# For those who run central a/c around the clock, where do you set temp when you're at home? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 30, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781 "2019-05-30T16:00:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2019, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/61 "2019-05-31T23:53:08Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > This ridiculous exchange began with your inability to understand this simple post. You interpreted “i would be in absolute hell living in such temperatures around the clock” strangely as “i would be in absolute hell ever having to experience such temperatures even fleetingly”. This was evidenced by your question, “so you never go outside during the summer?” > > Work on reading comprehension. Seems perfectly clear to me that spending 24 hours at 78 degrees is absolute hell to you. But spending any less amount of time at a higher temperature is not absolute hell to you. Seems strange to me, that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/62 "2019-06-01T01:27:30Z")
The temperatures given here explain why I’ve never been tempted to invest in central A/C…I don’t even use the window A/C every day. I just want it to be no hotter than 78F in my bedroom when I’m trying to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/63 "2019-06-01T01:46:05Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Seems perfectly clear to me that spending 24 hours at 78 degrees is absolute hell to you. But spending any less amount of time at a higher temperature is not absolute hell to you. Seems strange to me, that’s all. Why are you choosing the alternate option I gave for what is commonly/colloquially meant by “around the clock” rather than the _first_ definition I offered up, namely “all day”? One might suspect that your finding my post strange was deliberate and willful. One might suspect you are just looking to be a bother. One _might_ suspect these things. 🙂 ETA: I’m not going to continue to respond to this hijack. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/64 "2019-06-01T01:55:37Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Why are you choosing the alternate option I gave for what is commonly/colloquially meant by “around the clock” rather than the _first_ definition I offered up, namely “all day”? One might suspect that your finding my post strange was deliberate and willful. One might think you are just looking to be a bother. One _might_ suspect these things. 🙂 > > ETA: I’m not going to continue to respond to this hijack. Of course I’m not looking to be a “bother”. I honestly want to understand someone who thinks spending 24 hours at 78 degrees is “absolute hell”. If you mean “all day”, then it seems to me that you wouldn’t spend “all day” at an amusement park if the temperature outside was 90 degrees, because that would be “absolute hell” to you. That’s the part I don’t understand. If you say “No, I don’t spend any significant amount of time outside if the temperature is above 78 degrees” then that’s cool with me. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/65 "2019-06-01T02:19:08Z")
75, arrived at by trial and error. Any cooler, and I’m a little chilly in shorts and a t-shirt, which is what I like to lounge around in. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2019, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/66 "2019-06-04T12:45:00Z")
We moved to NE Indiana last fall, so we have some experimenting to do. I despise humidity, but I don’t like to be cold either. It’s not on 24/7 this week, but when it was last week, it was at 77. In our case, comfort of temperature must compete with the wallet. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/67 "2019-06-05T02:36:59Z")
Heater set to 70: cooler if it gets to 73. Wife complains if it gets hotter: In-laws wear sweaters all the time at those temperatures. Overnight, I’ll let it go down to 59: my wife would be happy at 50, and unhappy at anything over 65, but she steals all the blankets. ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/68 "2019-06-05T02:45:19Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > … Overnight, I’ll let it go down to 59: my wife would be happy at 50, and unhappy at anything over 65, but she steals all the blankets. I can’t imagine enduring outdoor winter temperatures **inside**. What do y’all do in the summer? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/69 "2019-06-06T04:30:12Z")
76-78. We also have a ceiling fan in the bedroom. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/70 "2019-06-06T05:01:11Z")
8 AM - 5 PM, at work so it’s off 5 PM - 10 PM, 72 in summer, 74 in winter 10 PM - 8 AM, it’s off Adjustments are made in the event I fear pipes freezing or if it’s 10F or below during the day or night, or if it’s above 90F or higher during the night. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/71 "2019-06-06T05:15:34Z")
76, during the summer the Central Air is never turned off. 74, for central heat during winter. I like to be comfortable & warm in my house year around. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/72 "2019-06-06T06:48:42Z")
Currently set at 68 which puts my upstairs bedroom between 70 and 72. Any higher than say 73 or so and I start to get annoyed. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/73 "2019-06-06T11:44:11Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > 76, during the summer the Central Air is never turned off. > > 74, for central heat during winter. > > I like to be comfortable & warm in my house year around. Those temps suit me perfectly. I could live at your house. 🙂 If you’d let me. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/74 "2019-06-06T18:26:03Z")
Here in Arizona, 84 daytime, 82 at night during the summer. There’s an HVAC company that advertises on the radio with, “We help make your home resort cool.” Yeah… I can’t afford that. In the winter, 72 day and night. ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/75 "2019-06-06T19:08:21Z")
My wife is Ukrainian and doesn’t understand Fahrenheit, so our thermostat uses Celsius so she can see the temperature in “degrees.” As a result, I’ve become quite good at converting between C and F on the fly, and I’ve gotten used to using C when setting the A/C. I generally keep the thermostat at 24 (75.2 F), but having it at 25 (77 F) is sometimes cool enough. Other times, like after I’ve been doing some physical activity, I need the cool air blowing on me even if the temperature is lower than this, so at such times I set it to 23 (73.4 F) or lower. I do have a ceiling fan, but never remember to use it. I do try to avoid having the A/C on when I’m not home, but during the summer it can get to over 30 (86 F) inside by the time I get home from work, and it takes hours to get from that to a comfortable temperature, so on hot days I leave the A/C on and set it to 28 (82.4 F) or so. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/76 "2019-06-06T19:48:15Z")
Not to be a narsty skeptic, but I wonder how closely the poll results match reality. I suspect a certain percentage of those answering in the mid-70s or higher for their A/C setting actually keep it cooler most of the time but want to think they’re virtuous in the energy-saving realm. Our unit is usuallyset around 73F. though since it doesn’t work so well upstairs I suspect it’s above 75F there. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/77 "2019-06-06T20:15:45Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Not to be a narsty skeptic, but I wonder how closely the poll results match reality. > > I suspect a certain percentage of those answering in the mid-70s or higher for their A/C setting actually keep it cooler most of the time but want to think they’re virtuous in the energy-saving realm. > > Our unit is usuallyset around 73F. though since it doesn’t work so well upstairs I suspect it’s above 75F there. Geez, you are a skeptic. What’s up with that? Since the poll is anonymous, there’s no reason for anyone to lie. As I’ve said, if mine is lower than 76-77, I freeze my butt off, and I swear on a stack of filters that that’s the whole tooth! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/78 "2019-06-06T20:59:00Z")
So, you’re arguing that I lied in an air conditioning poll so I could be (•_•) ( •_•)\>⌐■-■ (⌐■\_■) Cool? ---
**Author:** ![sps49sd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sps49sd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sps49sd)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781/79 "2019-06-07T19:59:07Z")
I selected weekend temperature; the thermostat is set for 85F in summer during the workday. Generally 74 to 77. Humidity and exertion may cause a 4 hr modification. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-run-central-a-c-around-the-clock-where-do-you-set-temp-when-youre-at-home/834781.md?page=3)