{"id":1824,"date":"2022-08-24T16:27:23","date_gmt":"2022-08-24T23:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.druryjournal.com\/?p=1824"},"modified":"2022-08-24T16:27:26","modified_gmt":"2022-08-24T23:27:26","slug":"what-temperature-should-we-set-our-a-c-and-heat-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.druryjournal.com\/?p=1824","title":{"rendered":"What Temperature Should We Set Our A\/C and Heat To?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>5 Minute, 30 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

I just read an interesting article \u201cYou Can Stop Arguing Over the Thermostat: This Is the Optimal Temperature for Your Home in Summer and Winter<\/a>\u201d in Yahoo News that basically says we should set our A\/C on 70o<\/sup> and heat between 68o<\/sup> and 70o<\/sup> in the daytime.  I find it very interesting that the author asserts this as an absolute solution to the \u201cbattle of the thermostat\u201d discussions that probably occur in nearly every home, as I know full well it\u2019s definitely not that simple.  Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different Strokes for Different Folks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First off, we’re all wired differently when it comes to temperature. I actually happen to resonate with 70o<\/sup> for A\/C, and that\u2019s exactly what I set my central A\/C to when I was living alone.  However, today, that temperature would never work, as it would likely drive the rest of my family out of the house and add another $200 to my summer electric bills.  Hence, we usually settle somewhere around 75 o<\/sup>.  l just sit under a fan when I get warm. For heating, I would tend to go lower than the author\u2019s guidance, as I’m good with 65-67 o<\/sup> during the day and 60-62 o<\/sup> at night. But, again, that wouldn’t go over well at all with my family. So, we usually settle on 70-72 o<\/sup>.  Meanwhile, I bet other households have different stories to tell that involve completely different sets of numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the article states, outside conditions are also factors. We tend to set the A\/C to a lower temperature when it’s cooler outside but raise it to 76-77 o<\/sup> on very hot days to achieve the same comfort level. This is simply because the unit works much harder on hot days, so it dehumidifies more.  And lower humidity tends to make us feel more comfortable at higher temperatures.  However, on mild days and in the off-seasons, I\u2019ll nudge the thermostat down to ~ 72o<\/sup> to get our central A\/C to run enough to hold the humidity down to an acceptable level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A similar situation exists in the winter in that we need to raise the temperature slightly on colder days (around 73 o<\/sup>) because 1) more heating lowers the humidity, and less humidity feels cooler as I mentioned earlier; 2) radiational heat loss from our bodies. When the outside walls and windows run colder during a cold snap outside, it literally draws more heat out of our bodies via radiation.  Hence, we sometimes need to bump up the air temperature by a couple of degrees to compensate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of people may not know about the radiational heat loss (AKA radiational cooling) or might find it hard to believe.  Just think about what happens when you leave your car parked in the driveway or street overnight on a clear night.  Usually, come the next morning (at or shortly before dawn), the car is covered with condensation and, when you step inside, it feels noticeably cooler than outside.  This is because the radiational cooling effect that outer space has on your car during the overnight hours.  It is usually more pronounced at higher altitudes due to a thinner atmospheric layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost Considerations and Tips On Saving<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s admit it, energy prices have skyrocketed lately, and many of us are cutting back on energy use in response.  Again, I don\u2019t believe this should translate into a hard-set rule on the temperature at which we set our thermostats; however, it could\/should put an upward bias on our A\/C settings and a downward bias on heat settings.  In general, it makes the most sense to adjust your A\/C setpoint higher during the hottest points of the day and likewise with heat at night.  This is when the inside-versus-outside temperature gradients are the greatest, as it takes more energy to fight these higher gradients.  Also, heat pumps work more efficiently with lesser gradients.  IOW, you get more BTU of cooling per fewer kilowatt-hours at night when the outside temperature is closer to that indoors.  The reverse is true with electric heat pumps in that they provide less efficient heating at night when it\u2019s much colder outside than inside.  This does not apply to natural gas and oil furnaces, as their efficiency doesn\u2019t change with the inside\/outside temperature gradient.  (However, they still have to generate more heat in total as the gradient increases.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For households whose occupants are at work\/school during the day, it definitely helps to set back your heating and A\/C while you are gone.  I found this to be particularly helpful with A\/C in the summertime.  I had my thermostat programmed to 78 o<\/sup> in the daytime (just enough A\/C to keep the cats comfortable) and back to 70 o <\/sup>starting around dusk.  My KWH usage was \u00bd to 2\/3 of what it would have been had I kept the house at 70 o<\/sup> 24\/7.  The energy\/cost-savings of setting back your A\/C during the day is so pronounced because of the double benefit of more efficient cooling at night coupled with lessening the aforementioned temperature gradient during the day.  Meanwhile, I still found it advantageous to set back the heat during day.  It still saved money, but the cost-savings was much less pronounced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disproportionately high energy prices seem to come in waves.  The last big wave was in the 1970s when I was growing up.  I remember the mantra in Michigan was \u201cdial down (your heat) and slow down (your car)\u201d.  I am also fully confident that this too shall pass, especially once we further our transition from fossil fuels to clean\/renewable energy.  In fact, we\u2019re seeing signs of it happening already.  A friend of mine has rooftop solar and a nearly all-electric home.  He and his wife both charge their EVs at home, yet their electric costs are negative (i.e., the power company pays them because their solar panels generate more electricity than they use on average).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, hang in there, as I am confident that better times lie ahead, and we might very well reach a point in a few years that energy costs are barely a consideration in our household budgets, our thermostat settings, how much we drive our cars, etc.<\/p>\n

