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A man is king of his castle only if he is the sole occupant. Otherwise, he may have to share his thermostat and even cede control of it to maintain domestic harmony.
It’s human nature. We all have our internal thermostats, all craving a couple degrees higher or a couple degrees lower and not always willing to compromise.
What to do
Each degree on the thermostat is likely to add 3 percent to your electricity bill. But don’t fear. This means over the month, so if you drop the temp for a few hours each evening you won’t be using anywhere near the full 3 percent. Depending on your home and your budget, you may be fighting over only pennies.
Still, it’s important to reduce energy usage wherever possible.
One investment is a programmable thermostat. As Consumer Reports notes:
“Setting your smart or programmable thermostat at the right temperature can reduce your cooling costs by about 10 percent. The right temperature depends on your comfort level, but start by setting it at 78° F and experiment until you find the sweet spot. You’ll save about 3 percent on your utility bill for every degree you raise the set temperature for your central air, according to the Department of Energy.
Finding that sweet spot may take some time, but you can add to your comfort quickly by using a ceiling or box fan to move the air.
While a fan doesn’t create cool air, it does create air movement that “can make you feel 3° F to 4° F cooler,” the magazine said.
The smart thermostat will repay the purchase price over the years in the form of reduced electricity bills.
Discounts
In New York City and parts of Long Island, Con Edison is offering $50 discounts this summer to people who buy smart thermostats. It also is offering numerous incentives to residential and commercial customers who buy other energy-saving devices.
AC malfunctioning? Premier HVAC is licensed, insured and punctual!
https://www.coned.com/es/about-us/media-center/news/2021/08-13/con-edison-asks-customers-to-continue-to-conserve-energy
So what breaks most often on a central AC system? According to our survey, the evaporator coil, which resides in the indoor unit, is the part most likely to break, affecting 5.4 percent of owners, on average. In our 2022 survey, the three brands affiliated with Johnson Controls (Coleman, Luxaire, and York) stood out for having evaporator coils that were comparatively more problematic than other brands, with a problem rate of 11 percent. Armstrong, Ducane, and Payne had a better-than-average record for their evaporator coils.
Next in reported frequency of central AC problems were issues with condenser coils (in the outdoor unit), followed by controls (excluding the thermostat), blowers, and compressors. Issues with fans and valves were reported in lower numbers.
Consumer Reports
Programmable thermostats. Setting your smart or programmable thermostat at the right temperature can reduce your cooling costs by about 10 percent. The right temperature depends on your comfort level, but start by setting it at 78° F and experiment until you find the sweet spot. You’ll save about 3 percent on your utility bill for every degree you raise the set temperature for your central air, according to the Department of Energy. And keep in mind that using a box or ceiling fan, which costs little to run, can make you feel 3° F to 4° F cooler.
