%20FINAL_9-4-09_0.pdf
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See my other comment. I tried to reply multiple times with links but they seem to get blocked immediately. Have you controlled this testing for factors like outside temperature, humidity levels, cloud coverage, wind speed, time spent with doors open, windows covered, etc? Every natural resources department in the world says you will save energy by turning your heating/cooling off when you’re away for more than a couple of hours. The thermal exchange between inside and outside air is going to be greater when you have a greater difference in temperature. Keeping your HVAC on while you’re away, you are paying for all of that extra thermal exchange, rather than just the exchange that happens to make you comfortable when you’re home. From the US gov: > A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding environment more slowly. > During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature. > The same concept applies to raising your thermostat setting in the summer -- a higher interior temperature will slow the flow of heat into your house, saving energy on air conditioning. Check out our home heating infographic to learn more about how heating systems and thermostats interact.
So now that you’ve ignored the evidence, your plan is to continue not editing your comment so that more people can be misled into wasting money and energy by your BS misinformation?
I’m not ignoring the evidence I found from my own testing. And the upvotes on my original comment shows that others have the same experience.
The upvotes show that other people have the same experience as you hey? That they’ve done testing and found the same results? Wow that’s quite the critical thinking you’re showcasing. You’re definitely somebody with the intellectual capacity for doing independent high quality testing and variable control, gathering data we should all trust our dollars to. Actually the upvotes show that people like your comment. That’s all. That could mean they know nothing about this but think that what you said sounds credible. It could mean that before reading your comment they already held that opinion or leaned towards it due to similar misinformation they’ve heard elsewhere (since people tend to like opinions that they already hold). It could mean that they’ve had a similar experience to you, and have done their own horribly flawed testing. It could mean that they accidentally hit the upvote button. There are so many other explanations for upvotes, which you haven’t accounted for because you lack the capacity to consider them, just like there are so many other explanations for the testing results you experienced, even more than just the explanation I gave already, that you failed horribly at controlling variables. Want me to list them? Or are you somebody who just likes his own opinion and doesn’t change it based on new information? If so, why would you trust yourself with running an experiment in which you have to be open to changing your opinion about what the results will show?
If you're in an apartment complex and you're on the top floor. Know that your apartment is going to get much hotter than all the other ones. It's very hard to do anything about this. What I would recommend is using blackout curtains or even putting aluminum foil over the windows. If you can in certain areas like your bedroom. The aluminum foil might be too much but blackout curtains or those roller blinds work really good for keeping that heat out of the apartment. A lot of people these days like to leave their windows wide. Open to get that sunlight. But that radiant heat adds up in your house. So you have to pick what you want. Before they replaced the roof in my building we would hang shower curtains between the rooms so that it would keep the air in the living room so it didn't go out to the kitchen. The kitchen used to get to be 100° while the living room would be cool. It all depends on what you want. If you go to work during the day I would just leave the AC off and then turn it on when you come home. You can even set a timer to come on maybe 2 hours before you get home. If you work from home and you're there all day. Then I would recommend just air conditioning the room that you're in and turn on the living room air conditioner later in the day. So as you spend time in there, it's cool.
Reflectix. You can get it at Home Depot. It's not that expensive. It's basically bubble wrap that's made out of mylar. Get some Gorilla Tape and tape that shit over every exposed window on the south or west side of your house. It insulates your windows and reflects the infrared radiation (heat) so it doesn't come inside and heat up your room.
Use gaffers tape instead, it comes off better.
I work out of a house that's well built with a wrap around porch to or even the sun from directly coming through the windows. They turn the thermostat up to 78 at night. By the time we get to work at 8am it's sweltering in there. Then it takes until at least noon to finally cool down. I suggest what everyone else says and pic a temp and keep it there. Use heavy drapes to block the sun from heating up your home.
get some lawn chairs and set up a nice spot at your local Walmart /Costco refrigerator section
The best way to minimize AC use based on my culture, proper ventilation of the rooms so it's the same temp as outside. deflect or completely block sunlight from windows with reflective curtains (white colored). switch off idle electronics. and use an AC that has the heat component sitting on the outside of the room. Portable AC are way let's efficient than regular window block AC no matter wattage they claim (AC works based on heat generation to melt the coolant and then cool down room temperature) Lastly stays in the room where AC is. you don't need all room to be cool. Just where you want to FEEL cool before you head to work and after work
Last year I got really irritated at my Nest because my thermostat is in a weird spot in a room we’re hardly in. It’s ‘learning’ was way off. I decided to keep it at the same temp all day whether we’re home or not and lower at night. Conversely I do the same with the heat in the Winter (snowy Midwest) Needless to say I was pleasantly shocked that our monthly usage and bill went down compared to the last house we were in where it also had a Nest but worked much more accurately.