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I just read an interesting article \u201cYou Can Stop Arguing Over the Thermostat: This Is the Optimal Temperature for Your Home in Summer and Winter\u201d in Yahoo News that basically says we should set our A\/C on 70o and heat between 68o and 70o in the daytime.  I find it very interesting that the author […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1826,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[85,17],"tags":[233,234,239,242,240,241,215,238,236,235,237,232],"class_list":["post-1824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-from-the-editor","category-lifestyle","tag-a-c","tag-air-conditioning","tag-electric-bill","tag-electric-heat-pump","tag-electricity","tag-electricity-costs","tag-energy","tag-energy-costs","tag-furnace","tag-heat","tag-heat-pump","tag-thermostat"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Nest.png?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1",1024,683,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Nest.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Nest.png?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Nest.png?fit=768%2C512&ssl=1",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Nest.png?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1",1024,683,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Nest.png?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1",1024,683,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Nest.png?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1",1024,683,true],"pk-small":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Nest.png?resize=80%2C80&ssl=1",80,80,true],"pk-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Nest.png?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1",300,225,true],"bigbulletin-500-300":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Nest.png?resize=500%2C300&ssl=1",500,300,true]},"author_info":{"info":["The Editor"]},"category_info":"From the Editor<\/a> Lifestyle<\/a>","tag_info":"Lifestyle","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Nest.png?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1844,"url":"https:\/\/www.druryjournal.com\/?p=1844","url_meta":{"origin":1824,"position":0},"title":"Salmon Fishing Versus Hydroelectric Power","date":"August 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I just read an Associated Press article \u201cFederal report boosts plan to remove 4 dams on Calif river\u201d in Yahoo News that says the Federal Government is pushing to close four dams in the Klamath River Hydroelectric Project that produce hydroelectric power along the Klamath River.\u00a0 These dams are as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "From the Editor"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/boyle-dam.png?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1169,"url":"https:\/\/www.druryjournal.com\/?p=1169","url_meta":{"origin":1824,"position":1},"title":"How To Fight Climate Change and Inflation at the Same Time","date":"July 31, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"We all know (or should know) that energy prices are a key inflation driver, just as they were in the 70s and 80s.\u00a0 Hence, any attempt to cut fossil fuel supply would be counterproductive to inflation, as such would only drive energy prices higher.We also know that we need to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "From the Editor"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/solar-pannel.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1827,"url":"https:\/\/www.druryjournal.com\/?p=1827","url_meta":{"origin":1824,"position":2},"title":"A Synergistic Approach to the California Drought Situation that Also Provides Clean Energy","date":"August 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I just learned, via a recent Reuters article, of a new California experiment that will install solar panels over an approximate 2-mile portion of its aqueduct.\u00a0 I got excited because it sems to make perfect sense on several levels. First, a little background on the California aqueduct:\u00a0 As part of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "From the Editor"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/solar-aquagrid-llc.png?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1758,"url":"https:\/\/www.druryjournal.com\/?p=1758","url_meta":{"origin":1824,"position":3},"title":"Why a Short-Term Boost to Oil and Gas Production is Needed and Why It’s Actually Good For The Environment","date":"August 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I believe a recent Business Insider article via Yahoo News sums this topic up well for the short term.\u00a0 However, I believe it lacks the long-term foresight that should illustrate how we could\/should eventually ramp down oil and gas production as clean energy comes online to the point that it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Finances"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jpmorgan.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":289,"url":"https:\/\/www.druryjournal.com\/?p=289","url_meta":{"origin":1824,"position":4},"title":"Why Is Inflation So High and When Will It Subside?","date":"June 11, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"There has been a lot of discussion and handwringing on this subject lately.\u00a0 The Reuters article in the link below captured Janet Yellen\u2019s assertion that inflation is here to stay, at least for some time.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sold on this as an absolute reality, and I believe we can change\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Finances"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.druryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/10-Year-CPI-Data-May-2022.png?fit=1200%2C661&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2269,"url":"https:\/\/www.druryjournal.com\/?p=2269","url_meta":{"origin":1824,"position":5},"title":"Was the Feds latest Interest Rate Move the Right Thing to Do?\u00a0 And Some Q & A","date":"September 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"First off, like many, I am fully convinced the Fed should have acted sooner \u2013 more like 4Q20\/1Q21 versus mid-2022 \u2013 in raising interest rates and Quantitative Tightening (QT), or at least stopped the Quantitative Easing (QE). 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