[3aidlillahi]

Many of us live below the Mason-Dixon Line and it's getting increasingly hot these past two weeks or so (at least in central NC). So I was just wondering how high most PO'ers have their thermostats set for?

Mine is at 85 but I might push it higher. I don't use the A/C when I drive now and I've been biking some in the afternoon (I'll soon just bike to school and work). Since it's 100+ outside plus humidity, coming inside to mid-80's feels great with little discomfort.

What's yours at?

[IgnoranceIsBliss]

We usually keep ours on 75, just to keep the humidity down.

We're supposed to hit 97 here in the Atlanta area on Sunday. (and of course it seems like we haven't had any real rain in a month or two)

[Homesteader]

85 here too. We bought one of those cheapie 18' walmart pools last year. Turned out to be a great investment; kids have hours of fun, a quick dip and then going into the house at 85 feels like walking into a refrigerator, great water storage for the garden if need be since it can easily be hooked up to the house gutter system.

[wisconsin_cur]

We have an earth berm house so there is no need for air conditioning... if it does get hot enough for that long to effect the house then we suffer

In the winter we keep it set to ~45 F but the woodstove keeps the temp above that all but the coldest nights

[Ludi]

We don't use air-conditioning, except very rarely for work at home business.
Central Texas
<<<<<<no thermostat

[dunewalker]

My thermostat is the copper coil inside the woodstove flue that is plumbed to the hot water heater. If the fire gets too hot, the safety valve on the hot water heater blows, sending boiling water across the wall. That's it. Just keep the pipes from freezing on the low end, open windows as needed on the high end.

[kpeavey]

There is a long story about a tree falling on my house. My electricity comes from a neighbor via an extension cord plugged in behind her washing machine. I have 15 amps to work with when she is not doing laundry. In the summer, I have a window fan. In the winter I have a small electric heater.

The heat is not so bad. I an sweat and drink lots of water. I put up with it. The cold is more challenging. There are ways to get warm and stay comfortable with limited energy.

[Homesteader]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'W')e don't use air-conditioning, except very rarely for work at home business.
Central Texas
<<<<<<no thermostat

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Homesteader', 'W')hat are the weather conditions when you decide to turn on the AC?

[lawnchair]

I could go a fair bit warmer, but the miss gets very objectionable sleeping in the heat. We use a small window unit to air condition one sub-100-square-foot room to 76F. We have the bed lofted (couch/laptop use underneath) to maximize use of that small room. Turn it off during the day when we're gone. Total house electric bill never gets over $100. Kansas, plenty of 100-degree-days.

[IndigoMoon]

I am in northeast Ohio and we have been in the 90's the last few days. My house is maintaining in the mid- 70's range and I do not have air conditioning. It was built in the 40's, 1500 sq foot brick bungalow. A few years back I had it insulated and put Gila Platinum Heat Control Window Film on all of my windows.

I also use the heavy insulated drapes year round. Those nice heavy insulated drapes that are marketed in the winter for keeping all that cold air outside also work quite well at keeping the heat out in the summer.

I watch the weather. If its going to be warmer outside than I want it inside, I close everything up no less than 24 hours before the heat arrives. Just because its 75 comfortable degrees one day doesn't mean it won't be 94 hot degrees the next day.

[AirlinePilot]

I have the thermostat set to 77 during the day down stairs and about 78 upstairs. At night the downstairs goes to 80 and upstairs goes to 75. Both are on a set schedule for the season. We don't spend much time upstairs during the day. I have special coatings on the south facing windows (reflective tint) and I close all the shades upstairs during the day.

It was 98 here yesterday.

[PrairieMule]

78 degrees in the summer time

[Dreamtwister]

Mine is set to "open windows at the east and west ends of the house and sit in the breeze".

[k_semler]

I don't have A/C. Baseboard heating only. My heaters are off, the windows are open, and it's now 59.6 F in here.

[Novus]

I am a spoiled Northerner and I hate the heat. I have mine set at 75 degrees and it is 93 out. In New Jersey we have hot summers and chilly winters but nothing too extreme including natural disasters no Hurricanes in 60 years and no Earthquakes or Tornadoes.

[MarkJ]

We rarely use A/C in the summer unless we have guests. We have good shade, super insulation, excellent ventilation and cool breezes from the lake. If I get hot I'll go for a swim.

[frankthetank]

If you don't wear clothes, you stay cooler.

[GoghGoner]

Indianapolis. We haven't used our A/C, yet. Tonight it's muggy and 80 degrees in the house with no breeze. My wife and I don't mind too much but the computer makes a lot of noise in this heat.

[eastbay]

This thread comes up from time to time and it's always nice to check what others are doing.


We have no AC. It's really not needed. Few really hot days around here.


We don't set the thermostat. During winter, the home heater is always off at night and in the morning it's commonly cooled inside to the upper 50's. In the morning we hit it for a few minutes to get the temperature back up to 60, then we shut it off.


1800 sq ft house built in '96. $160.00 for nat gas heat from November when we first used it until mid-April when we last used it.