The best tip is to not be home during the hottest parts of the day. Hit the gym. Get an AMC movie pass just for the summer. Take a book (or a Nintendo switch) to the park. Shift your work hours to later in the day if possible. Hit up a few thrift shops. I'm sure you can come up with more things to do
Leave the house and go hang out at the library or a museum.
Turning if off during the day is hard on the AC when you do come home because it would likely need to work at max capacity for several hours once you turn it back on... However... it's not your AC unit soooo Have at it I guess? Personally, I turn it up to 82 or so when I wake up and back down when I get home...
> Turning if off during the day is hard on the AC when you do come home because it would likely need to work at max capacity for several hours once you turn it back on What "builds up" over those hours that is harming the AC and how does it harm it? How does the AC "recover" when it gets breaks?
Black out curtains, helped my energy bill so much
We use black out curtains coupled with black out roller shades. During the day when they are both pulled down it is pitch dark in our room. We have both on windows in our small side rooms. In our main front room we put solar film on the picture window and bay window. It made a huge difference. We keep ceiling fans and floor fans going at all times.
the following are objective thermodynamic truths: * the larger the temperature difference between the inside and outside, the faster your house wants to heat back up. If you have amazing amazing insulation, this might not matter as much. * the larger the temperature difference between the inside and outside, the harder your ac has to work to cool the inside down which is to say, cooling your house from say 71 to 70 degrees ten times uses more energy than cooling it from 80 to 70 degrees one time. Leaving your AC set to a lower temperature is more similar to trying to cool it one degree ten times than it is trying to cool it ten degrees one time. proceed accordingly
If cost is an issue on curtains or drapes? (because drapes cost a fortune!) Get some heavy duty moving blankets from a place like Harbor Freight (where they are quite cheap) and cover the windows. Use clips at the top to hold the blanket for easy removal at night to let the heat back out again. Put something reflective between the blanket and the window pane. I had a roll of foil bubble insulation and used that on the RV's windows when traveling to cut back on the incredible heat that can come in. It's stiff so easy to put up or take down and can be reused.
You can get [pretty cheap blackout curtains on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074J7GQ6B?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1). They're not super fancy, but they do the trick. Add [one-way reflective window film](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W5F5XZN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and the cooling effect is compounded greatly.
Those work OK as curtains if not good blackouts, they let light in, as I found out the hard way. What I've discovered though is the moving blankets which are a lot thicker, will act as insulation, keeping heat out and cold in.
I use them, and they let very little light in. It's not good enough for a darkroom, but it works nicely for day sleepers and for keeping the heat down. And not everyone wants to live life with moving blankets clipped to their curtain rods.
If your place gets super hot and the AC can cool it off right away, then turn it off. If the AC takes a long time, then leave it on around 76°. Turn it cooler when you get home. Or you leave it off. When you get home in the cooler part of late afternoon, then set up fans to blow the hot air out of the house at door or windows. Or set up a path for outside cooler air to blow through and out. Then after some cooling, turn on the AC.
Best idea - use a timer to turn those fans on 30 minutes before you get home. We did that for years, finally got a couple trees to grow enough to provide some helpful shade.
Turn up the temp and use a fan
In an apartment complex being on the ground floor with northern exposure is best. If you can choose or move.
If you want to save the most, block sunlight from entering the windows while you are away and set the AC on 78-80. Whatever the highest number you can stand is. Get some fans to move the air and maybe a dehumidifier if you live somewhere with both high temperatures and high humidity. Use the water you collect from the air to water a collection of houseplants that clean the air.
Tried to h e dehumidifier. Does help, but it works at least partially by heating. So it adds 5-6 degrees to the room temperature. The drier, warmer air felt somewhat better, but the additional heat is real.
