I'm going on a 2 week vacation, should I turn my AC off?

Question

To save electricity, should I turn it off or just raise the temp so it doesn't run as much?

Answer 1

It depends on the climate where you live.  If it's very dry there, it might be okay to turn it off, but if it's humid, I'd recommend leaving it on at a higher temperature.  Mold and mildew could grow if you turn it off completely for that long.

Answer 2

I read through the answers and was still curious, so I did a search and came upon the site below, which said:

"If your house is well-insulated and tightly sealed, turning your air conditioner off completely is probably the best approach. In a newer, well-insulated home the interior temperature typically doesn't rise higher than the mid to upper 80s when the unit is turned off.

By turning your thermostat up and not turning it off completely, you will protect any fine wood furniture or other items that can be damaged by the heat and dryness. I also recommend placing several buckets of water in your bathtub. The water will slowly evaporate and add moisture to the air.

If you have an older, less insulated home, you should continue to turn your air conditioner up to a high setting as you have in the past, as the temperature in older homes can rise into the 90s.

You should also turn off the power to your refrigerator, prop open the door, and turn your electric water heater off. If you don't, the higher temperatures can cause your refrigerator to run twice as long and the water heater will continue to cycle on and off all summer."

So the correct answer seems to be, 'It depends."

Answer 3

Well, I suppose what some would say is the Obvious answer would be just to shut it down completely...which would save electricity, since the A/C is a glutton for power...even the energy efficient models.

However, it depends on how hot it can get in your house really. I tried this little feat once and as a result, I ended up with a hot as h**l house when i returned.......no problem I thought....but as a result of the high temps for prolonged times, my printer ink cartridges ended up being cooked and clogging....$30 to $50 cost to replace....It also forced the refrigerator to cycle a little bit more than usual and I had a newly remodeled area with wood work leak sap, some boards I had set aside against the wall dried out...but also warped.

Just little things here and there which forced me to replace or rework and spending some of the money that I had thought I was saving. You can save electricity and some money  if you turned the A/C off, but these are some of the unintended consequences of a 'hot' house. So it might be more economical just to set the A/C at a higher than usual temperature that will just knock down the extreme temps in a house.

Answer 4

turn it off.

keep in mind, it wasn't long ago that most folks didn't even have an AC.

and they all did fine.

you might leave some windows open a bit, as long as rain, or thieves aren't a problem.

if you were really lucky, you could have someone open the house up the night before you returned, which would cool it off for the most part.

Answer 5

I think you should. It's like a tree falling in the forest....

Answer 6

If you're not there, and there's no pets there, who are you keeping it cool for?

Answer 7

well yeh u should cause u won't be home, u don't NEED it, we don't need a A/ C and it still gets cold sometimes ( i live in central canada ( + 31 *C )

anyways, TURN THE A/C OFF !!!!!!

Answer 8

I would turn it off, unless you have pets in your house, then it would be a little warm for them, depending on the area you live in. I know on our air conditioner I can just set it for a certain temperature, and then when it gets that temperature, it turns off on it's own and then turns back on when it needs too.

Answer 9

you probaly should unless you have pets then leave it on or if somebody is watching your house

Answer 10

I'd just raise the temperature a bit. Nasty things can grow in a house that is left unregulated, and depending on how hot it gets, when you get back it will probably cost you at least as much as you saved by cleaning up everything and cooling the place down.

Answer 11

Turn it off.  If your not going to be there than why would you have it on?

Answer 12

s***w conserving energy.... Kepp it on so ur house will be  nice and cool when u come back.

Answer 13

Absofreakinlootly! Air conditioners are one of the leading causes to Electrical fires...... Give Yourself a break and go on the vacation without having to worry about coming home to ashes. Have fun!

Answer 14

It depends on where you live. If your house gets too hot it can damage things like foods, film and negatives, and warp candles. There's probably more affected, but that's all I know offf the top of my head. Where I am in CA, my apartment has gotten up into the high 80's, so I do let it run if I am gone in the summer, but leave it off in the winter. (Conversely, if it gets really cold where you live in winter, I would do the opposite.)

Answer 15

yes, turn it off, if no one's going to be there, why waste money and air on the house?