Jump to content

A/C and hours one each day

Hornbeliever
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hornbeliever

Hornbeliever 712

Posted
Posted

I recently got a nest and am wondering what is normal in a heat wave like right now in Texas.  I’m in Houston and unit runs between 20 and 21 hours a day.  Y’all know your usage per day?
 

We live in a 7 year old house that seems/seemed well insulated and have it at 73 at night and 76 during day.

this summer just feels different to my wife and I.  Seems like it’s working harder and just can’t keep up.  Got ac serviced and dude said all good so we are a bit puzzled.  I wish we had bought Nest before this summer.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13512

Posted
Posted

Background. Houston, 1500 sq ft home, work from home most days, just me. I keep the temp 75 during the day and 73 at night.

My Nest has been running the AC at 12-18 hours per day recently, and my AC sucks at cooling. I have closed off the spare bedrooms and partially shut their AC vents which has kept those rooms warmer but I don't care. I won't do that permanently. To be clear, it's not hot in those rooms. I did this to increase supposedly increase the cooler air flowing to the other rooms that I'm in.

I also bought a Nest temperature sensor for my bedroom. It's basically a wifi thermometer that I place in my bedroom. From 9pm to 7am, Nest uses the temperature in my bedroom as the guide to run the AC.  It's $40 and I find it keeps the bedroom temp more consistent including running the AC less often.

  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
T’Boo Ted Marshall

T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Background. Houston, 1500 sq ft home, work from home most days, just me. I keep the temp 75 during the day and 73 at night.

My Nest has been running the AC at 12-18 hours per day recently, and my AC sucks at cooling. I have closed off the spare bedrooms and partially shut their AC vents which has kept those rooms warmer but I don't care. I won't do that permanently. To be clear, it's not hot in those rooms. I did this to increase supposedly increase the cooler air flowing to the other rooms that I'm in.

I also bought a Nest temperature sensor for my bedroom. It's basically a wifi thermometer that I place in my bedroom. From 9pm to 7am, Nest uses the temperature in my bedroom as the guide to run the AC.  It's $40 and I find it keeps the bedroom temp more consistent including running the AC less often.

Ac doesn't work like that.  Closing off vents makes the unit work harder.  

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
tigol

tigol 2398

Posted
Posted
Ac doesn't work like that.  Closing off vents makes the unit work harder.  

How about ceiling fans? Does running them constantly help the HVAC at all? My husband is convinced that the fans help, but I only find them useful when directly under them or at least in the same room.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Doc Daneeka

Doc Daneeka 6769

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, tigol said:


How about ceiling fans? Does running them constantly help the HVAC at all? My husband is convinced that the fans help, but I only find them useful when directly under them or at least in the same room.

Technically, ceiling fans make the room a little hotter, if anything, but the air movement makes it feel cooler. Like 6-7° cooler, they say. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
elfenix

elfenix 34243

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, Doc Daneeka said:

Technically, ceiling fans make the room a little hotter, if anything, but the air movement makes it feel cooler. Like 6-7° cooler, they say. 

yup. fans cool people, not the air.  people cool by evaporative cooling, keeping air moving increases evaporative cooling. 

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rimbo

Rimbo 25936

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Hornbeliever said:

I recently got a nest and am wondering what is normal in a heat wave like right now in Texas.  I’m in Houston and unit runs between 20 and 21 hours a day.  Y’all know your usage per day?
 

We live in a 7 year old house that seems/seemed well insulated and have it at 73 at night and 76 during day.

this summer just feels different to my wife and I.  Seems like it’s working harder and just can’t keep up.  Got ac serviced and dude said all good so we are a bit puzzled.  I wish we had bought Nest before this summer.

 

my house in San Diego doesn't have a/c

because it doesn't need it

  • Haha 1
  • Rage+1 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rimbo

Rimbo 25936

Posted
Posted
Just now, 4th&Five said:

My in-laws are in poway and there are plenty of days where they need it. You must be closer to the coast. 

Yeah, Poway is way, way out in the desert. A good twenty minutes East of me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tigol

tigol 2398

Posted
Posted
59 minutes ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

AC systems are balanced so when you close a vent you throw off the balance by increasing the static pressure in the system.   

You should start an AMA thread on Daily Texan.  I'm sure this is a busy time of year, but you're the hero we deserve.

  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
bluto

bluto 4929

Posted
Posted (edited)

Shitballs this thread makes me feel a lot better about my 12 hour avg. I also changed the filter yesterday, made a hella difference in the air temp flowing from vents. 
 

70 yr old house 1500 sq ft in FW with minimal shading, ac unit prob 5 yo. Been real tempted to grab a window unit for bedroom tho 

Edited by bluto
  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rimbo

Rimbo 25936

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, bluto said:

I also changed the filter yesterday, made a hella difference in the air temp flowing from vents. 

This bears repeating.

Any time you're filtering anything... A/C air, pool water, aquatic pet tanks, car intakes... keep your filters clean.

Just good advice for life, man.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13512

Posted
Posted
22 hours ago, Rimbo said:

This bears repeating.