I'm in the same boat. Here's how I manage it: - set the ac @ 78 when I leave for work. (Otherwise it'll run for hours trying to chill back down when I get home) - shut the door to the room that gets the warmest, so the rest of the house stays somewhat cooler and the ac gets some breaks. - put a sheet of reflective foil insulation on the inside of windows that get afternoon sun. It makes a noticeable difference in temperatures. I already had some of that "frosted glass" film on those windows, so the foil isn't obvious outside. - use lots of fans. I'd love to keep my apartment at 70 when I'm home, but I can't afford the bill. So I have a couple of fans in the living room pointed at where I sit and a couple more in the bedroom pointed at where I sleep. With just a sheet, I can sleep comfortably at 75 degrees.
Pretty sure that not running it is the best way to minimize electricity usage.
This might make your house look like a trap house, but tin foil on windows reflects the heat and keeps the cold air in. I did this a lot when I needed a dark and cold room when I was working nights. You could do the nice privacy window peel and stick, then the tinfoil over top. It might help mask the appearance of the tin foil. Also, use blackout curtains along with the tinfoil.
One-way reflective window film does a lot of the same work of keeping the heat to a minimum, and you can see through it.
An attic trapdoor is a big hole cut in your insulation. There's several different attic door covers - I just got a tent style and it's eliminated a big hotspot. Also small fans near the vents to blow the cold air out into the room. I have double layers of blackout curtains on the window that gets the most sun. Cooled that room right down. If you can't afford much, taping aluminum foil over the window panes will reflect a lot of heat. Tacking sheets or blankets over the windows will give more insulation.
Some of your situation depends on if there are units above you. If you have a unit above you then turning off the AC may work well as their cooler apartment above you will help keep your unit cool. You can also turn your AC off probably a few hours before you leave in the morning as the morning is the coolest time of day and the lag in temperature change will allow the unit to stay comfortable a bit longer. Also, keep in mind that a large part of the world does not use AC and your body can normally adjust. Correct clothing materials, fans, and shade/reflective materials go a long way. Upgrades if you ever go with a detached house are white roof and outside walls, high ceilings, and pulling in cool air overnight. Shade trees are wonderful for the house as well.
I live in a house -I started planing trees as soon as I moved in
I never move into an apt without making sure it doesn't have any walls with Western or southern exposure to the summer sun. Even walls get so hot, your ac has to work hard to cool your apt.
The cost of investing to get savings is the answer but it costs to get ceiling fans or black out curtains. Keep your air filter clean with minimal filtration the thicker the more it pulls on the system. I don’t do this but something to note. Spend as much time in lower floors if two story. Wear less clothes. Strange but just like bundling up in the winter. Freezing cold showers, lots of ice water and consider taking more than a shower a day. Water is still cheaper than power….
Go elsewhere during the day and come home only after it cools down. Use curtains and everything else suggested in other comments to keep heat away while you are out.
If you are feeling over-heated - put ice packs on your neck and arm pits to help bring your temp down. Eat a few freeze pops and you'll feel refreshed. A quick "cool-down shower" also works for me - just pop in to get yourself wet and air dry
Honestly getting used to the heat is one of the cheapest ways to manage it. I lived in the tropics for a year and didn’t use an AC at all even with nighttime temperatures of 30°C+ and high humidity. You get used to drinking plenty of water, sleeping with just a light cotton sheet, and using a fan when needed. The combination of sweat on a cotton sheet and a fan works as a fairly effective evaporative cooler.
Turning the AC off while you're not at home is always more efficient than leaving it on. The way to think about it is in terms of heat flow. When the outdoors is warmer than your apartment, heat is flowing into it. The rate at which heat flows into your apartment is basically proportional to the difference in temperature. So when you turn your AC off, heat flows into your apartment until it reaches a warm temperature, then the flow of heat slows down to nearly nothing. When the AC is on all day, the heat is flowing in all day and the AC has to periodically work to keep the temperature down. When your AC runs, it is spending energy to pump heat out of your apartment. Your AC power (and electric bill) is proportional to the amount of heat your AC pumps out.
I saved a lot of money by switching back to window units. 1 or 2 units run all day long. The central is set to 76. If the window units can't keep up, which is rare, central kicks in.
The AC will use the same amount of power to run whether the room is 72 or 85, keep it off during the day and turn it on when you get home. Make sure all your windows are double pane and covered during the day (atleast by a curtain, a blanket or blackout curtain would work better though)
Can you use the library or bookstore during the day?
