Best Temperature for Your AC in the Summer

When the blistering summer heat arrives, everyone runs to the nearest thermostat to get the cold air flowing. But the right air conditioner setting isn’t just about staying comfortable. It’s also about energy efficiency and decreasing your power expenses. So, what’s the right temperature? The answer relies upon on your specific demands and the time of day. Explore the ideal air conditioning thermostat settings when you’re at home, out and about and when you are sleeping.

The Best AC Temperature When You’re at Home

The recommended daytime, at-home temperature for a home’s AC is 78 degrees. This amount may seem very high, but the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says it balances comfort and energy efficiency. Here are a couple of tips to help keep your home nice and cool at 78 degrees:

  • Use fans: Whether it is a ceiling fan or a desk fan, flowing air makes the room feel about 4 degrees cooler. Plus, fans cost pennies on the dollar to use compared to your AC.
  • Dress lightly: What you wear significantly impacts your comfort level. Wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothes made of breathable fabrics will help you stay cool in the summer.
  • Block out the sun: Sunlight streaming through the windows can heat a room tremendously. To keep your home from becoming a greenhouse, pull out the curtains or blinds to block out the sun, especially during the peak afternoon hours.
  • Stay hydrated: Water intake plays a huge part in regulating your body temperature. Staying hydrated improves your body’s self-cooling processes.
  • Cook smart: Cooking produces a sizable amount of heat, forcing your AC to work harder, so try not to use the oven or stove during the hottest part of the afternoon. Instead, cook food in the microwave, prepare cold meals on hot days or grill outdoors until the weather gets cooler.

The Best AC Temperature While You’re Away

The DOE advises setting the temperature back 7 to 10 degrees when you’re not home for eight hours, a strategy experts say can save up to 10 percent on your cooling bills. Installing a programmable thermostat is the quickest way to save without giving up comfort.

This improvement allows you to automatically adjust the temperature at different times of the day or week depending on your schedule, decreasing your energy bills without sacrificing comfort. The key is to use your programmable thermostat in the correct way. Here are some tips for harnessing its full capabilities:

  • Set it and forget it: Schedule your thermostat to automatically set the temperature back about 30 minutes before you leave for work or school in the morning. Then, time the recovery period so a comfortable temperature resumes when you walk in the door when you get home.
  • Use the vacation setting: If you’re away from home for an extended period, use the “vacation” or “permanent” hold to keep the “away” temperature for days at a time. This prevents extreme heat and humidity buildup without needlessly using energy to cool an empty house.
  • Make gradual adjustments: Your air conditioning system works smoothly and efficiently at steady speeds. Plus, a dramatic 10-degree drop will not cool your home more quickly. If you need to, drop the temperature by only one degree and turn on a fan or remove a layer of clothing to help you feel more comfortable.
  • Leverage smart capabilities: If you buy a smart thermostat, take advantage of its programming capability and extra features. Some designs can learn from your behaviors and adjust the temperature accordingly or be operated remotely for exceptional comfort and convenience.

The Best AC Temperature When You’re Sleeping

When it’s time to head off to bed, the DOE advises that you should consider setting the temperature 4 degrees higher than your usual setting. However, a number of people find it hard to sleep in a hot and stuffy room. This makes finding the right sleep temperature a struggle. Thankfully, you can use several techniques to beat the heat while you go to sleep:

  • Sleep in lightweight pajamas and breathable bed sheets: Just like your daytime wardrobe, your choice of sleepwear influences how hot or cold you feel. Your bed sheets also affect your comfort level. In both cases, light and breathable cotton is the ideal choice.
  • Run a fan: As it does during the day, a fan can generate a cool breeze in your bedroom at night, making sleep more comfortable.
  • Open a window: If it cools off at night, take advantage of this by snoozing with the windows open.
  • Take a warm shower before bed: It may sound counterintuitive, but a warm shower actually cools you down better than a cold shower. It achieves this by boosting your blood circulation, bringing heat to the surface of your skin, where it radiates away more quickly.

Schedule AC Services this Summer in Fort Lauderdale

Balancing your home’s comfort and energy efficiency can be challenging. Why spend all summer trying to find the right AC temperatures when Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can help you make the most of your air conditioning? Our reliable, cost-effective AC services in Fort Lauderdale come with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, so you can choose us with absolute confidence. Call 954-736-4314 today to schedule the premium services you need with Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning.

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