July is generally the hottest month in York, PA, with an average high of 87°F.
When it’s hot out, you rely on your central air conditioning to cool your house. Yet, many homeowners wonder what temperature to keep their homes at when it’s hot.
After all, you want to stay cool in your house without spending a fortune on your energy costs. So, what’s the best temperature for AC in the summer?
Here is a guide to help you learn more about this and tips to cut your energy costs this summer.
U.S. Department of Energy Recommendations
You can ask other homeowners what temperature they set their thermostats to in the summer and find various answers. This is primarily because people have different needs and preferences.
Some people like their homes warmer, while others like them cooler. So, you might hear all kinds of answers when you ask this question.
However, if you research the U.S. Department of Energy, you’ll find they recommend setting your thermostat to 78°F in the summer.
Setting your thermostat to 78°F lowers the humidity levels in your home during the summer and offers a cooler temperature than outdoors on hot days. Yet, this might seem too warm for your needs.
The good news is you can choose the temperature you set your thermostat to, but you’ll spend more money on your cooling costs if you set it lower.
Set It Higher When You’re Gone or Sleeping
The U.S. Department of Energy also recommends increasing the temperature a few degrees when sleeping. Most people find that they stay cooler when they’re still. After all, your body naturally gets hotter when you’re moving.
Therefore, you might wonder about the best AC temperature for sleeping.
You might consider raising it to 80 or 82°F to see if you can stay cool enough at this setting. If so, you’ll save money by increasing it before you go to bed.
Additionally, you can reduce AC bills by increasing the temperature when you’re gone. For example, you can raise it to 82°F or higher when you leave for the day. After all, why cool your home if you won’t be there?
When you get in the habit of raising the temperature when you’re gone or sleeping, you might be able to keep it lower when you are home. You might save enough money by developing this habit.
You can also turn up the temperature before leaving on a trip to reduce your energy costs. Your house doesn’t need to be as cool if you’re not home.
Use Fans to Circulate the Air
Keeping your thermostat higher in the summer makes your AC system run less. However, you might feel like it’s too hot in your house when you set it at a higher temperature.
Fortunately, you can do a few things that might help you stay cooler at home. First, you might want to use fans to circulate the air in your home.
You can turn on your ceiling fans to cool the rooms. Additionally, you can place some box fans or oscillating fans in other rooms to circulate the air.
Circulating the air is good for your house for several reasons, but one vital reason is to move the air. Moving the air around helps you prevent stagnant air in your house. The result is that it might feel cooler in your house.
Using fans at night while you sleep is also a great way to stay cooler.
Maintain Your AC to Improve Its Efficiency
A well-maintained AC system is also crucial for lowering your AC bills. The best thing you can do is to prepare your AC system for the summer.
For example, you might clean the outdoor condenser and replace the air filter. In addition, you can get an AC tune-up each year. A tune-up cleans the system, replaces worn-out parts, and ensures the system is running well.
An efficient system runs less to cool your house. Therefore, it might be helpful to take these steps each spring to lower your AC bills.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
Many homeowners also find that using a programmable thermostat helps lower energy bills in the summer months.
A programmable thermostat adjusts the temperature according to the schedule you input. The purpose is to control the temperature according to your schedule.
For example, if you leave at 7:00 AM for work each morning and return home at 5:00, you can set the thermostat to accommodate this schedule. You might set the temperature to 85°F when you’re gone.
If you know you’ll be home by 5:00, you can set the thermostat to decrease to 80°F at 4:30, so it’s cooler when you get home.
Using a programmable thermostat might help you save up to 10% each year.
Cover the Windows
Sunlight entering your home naturally heats your home, making it more difficult to cool it. Therefore, you might want to cover your windows to stop the sun from entering your home.
For example, you can install blinds or curtains on your windows to stop the heat. You’ll need to make sure you close these before the sun comes out. Blocking the sun will make a difference with your home temperature.
Find the Best Temperature for AC for Your Home
You’ll save money by keeping the temperature set higher in your home. However, you also want to be comfortable when you’re home. Therefore, you can choose the best temperature for AC this summer to suit your needs.
You might need to consider replacing your AC system if it’s too old and inefficient. You might also consider getting a tune-up.
In either case, contact us at Williams Service Co at 717-755-2902. We can help you find ways to improve the efficiency of your system.