As others have said, blackout curtains for windows. Do not turn the AC off while you are gone, but set it high like to 78 or 85 degrees or whatever. Also plan meals for dinner that do not involve using the oven. Stovetop is fine for heating as it is only on a short time. If you have a washer/dryer in your unit, do.laundry after dark, or at least run the dryer after dark. I live where summer temps can and hit 115, and doing all the above really helps.
Surprised no one mentioned this yet: if you can: Run the A/C on DRY. That's dehumidify. It more draws moisture out of the air rather than actually cool, although the cooling compressor does still run. Cools as well as AC but uses much less electricity. In my experience anyway. I run 'DRY' exclusively in the summer nowadays. It does depend a little on your environment, it won't work in purely dry environments. But I'm in a 'mid-humid' environment, on the east coast, and it works great. Second tip is to spend time 'leak-proofing' your space. Acs have to work a lot because air seeps in from all sorts of areas, raising the temp and causing the ac to work more. Closing the cracks between baseboards, floorboards and floor, with something like clear caulk, should do wonders. Helps keep bugs out, too. A mid sized room should take about 30 minutes or so, depending on how much furniture you have around the walls.
Nest recommends 82 degrees when I'm away. Most A/C can only cool down 10 degrees so if it gets to 95 in the apartment during the day, its only going to get to 85 with A/C on so you can't let it get crazy hot . Make sure you close all your blinds/curtains while away so not to let in any of the direct sun. Take shorter/cooler showers as all that steam just adds moisture to your house and helps make it feel way hotter.
> Most A/C can only cool down 10 degrees More like 20°, but that's just between the intake air temp and output air temp, regardless of what the outdoor air temp is. Since the A/C is just recirculating indoor air, the longer it runs the more it's refrigerating air that already been refrigerated, so eventually it can cool down more than 20° from the initial air temp.
> Most A/C can only cool down 10 degrees so if it gets to 95 in the apartment during the day, its only going to get to 85 with A/C on Might want to get your AC checked then. Mine has no problem cooling my trailer down 30 degrees colder than the outside temp. (72F as opposed to 102F outside.)
Its not about outside air temp, its about inside air temp as thats the air the A/C uses to cool. It sucks air from inside your house, cools it down and pushes it out. So if you set the temp to 82 degrees during the day, when you come home and it kicks in for 72 degrees, its cooling it from 82 to 72, 10 degrees, even if it was 105 out, doesn't matter because thats not the air its using. Now there are better A/Cs that can cool to 15-20 degrees but it's an apartment so I'm not betting its set up for optimum cooling.
Fan
I have taken a pan of ice water and wiped counters and mopped floors to cool things off.
Heat reflecting window film; put it on the outside of double-paned windows.
Turn it on before 12pm and use that to cool off and turn it on sometimes this so that it’s easier for the ac to keep adding cool in.
Turn it down by raising the temperature
Fans and black-out curtains.
In morning run AC around 75/76. Then toward Noon, Set AC to 80 for afternoon peak heat .Depending on your location, AC setup and residence, your unit/system may struggle if you're trying to keep AC at absurdly cold setting in the afternoon. Find ways to block heat at the window. If you have multiple and spare rooms, avoid the west and maybe south facing rooms in the afternoon and keep the door closed. Set your ceiling fan to counterclockwise flow. Take a cold shower in the morning before pipes heat up the water. Wear loose and light clothing at home. Drink plenty of cold water. Eat cold fruit snacks (melons, cantaloupe, etc. Minimize stove/oven use in the afternoon and evening. Make and prep those certain meals ahead of time in the morning when it's cool. All things considered, it really helps if you grew up with hot summers and lived in a house without central air and heat. Spend time outdoors safely. 78-80 and some fans feel great when you walk in from 100 degrees heat.
One-way reflective window film and blackout curtains. Both quite inexpensive. Open all the windows at night when it's cool, let the cool air in. Close them in the morning when it starts to get warm again. Keep the windows closed until it cools down again in the evening.
Where I live it may only get down to 82, so that doesn’t work.
One-way reflective window film and blackout curtains will still help a lot.
I installed(taped) emergency blanket in front of my window to reflect the heatwave and it makes significant difference.
Go out.