Any time you're filtering anything... A/C air, pool water, aquatic pet tanks, car intakes... keep your filters clean.

Just good advice for life, man.

Not too mention that the ultra-expensive filters that help to trap pollen or pet dander force the system to work harder to pull in air.  Might be better for some to tell the wife that you bought the filter to help with allergy but instead buy the basic.

Read an article today that AC systems are designed to approximately lower the temp 20 degrees. I'm not onboard with living inside at 80+ degrees during the avg summer day.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
horn4life

horn4life 3760

Posted
Posted

Yeah the Summer has been brutal, I guess I am about to get this months bill. Thing is on autopay so while the price will be painful the emotional part will be less so.  But yeah our unit runs basically all day unless we really run it up.  I actually need to reroute a duct line from my master to the front of the house.  As unit is unbalanced after we moved the unit into the attic.  And then we moved the intake and the air in the back of the house gets more A?C cranking through there because of proximity to the return.  I think it will be perfect once I add a smaller duct for the master and reroute the large duct to the front of the house that gets the least airflow.  

As far as the shutting down the vents, that not only doesn't work but promotes the growth of mold in the shut down vent's ductwork.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Longhorn94

Longhorn94 2448

Posted
Posted

5 bedroom decently large house, about 6 years old, keep the AC at 72 in the morning, it works up to 78 at the hottest part of the day and then gradually back to 72 in the evening. AC runs about 10 hours per day. bills in summer are in the upper $300 / lower $400s. spring and fall are under $200. Winter about $300.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4639

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, Doc Daneeka said:

My July bill last year was $198.08 and the one that just arrived is $197.53. 

I’m a little surprised, but I’ll take it. 

I don’t know what everything is running right now but just resigned this week at 8.8.    Dude has been solid and I missed the whole rate raise over the last year or whatever.  Wonder what this months bill will be between the ACs and pool running like crazy. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
66BUFF

66BUFF 2563

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

I don’t know what everything is running right now but just resigned this week at 8.8.    Dude has been solid and I missed the whole rate raise over the last year or whatever.  Wonder what this months bill will be between the ACs and pool running like crazy. 

company?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13512

Posted
Posted

I’m only seeing plans below 10 cents that have the crazy rules where you are penalized if you go over 1000 kwh and some also if you go under 500.  They game their plan so they can show a low rate at exactly 1000. 1001 costs you another $100 penalty.

usage fees should be outlawed. But Texas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Doc Daneeka

Doc Daneeka 6769

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I’m only seeing plans below 10 cents that have the crazy rules where you are penalized if you go over 1000 kwh and some also if you go under 500.  They game their plan so they can show a low rate at exactly 1000. 1001 costs you another $100 penalty.

usage fees should be outlawed. But Texas.

Then, you know, don’t choose that plan. Sometimes the higher price at a different usage tier is worth it because it rarely happens and the lower price when it doesn’t happen more than offsets it.

I’m paying 8.4¢ kWh, but I have a handle on how much I tend to use each month and I like using Excel. I don’t need to be “helped” by making options illegal. 

Edited by Doc Daneeka
Link to comment
Share on other sites
fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4639

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I’m only seeing plans below 10 cents that have the crazy rules where you are penalized if you go over 1000 kwh and some also if you go under 500.  They game their plan so they can show a low rate at exactly 1000. 1001 costs you another $100 penalty.

usage fees should be outlawed. But Texas.

Don’t know, never had an issue with 3300sf, a pool with non-variable pump, and kids that don’t know how to shut a fucking door if their life depended on it.  I’ll ask though, because that would suck. 
 

3 hours ago, 66BUFF said:

company?

I’ll DM you contact. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
66BUFF

66BUFF 2563

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Don’t know, never had an issue with 3300sf, a pool with non-variable pump, and kids that don’t know how to shut a fucking door if their life depended on it.  I’ll ask though, because that would suck. 
 

I’ll DM you contact. 

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13512

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Doc Daneeka said:

Then, you know, don’t choose that plan. Sometimes the higher price at a different usage tier is worth it because it rarely happens and the lower price when it doesn’t happen more than offsets it.

I’m paying 8.4¢ kWh, but I have a handle on how much I tend to use each month and I like using Excel. I don’t need to be “helped” by making options illegal. 

Ain’t no one paying 8.4 cents unless they locked in a multi year deal 2-3 years ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Doc Daneeka

Doc Daneeka 6769

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Ain’t no one paying 8.4 cents unless they locked in a multi year deal 2-3 years ago.

Fifteen months ago. Nine months left. And it’s that low because I chose a plan with a much lower rate for usage less than 2000 kWh per month. I go over 2000 twice, rarely three times a year, and it was still cheaper than the other plans despite the bump at 2001+.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13512

Posted
Posted

I’m referencing plans that advertise a rate that has a limited range of that advertised rate.  they structure the plans so they so a decent rate for 500, 1000 and/or. 2000 KWh.  Looks good on the fact sheets.  Use 499, 999, 1001 and/or 2001 and the effective rate doubles. I get that consumers should always be wary of scams or fine print but electricity is a public utility and shouldn’t be offering gotchas to the public.

and I’m ok with a rate that goes up at 1001 or 2001. But not a $100 surcharge. It’s just taking advantage of people.

