Home AC always running

[Angelfish]

I have a programmable thermostat and have it programmed to lower the temperature to 21 at 3pm. I then have go to to 22 at 10pm. During this time the AC in the house is constantly running. Is thier something I can do to automatically have the AC go on and off like the furnace does in the Winter?

[Plasma1]

21 and 22 degree's is awefully cold.

My air conditioner would run all the time trying to get to that temperature. Try setting your thermostate to 26 before you get home and 32 during the day when your not home.

I couldn't imagine setting a temperature so cold that I would have to bundle up just to walk around the house. Do you sleep with your winter duvet at night?

[eljay]

Your furnace should shut off automatically once the temperature hits the programmed setting. If it's not, you may have a faulty thermostat.

(We have our thermostat set to 26 when we're away, 25 when we're at home and 24 overnight.)

[cyclo]

In my opinion, 21/22C is too low a setting and is probably the reason why the AC is always on. The AC might also be sized too small (btu/hp wise) for the area it is supposed to be cooling.

I have my programmable thermostat set to 24.5C from 10PM - 6AM, 27C from 6AM - 3PM, 25.5C from 3PM up to 10PM and this works out fine for me and the family. The AC usually turns off between 7 to 8 PM, doesn't turn on until 10 PM then turns off again at around 2 AM. This is based on the past couple of days when it was quite hot and humid here in Ontario.

[teenie]

That is pretty cold.... what temperature does the house acutally get to? Sounds like it is never reaching it... but is it close or is more than 3 or 4 degrees off.

I can share an experience I had with our previous house.

I had problems with heating and cooling that house and it was a only 3 yrs old when we lived in it.

To summarize I did the following...
1) Made sure the furnace filter was always replaced with a clean filter regularly... expecially in the heavy heating and cooling periods of the year.
2) turn off the humidifier in the cooling months and close/shut the air bypass for the humidifier.
3) The basement was unfinished.... we had a ton of air leaks from all the ductwork... I taped all the seams and joints anywhere I could feel an air leak. Made a huge difference.
4) adjusted the heating registers for the seasons we were to get.
5) Shaded the A/C unit with shrubs... the a/c unit was on the southern exposure of the house and in direct sunlight all the time until the shrubs went in.

All of the above made a huge difference and actually evened out the comfort of the whole house.

[Angelfish]

Thanks for the replies guys. My wife is wanting the house like an icebox and we have had "discussions" about it. I usually hang out in the basement (as it is much cooler) but she likes to have the house cold and complains if its at 24.

[whitbyterry]

If this is your first year in the house, you'll get a frightening electricity bill or two or three if your A/C is on that much - especially if we have a hot summer.

If she wants it cold, I would do what the others suggest and check for air leaks etc and then bump it up .5 degrees as a compromise for now. When you get your first bill, it might be too late to do anything because you'll probably already be a full month or 6 weeks into the next cycle.

[Vexsloth]

Close all your windows and blinds during the day, especially if the sun is out. If your insulation is tight, you will save a lot of money. If you do not have blinds or curtains on all of your windows, installing them could pay back in reduced electricity costs in a month or less.

[Angelfish]

Originally Posted by teenie

That is pretty cold.... what temperature does the house acutally get to? Sounds like it is never reaching it... but is it close or is more than 3 or 4 degrees off.

I can share an experience I had with our previous house.

I had problems with heating and cooling that house and it was a only 3 yrs old when we lived in it.

To summarize I did the following...
1) Made sure the furnace filter was always replaced with a clean filter regularly... expecially in the heavy heating and cooling periods of the year.
2) turn off the humidifier in the cooling months and close/shut the air bypass for the humidifier.
3) The basement was unfinished.... we had a ton of air leaks from all the ductwork... I taped all the seams and joints anywhere I could feel an air leak. Made a huge difference.
4) adjusted the heating registers for the seasons we were to get.
5) Shaded the A/C unit with shrubs... the a/c unit was on the southern exposure of the house and in direct sunlight all the time until the shrubs went in.

All of the above made a huge difference and actually evened out the comfort of the whole house.

1) I replace the filter every 2 months with a washed one. (I have the fibre ones you can wash and re-use)
2) I do exactly that
3) When we finished the basement we first tape/sealed all air leaks
4) I have blocked off the vents in the basement (as it doesn't need the cold air) except for one so that the furnace doesn't explode.
5) Not sure if you mean the AC fan out side but I'm not sure how shading it will keep it from comming on when the temperature sensing thermostat is inside the house.

Thanks for the tips.

[Vexsloth]

5) Not sure if you mean the AC fan out side but I'm not sure how shading it will keep it from comming on when the temperature sensing thermostat is inside the house.

Your A/C unit outside has to dissipate the heat from inside the house. If the sun is shining on it, then it will heat up and be less efficient than if it was cooler and out of the sun. But try not to restrict the airflow.

[james99]

I try to have the temperature between 70F-72F so 21C-22C seems normal to me.

[vmpv]

Originally Posted by james99

I try to have the temperature between 70F-72F so 21C-22C seems normal to me.

I agree but I grew up in Northern Ontario and am one of these idiots who actually loves winter.
(also good point about closing the humidifier bypass. Forgot to do that this year. Thanks)

[notsure]

Last year was our first summer in the new house and once we got the A/C installed it didn't feel comfortable until the inside temp hit 21/22 C.

I've since invested in a nice de-humidifier for the basement that seems to be pulling about 70-75 pints / 24 hour period. This has made a HUGE difference in the rest of the house, it's now very cool feeling at 24/25 C.

My only hope is the new de-humidifier is using less electricity than the 13 SEER A/C unit.

[wprager]

While I find that 21-22 is on the low side, I similarly find the suggestions about 24-27 on the high side. To each his own.

1. Are you sure it's your A/C that is on all the time or just the fan? Having the fan on all the time is not a bad thing, actually.

2. There are two things that the A/C does -- cools the aird and dries it out. Dry air makes it a heck of a lot easier to take higher temperatures, so check the humidity level in the house and if it's too high, do something to lower it. A good rule-of-thumb value is 30-50% RH (Relative Humidity).

3. Someone suggested turning off the humidifier in the heating months? Was that a typo? You want to humidify the air when the furnace is on. However if it gets below a certain temperature then you can turn down so that the RH is 30 or lower.

4. I've gone about some unused rooms and closets closing the vents and making sure the doors are closed as well. Not sure if this makes a huge difference, but assuming the vents/doors actually work you are, essentially, cooling a smaller volume of air. In theory, at least.

5. Show your wife next month's electricity bill, then suggest that a portable oscilating fan might do wonders for her.

6. Install ceiling fans in bedrooms.

7. All the other advice already given.

[technut]

wprager has mentioned it, but I'll second that putting fans on (ceiling or other) will allow you to keep the temperature a little higher but still feel cool.