If you can shade the windows on the sunny side (preferebly on the outside of the house, but on the inside if you cannot) and have ventilation open on the shaded side you can probably keep it colder while out without running the AC, but the effect is highly depending on how your place is built, and what isolation you have. If all your windows are at one side I would shade it on the outside, and have the windows set to allow ventilation if possible (depends on what kind of windows and neigbourhood you have)
Go to the website of your electric utility company and read their recommendations. Mine says to pre-cool the dwelling early in the day (night and very early morning would do if you have to leave home to go to work), then set the thermostat higher. Keep the sun out of the apartment as much as possible. A damp dishtowel (like a flour sack towel) draped over a box fan will generate cool air.
I open every window i can at night on nights when it's cooler, let it cool down inside as much as possible. Then before the sun's really out close everything up. I have blackout curtains over all the windows and close those too. It stays comfortable without even running the ac unless it's in the upper 90s for a couple consecutive days.
turn off AC when out of the house, open electric fan, put blackout curtains
Not sure where you are located. I live in southern Louisiana and I had central a.c/heating in an older house. That went out 8 years ago. We use our ceiling fans and plug in fans for most of the day. We have the fans strategically placed for when we turn the windows units on to circulate the air through the house. We don't turn the window units on til it is past noon or 84 degrees in the house. In winter we use space heaters and honestly not much since the house is insulated well and it pretty much is warm all year long.
open the windows at night, keep them closed during the day. Use blackout curtains or even reflective curtains during th day to keep everything inside dark and only open them as much as you need/ never completely open. Use rescue blankets if you don't/can't purchase curtains. Put damp towels over your radioators. the sun hitting the towls drying them create vapor which will again cool down the surrounding air (doesn't work in damp climate). Shut off as many electric devices as you can. Only use your fans if you are directly affected by the current. Shower or if you want/need to preserve water, put damp towels over your neck and wrist. If you are sitting, put your feet in a foor bath. Don't do it over a prolonged time though.
If it’s a window unit, and you have some technical ability, start by cleaning the fins on the condenser with a wire brush. It will run so much more efficiently. Then block out as much sunlight as possible while you’re at work, while running it on its lowest setting.
I have shifted to running the AC to keep the house at 74° during occupancy and 76° when empty then running portable fans (only two rooms have ceiling fans) in the bedrooms or other rooms while I'm in them. Portable fans are going to use far less electricity than the unit running the entire house and I find them more effective because my rental house has such an underpowered and inefficient unit. It would probably still be far cheaper to just run a portable fan in every room 24/7 than to run the air conditioner 12-16 hours per day based on the estimates I've seen of how much power central air conditioners draw. Humidity also makes a difference, I try to keep my house on the dry side because I think it makes a world of difference to be in 76° heat with high humidity versus low humidity.
You should describe your place and your AC. I live in an uninsulated attic. 100m2. One Minisplit 3.5kwh / 12BTU Central Europe, continental climate. Had 2 100f+/37c+ heat waves already. Temp set to 24-25c/75-77f, as my house is brick, and setting is lower cools the walls and everything to the point where it's unpleasant, too cold. AC is on since April. Occasionally does get rest every few days, but not much. Mostly we let it go to sleep once the load is too small for it to modulate to. It used 185kwh as measured on the plug. Also matches what AC is reporting. With kwh price of \~20cm that's like 10-15€ or $ per month.
I use a fan. I move my fan from room to room. It seems to work really well for me. I invested in a good one.
Buy and use fans more when ac is not absolutely necessary. I am a big anti got weather guy. Normally my room is 65 or under at night. I recently bought a higher powered fan. Draws .5amps and I keep my ac at 72-74. The 9amp ac runs maybe 25% as Much as before and I don’t need to turn it on hours before bed either. Big difference. In my main living room I bought an energy meter and noticed on these hot days in consuming 1KWH per hour from just that one 9amp ac. I dropped the set point from 70 to 78ish and ran the fan. I was using maybe 3kwh per 12 hour day. Night even less. I now understand why my grandparents always had no ac but plenty of fans going.
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Depends on where you are / what kind of house you have. I live in a brick house with asphalt shingles. Both of those get really hot during the day. I will go out and hose them down so that I can benefit from the evaporative cooling technique. When I do, I can literally see steam comin off my shingles. I set up a sprinkler on a timer for ever 30-40 minutes to spray down my house (what it can reach). Seems to help a bit. Keeps the interior to 80 degrees when the outside is 90something.