No CR but it’s Texas politicians selling us to the power companies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Doc Daneeka

Doc Daneeka 6769

Posted
Posted (edited)
49 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I’m referencing plans that advertise a rate that has a limited range of that advertised rate.  they structure the plans so they so a decent rate for 500, 1000 and/or. 2000 KWh.  Looks good on the fact sheets.  Use 499, 999, 1001 and/or 2001 and the effective rate doubles. I get that consumers should always be wary of scams or fine print but electricity is a public utility and shouldn’t be offering gotchas to the public.

and I’m ok with a rate that goes up at 1001 or 2001. But not a $100 surcharge. It’s just taking advantage of people.

No CR but it’s Texas politicians selling us to the power companies.

Can you post a link to one of those plans that doubles the 1000 rate at 999 and 1001? I’ve put a lot of plans into spreadsheets and I don’t remember seeing anything like that. Would be interesting to see. 

Edited by Doc Daneeka
Link to comment
Share on other sites
elfenix

elfenix 34243

Posted
Posted

Per nest, days I'm at work 9-10 hours, days I'm home 12-13


I’m referencing plans that advertise a rate that has a limited range of that advertised rate.  they structure the plans so they so a decent rate for 500, 1000 and/or. 2000 KWh.  Looks good on the fact sheets.  Use 499, 999, 1001 and/or 2001 and the effective rate doubles. I get that consumers should always be wary of scams or fine print but electricity is a public utility and shouldn’t be offering gotchas to the public.
and I’m ok with a rate that goes up at 1001 or 2001. But not a $100 surcharge. It’s just taking advantage of people.
No CR but it’s Texas politicians selling us to the power companies.
it's entirely gaming the limited number of options the power to choose site has. 
there's an option to not show those plans by checking a box on the left, though: "Plans without a minimum usage fee/credit and plans without tiered pricing"

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hook1997

Hook1997 5355

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 7/21/2023 at 2:01 PM, Longhorn94 said:

5 bedroom decently large house, about 6 years old, keep the AC at 72 in the morning, it works up to 78 at the hottest part of the day and then gradually back to 72 in the evening. AC runs about 10 hours per day. bills in summer are in the upper $300 / lower $400s. spring and fall are under $200. Winter about $300.

I live in a 100 year old home on the top floor that’s 2br and it’s like 1,600 square feet  inside part (there’s a sunroom and a storage room) and my last bill was $298.   I’d say you have a good deal and well insulation.   Lol

Edited by Hook1997
  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13512

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, Doc Daneeka said:

Can you post a link to one of those plans that doubles the 1000 rate at 999 and 1001? I’ve put a lot of plans into spreadsheets and I don’t remember seeing anything like that. Would be interesting to see. 

I didn’t say 1 plan hit all of those marks. But some definitely hit 2 of them in their pricing model, frequently at a low and a high level.  You obviously go to great levels to manage to the kilowatts used each month and stop yourself if you’re using too much. I’m talking about the 99% who do not do that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Doc Daneeka

Doc Daneeka 6769

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I didn’t say 1 plan hit all of those marks. But some definitely hit 2 of them in their pricing model, frequently at a low and a high level.  You obviously go to great levels to manage to the kilowatts used each month and stop yourself if you’re using too much. I’m talking about the 99% who do not do that.

I don’t do any such thing, nor did I remotely imply that I did. I have records of how much electricity I use per month and a spreadsheet that uses those numbers to calculate a projected annual bill based on my historical usage each month. It’s not perfect because different providers have different billing periods so all of my “months” don’t use the exact same dates, and the weather can vary a little, but it’s pretty close over time. 

And, yeah, you very strongly implied that one plan would screw people like that. People are only on one plan at a time and if there isn’t one plan that’s that volatile, they don’t have to worry about how other plans do things.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Texzilla58

Texzilla58 4736

Posted
Posted
This bears repeating.
Any time you're filtering anything... A/C air, pool water, aquatic pet tanks, car intakes... keep your filters clean.
Just good advice for life, man.

Also look at your filter type. We usually run the heavy duty Filtretes to reduce ce dust and allergens but when it’s gets to crazy heat steaks I switch to some cheapshit ones. Improves the flow.

Our system maintains 71 thru all this no problem which I’m amazed at. It’s a mid60’s tract house that’s heavily insulated but the windows haven’t been replaced yet.
  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


Football ... Basketball ... Baseball ... Other Sports ... Futbol ... 🤫995🤫 ... Gambling ... Movies & TV ... Music ... Hobbies ... Lulz ... Food & Travel ... Daily Texan ... Business and Markets ... Cloak Room ... Help ... For Sale ... Board Discussion ... Subscribe!... Donate!... Advertise... COOKIE MONSTER!

×
×
  • Create New...