Is it true that if i leave my thermastat set at 80* all day long.....?

Question

(? cont'd) it will save energy versus turning on the AC only when i need it?

Answer 1

Based on what I do each day:

82 at work (from 9am to 3pm)

78 when at home (from 3pm to midnight)

76 at night (midnight to 9am)

I saw a decrease in my energy use with an increase in temperature from the previous month, calculated on a KWh/day basis.

Previous setting was 78 all the time--I like it colder at night.

I also use large ceiling fans in the living room and bedrooms.

Answer 2

It would have to depend on how hot or cold it was outside and were you live.

Answer 3

your butt will get hot rock on with your bad self

Answer 4

That isn't really true. Set back or set up of a thermostat has to be very drastic and for a very long period of time to be cost effective. In most homes it is best to pick a tolerable temperature and leave your thermostat set at that temperature. Examples winter 70 degrees (F) Summer 74 degrees (F) Now If you are going away for a weekend or a vacation then yes do set up or set back your thermostat as far as logically safe.

Answer 5

It's always better to turn it on or off as needed as long as you leave it longer than an hour or so. But if you like it at 80, leave it there. You might as well turn it off though, that's friggin' hot.

Answer 6

i dont think thats a good idea

Answer 7

No, and here's why. (mt_zion said the same thing, so he deserves the ten points.  I'm just trying to be very clear about it).

What the air conditioner does is move excess heat from inside your house to outside.

That excess heat flows in from the outside.

The greater the temperature difference between your house and the outside, the faster it flows in.  Obviously if your house was the same temperature as the outside no heat would flow at all.

So if you cool your house to 80 during the day, you simply increase the amount of excess heat flowing in that you have to remove later.

Think about heat flow, it's the key thing.

It helps to have a programmable thermostat, since you'll want to start the house cooling before you get home, for your comfort.

Answer 8

Absolutely not!!

You will use a lot more energy leaving it on than if you turn it up and down as needed.  

The reason is basic physics.  An A/C will need to remove as much heat as is absorbed by the structure.  If the house is kept cool, more heat will enter since the rate of heat gain depends on the difference in temperature of the house and the outside.

Answer 9

Yes it's true

Answer 10

That may be a good idea only over the summer. You should copy what some schools are doing, leaving the thermostat at around 80 in the summer, and 70 in the winter. It saves a lot of energy, and the room will feel significantly warmer than the outside.

(The exception being if you live in a mild region)

Also, I'd advise you to turn off the AC when you're not in the house; when you get back in, the most you'll have to wait is a few minutes for the house to warm/cool to a comfortable degree.

Answer 11

Not so to most who work in air conditioning.

Most say to set your thermostat at two or three degrees above what you normally call comfortable when not at home.

The A/C won't run as long to recover to normal temperature and your A/C won't work it's self to death.