Thermostat settings

[sauergeek]

The AC at work[1] has public-access thermostats. As I've been thinking about my own carbon footprint lately, I've been paying attention to what those thermostats are set to. They all seem to be set rather cold -- mostly in the 71-73[2] range, but on a few occasions, I've seen as low as 68. I try to keep the one near me at 75, but occasionally people set it lower.

At home, I also have central AC. When I'm not home, it's shut off. When I am home, it's set to 78. If it's cool enough outside, I shut off the AC, open up some windows, and set a fan to try to get air circulating through them.

Do you have an air conditioner? If so, is it central or room? And either way, where do you have the thermostat[3] set?

[1] Nominally central, but in actuality a bunch of separately controlled units with a 40+ year age span.
[2] All temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit. It's what they're all instrumented in, and what I most easily think in.
[3] I'm assuming your room AC, if that's the case, has a thermostat, instead of a "more cool/less cool" control.

Comments

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

I have central air, set to 75, occasionally lower because the room with the thermostat doesn't get the afternoon sun. I haven't tested whether the thermostat is correct in its measurements, but heretofore I always used 77/78 in the summer and was comfortable, but in this current place that feels really hot. I personally love having windows open but in the southern states have gotten in trouble with the humidity and mildew issues if I don't at least nominally run the ac sometimes.

I had one tenant who would set the temp in the summer to 68. and in the winter to 75. Logically that makes no sense! I tried to point out how wasteful this was, not to mention hard on the systems. Don't know if it did any good--they were used to never having to pay for utilities.

[sauergeek.livejournal.com]

I'd not actually run across someone with the habit of setting the AC colder than the heat, though I had expected they existed. I am baffled why someone would do that.