Bubble wrap on windows.
This! Install PVC blinds. Super cheap, and they lower the temperature a lot.
In our house, 1. Like mom did, opening blinds or shades in morning and evening , closer more during sunny part of day. 2. Ac generally only used certain time of day (12-6pm) , and hot activities, laundry, baking, and dishwasher cannot be done during those times. 3. Fans on in the morning. 4. Hot enough, humid enough, have to do sweat inducing activities, then go for it, and not worry about it. 5. Eco mode.
Take cooler showers. Again, mostly not done during the hot hours. Swim season passes nearby.
We get this question constantly. Maybe you could just scroll back through the forum a few days.
A/C is blown in, my first response is to install a new filter to allow maximum air flow
Unplug it
I bump my thermostat up to 78-80 if I'm going to be out for more than a couple hours. Keep the windows covered and doors shut. When I get home, I set it down to 75 and turn on some overhead fans, and usually I'll feel fine like that for a while and will bring it down a few degrees as needed. That way I don't come home and always immediately ask my AC to drop me from 80 to 70 degrees. It can be more gradual. Because 75 with a fan in the dark still feels pretty darn good coming in from a 90+ degree sunny day.
Don’t turn it off completely. I learned my lesson about that. All number of things can go wrong in your home if you let the temp climb over 80. Ruined food. Ruined medicines. Malfunctioning appliances, particularly the fridge and freezer. Keep it at 78-80 no higher. And keep a fan going even if it’s a small one. Moving the air makes a ton of difference.
You should turn it DOWN but not off. I wouldn't go lower than about 76... 78 at the most. If it's completely off it won't cool the dwelling down fast enough but you'll find this out with experience. Residential units aren't designed for the stressful loads of extreme temperature shifts. By all means experiment with this but completely off is a recipe for a dead unit unless it's significantly overspecd for the dwelling.
There is no way you will save money on AC usage in any way. AC are heavy wattage appliance that is going to give you more bill. Just minimize the usage and nothing more you can do to minimize the bill. Last option to switch off.
This is completely false.
Ok, i did not understood the question earlier..
The air conditioner can only go twenty degrees cooler than outside. So if it's 100, the temp should be set to 80. Sucks, but I run a few fans. Also try to cook with the slow cooker as much as possible.
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Ok. "an AC compressor is designed to operate at a specific temperature range. when it is 100+ degrees outside, there is only so much the compressor can do. unless you have a super, oversized compressor, the laws of physics will limit how much heat the refrigerant can release into the air." https://www.reddit.com/r/hvacadvice/comments/oafl8n/can_an_ac_be_designed_to_cool_more_than_20/
Make your own DIY AC
Honestly, a big part of it is just conditioning yourself. I lived in a house with no AC where it was regularly over 90 in the summer with periods of time where it was well over 100 with humidty/heat index. It sucked. But over time you adapt. If you have a programmable thermostat, don't set it to turn off. Keep it at like 85 and then go down to 80 about 30 minutes before you get home. Otherwise, I would just keep it at a steady 80 Get light blocking drapes and keep them closed during the day, especially the windows that let sunlight in. Open shades and windows at night if you live where it cools off. Use fans. The energy usage of a fan is much less than an air conditioner. Hell, use two fans. But keep them pointed at you. Fans cool people they don't cool the air. Spray yourself down with a mister to increase the evaporative cooling effect.
Move sonewhere cooler...
If you want to minimize usage (and assuming you don't get any interesting deals where electricity is much cheaper while you're at work) turn the AC off during the day when you're at work. You'll come home to a hot apartment and your AC will run for a long time to cool things down--but fewer minutes than it would have to *maintain* that temperature difference all day. Depending on you and how hot things get, you may find it's worth it to keep the AC set to something like 80F while you're at work and when you get home you can set it to your preferred value--only because it's kind of demoralizing to come home to a 90F dwelling after work every day. You'll pay more, but it might be worth it.
Always, always, always start your AC in the morning when the temperature is at its coolest. Your air-conditioner won't run as long when it's maintaining a low temp (70°F/20°C). If you find it running too much, your AC is undersized. When sizing for 1000 sqft room, start at 1.5 tonnes, then add 1 tonne every 1000 sqft above that you need cooled. Of course, there are other small factors such as the amount of south facing windows, larger than normal volume for the same square footage, R-Value, etc, etc...