# Air Conditioner turned on **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 2, 2018, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466 "2018-05-02T15:29:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/1 "2018-05-02T15:29:39Z")
Let be known that, on the Second of May in the Year of Our Lord 2018 and at the temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25[sup]o[/sup]C), I, **BigT** , have turned on my air conditioner for the first time this year. What about the rest of you? When have you turned it on, and what temperature? (Also, note, I’m baking a pizza, which made it hotter.) ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/2 "2018-05-02T15:33:55Z")
We reached 82F yesterday here in Chicago Suburbia but I refused to turn the AC on due to sheer stubbornness that it wasn’t going to happen on May 1. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/3 "2018-05-02T15:35:39Z")
Since you didn’t identify the general area in which you live, one doesn’t know if that is early, late, or pretty much on time. Here in Chicagoland, I came within a hair of turning mine on, but was able to refrain because I didn’t have to use the oven to make my dinner. Like you, that would have pushed me over the edge. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/4 "2018-05-02T16:14:32Z")
AC for 77f? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/5 "2018-05-02T16:18:08Z")
Our home is surrounded by shade trees. We do not have whole-house air conditioning, nor do we need it. I put a window unit in our bedroom window for the five to ten nights when it is really muggy. That unit isn’t installed yet. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/6 "2018-05-02T16:26:56Z")
A/C on in Greater Philadelphia, PA area. Temps near 80F / 27C. Mostly to sleep… but working from home = A/C on. Meh… A/C a few times in May. Probably will cost 10-15 bucks for the few times this month. I push off the use of the heat as long as possible, and stop running the heat as soon as possible. A/C use gets people all nuts over costs, but it’s nothing compared to the heating season and costs. . ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/7 "2018-05-02T16:27:19Z")
Also in Chicago, unfortunately I have window ACs that need to be installed. Yesterday was the first day I said “I should probably install those ACs soon.” That start the two week countdown before I finally install them, saying “I should have done this two weeks ago.” ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/8 "2018-05-02T16:35:47Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > A/C use gets people all nuts over costs, but it’s nothing compared to the heating season and costs. Depends on your heating system, I suppose. We have natural gas (piped in, not tanks or anything) and the extra costs from the gas company in winter are maybe half of the extra costs in electric during AC season. Generally though, I’m of the opinion that “this is what I have a job for” and run whatever climate control I need to be happy. But being irrationally cranky about running the AC on May 1st makes me happy too. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/9 "2018-05-02T16:52:58Z")
Well, back when I was at the old home turf I’d have switched it on around Tax Day. In my current locale of displacement (the VA burbs of DC) I’m in a large apartment building where the engineer’s shop switches off the heaters in late April and turns on the chillers at the beginning of May. So depending on how things go I may get to that in the upcoming weeks; the apartment has afternoon sun exposure so I may need to cool it off at the end of each day. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/10 "2018-05-02T16:53:04Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > A/C use gets people all nuts over costs, but it’s nothing compared to the heating season and costs. > > . We are electric for both heating and AC. It is far cheaper to heat our house than to cool it down. Our monthly electricity bills are easily $50-$75 more in the summer than winter, with fall and spring being the cheapest times of the year. That being said, even though we’ve had temps in the low 80’s already, we have not yet turned on our AC. We’re saving that for actual summer when the temps are nearly always in the 90’s and low 100’s. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/11 "2018-05-02T17:00:22Z")
Also outside Chicago. I was tempted, but it cooled down enough at night. I did sleep on the couch on the first floor. Bedroom on the second floor was stuffy. In addition to central a/c, I have a portable unit for my bedroom so I can get it down to meat locker temperature. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/12 "2018-05-02T17:04:32Z")
The snow finally melted from that last stubborn patch of my front yard last week. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/13 "2018-05-02T17:06:14Z")
Here in St. Louis we had our house (attic) fan replaced this year, just so we could delay turning on the AC a little longer. That lasted until yesterday, May 1. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/14 "2018-05-02T17:07:38Z")
I generally don’t use AC until the weather is around 90. I get tired of being in buildings with pumped in air and I like to hear street sounds. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/15 "2018-05-02T17:22:16Z")
No surprise, our AC has been set to come on for 2 months… It’s been a pretty mild spring so far, though. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/16 "2018-05-02T17:49:52Z")
March 10 it was 92 degrees. AC on. March 12 it got down to 43. Heat on. That’s generally March and April for you. Heat one day, AC another, nothing but the fan a lot of days. If the cedar count is high, the windows stay shut because I like breathing and being awash in a sea of used kleenex. I believe in being comfortable so I run my AC when it’s hot regardless of the calendar. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/17 "2018-05-02T18:47:43Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > A/C on in Greater Philadelphia, PA area. Temps near 80F / 27C. I still have my heater on. It was actually in use yesterday morning, with a low of 34° _When_ I put my A/C on, it’s set for higher than that for the inside temp. Wouldn’t even consider it for 80° outside; would open the windows, though. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/18 "2018-05-02T18:56:51Z")
South Arkansas~no air cond. yet. It’s been 77-78° for a few days but overcast so not really warm. We have a fan in the bed-room everynight, no matter the season. It looks like a stormy end of the week in coming. IDK how the temp. will be. ---
**Author:** ![Scoobysnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Scoobysnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoobysnax)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/19 "2018-05-02T20:05:33Z")
We have been alternating between heat and AC for the past 6-8 weeks. Currently it is 60°F in Orange County so the heat is on. The forecast for Saturday is 86° so the AC will have to go back on. Our house is old and not well insulated and we like to keep it between 70 and 74 inside year round. With a pool pump running daily, our summer electric bills are not pretty. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466/20 "2018-05-02T20:27:12Z")
Today is the first day I’ve had my AC on overnight and throughout the day, here in Cleveland-ish. I flipped the AC on a couple of times over the past few weeks but had to go back to heat at night. I scheduled an AC tune-up for the end of the month. I haven’t really had one in the 10 years since I had it installed, thought maybe it’s time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-turned-on/813466.md?page=2)