Best Temperature for Your AC in the Summer

When the scorching summer heat arrives, everyone scrambles to the nearest thermostat to get the cold air flowing. But the right air conditioner temperature isn’t just about keeping comfortable. It’s also about energy efficiency and reducing your energy bills. So, what’s the magic temperature? The answer depends on your specific needs and the time of day. Explore the optimal air conditioning thermostat settings when you’re at home, away and when you are sleeping.

The Best AC Temperature When You’re at Home

The optimal daytime, at-home temperature for a residence’s air conditioning is 78 degrees. This number may seem very high, but the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) states it balances comfort and energy efficiency. Here are a couple of tips to help stay cool at 78 degrees:

• Use fans: Whether it is a ceiling fan or a desk fan, moving air will make the room feel about 4 degrees cooler. Plus, fans cost pennies on the dollar to operate compared to your air conditioning unit.
• Dress lightly: What you have on drastically affects your comfort level. Wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothes made of breathable fabrics helps you stay cool in the summer.
• Block out the sun: Sunlight beaming through the windows can easily heat a room significantly. To prevent your home from becoming a greenhouse, hang curtains or blinds to block out the sun, at least during the peak afternoon hours.
• Stay hydrated: Water consumption has a significant part in managing your body temperature. Avoiding dehydration improves your body’s self-cooling processes.
• Cook smart: Cooking generates a sizable amount of heat, forcing your AC to work harder, so try not to use the oven or stove during the hot afternoon. Instead, make use of the microwave, prepare cold meals on hot days or grill out on the porch of patio until the weather isn’t so hot.

The Best AC Temperature While You’re Away

The DOE advises setting the temperature back 7 to 10 degrees when you’re going to be out of the house for eight hours, a strategy experts say can save up to 10 percent on your cooling expenses. Setting up a programmable thermostat is the quickest method to save without relinquishing comfort.

This upgrade allows you to automatically change the temperature at different times of the day or week depending on your schedule, decreasing your energy bills without sacrificing comfort. The important part is to make use of your programmable thermostat properly. Here are some tips for harnessing its full potential:

• Set it and forget it: Configure your thermostat to automatically set the temperature back about 30 minutes before you leave for work or school in the morning. Then, program the schedule so a comfortable temperature resumes as soon as you walk in the door in the evening.
• Use the vacation setting: If you’re not going to be home for a long time, use the “vacation” or “permanent” hold to maintain the “away” temperature for days at a time. This prevents excessive heat and humidity buildup without wasting energy to cool an empty house.
• Make gradual adjustments: Your AC works the best at regular speeds. Plus, a big 10-degree drop doesn’t actually cool your home more rapidly. If you need to, decrease the temperature by a single degree and start up a fan or remove a layer of clothing to help you feel more comfortable.
• Leverage smart capabilities: If you have a smart thermostat, take advantage of its programming capability and enhanced features. Some designs can learn from your behaviors and adjust the temperature accordingly or be managed remotely for superior 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 normal setting. However, a number of people find it difficult to sleep in a hot room. This makes getting the ideal sleep temperature a real challenge. Thankfully, you can try several strategies to beat the heat while you are trying to sleep:

• Sleep in lightweight pajamas and breathable bed sheets: Just like your daytime clothing, your choice of night clothes impacts how hot or cold you feel. Your bed sheets also affect your comfort level. In both cases, light and breathable cotton is the ideal solution.
• Run a fan: Just like during the day, a fan can create a cool breeze in your bedroom at night, making sleep more comfortable.
• Open a window: If it gets cooler at night, reap the benefits of this by snoozing with the windows open.
• Take a warm shower before bed: It may sound counterintuitive, but a warm shower really cools you down more than a cold shower. It works by elevating your blood circulation, bringing heat to the surface of your skin, where it radiates away faster.

Schedule AC Services this Summer in Fort Lauderdale

Striking a balance between your home’s comfort and energy efficiency is sometimes difficult. Why spend all summer trying to find the perfect AC temperatures when Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can help you make the most of your air conditioning? Our high-quality, cost-effective AC services in Fort Lauderdale are backed by a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, so you can choose us with absolute confidence. Call 954-736-4314 today to schedule the top-notch services you need with Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning.