I’m your classic “keep the windows open, it’s nice out, let’s not run the AC” loser.
Let’s assume I keep my house at 75 degrees, and overnight it got down to 65. I keep a window in our master bedroom cracked (as much as I can sneak past my wife) for the cooler temp in our room, which is the hottest in the house. I tend to leave that window open when I head to work during cooler spring days.
But if it is going to get up to 85 degrees that day, am I better off closing the window before I leave (because somehow my wife can’t be bothered to do it in the middle of the day…) so I don’t let in too much warm air from outside?
To simplify this, going to the second paragraph above: If I keep my house at 75 and the max temp is 75 that day you’d keep the windows open, right? What about 80? 85? Do you close them at 77?
I rarely run the AC. We live in the country with a large tract of woods out the back. I close the windows when it will be hotter outside than it will be inside. It makes a lot more difference if you draw the curtains.
Typically it’s not that bad. My wife sometimes will complain about that, and I have to hold my tongue on how it’s not like the house is getting dusted all that frequently anyways…
We’re lucky enough to have one big tree in the front yard in a medium sized tree in the front side yard to provide a lot of shade, so the first floor windows don’t really get much direct light.
One issue is the back west wall of the house is brick, and in the afternoon soaks up all the heat. That brick wall is also the lower outside wall to our MBR. I’ve sprayed it with a hose before once the sun is setting to try and cool it off, I doubt it does anything.
Also depends how much sun you get in the windows as well. If you have south facing windows leaving them closed can cook the room. Generally we don’t close the windows until its 80+ degrees and when we do, we also close the shades and curtains.
My neighbors on the other hand had their AC running during our first 80 degree day of the year.
Here’s a twist though. On the first floor, the southeast room (again, virtually no direct sun) is where the thermostat is. The upstairs is of course hotter than downstairs. So I try and not open the downstairs windows so it isn’t too cool so the AC shuts off and leaves upstairs roasting. The only windows I open are upstairs.
I have my windows open in the morning, then close them, then open them back up in the evening. We don’t run the A/C unless the temp outside is 30 C (86 F) or higher.
To simplify this, going to the second paragraph above: If I keep my house at 75 and the max temp is 75 that day you’d keep the windows open, right? What about 80? 85? Do you close them at 77?
Just because it’s 75 outside and you have your windows open, that doesn’t mean your house will necessarily also be 75. You house is a box, with the sun shining down on the roof, warming the air in the attic or top level rooms. Additionally, body heat, electronics, appliances, etc all add heat to the home. And you have insulation in the walls designed to keep heat in. Unless you have very good ventilation and air movement, your interior will get warmer than 75 pretty easily.
To simplify this, going to the second paragraph above: If I keep my house at 75 and the max temp is 75 that day you’d keep the windows open, right? What about 80? 85? Do you close them at 77?
Just because it’s 75 outside and you have your windows open, that doesn’t mean your house will necessarily also be 75. You house is a box, with the sun shining down on the roof, warming the air in the attic or top level rooms. Additionally, body heat, electronics, appliances, etc all add heat to the home. And you have insulation in the walls designed to keep heat in. Unless you have very good ventilation and air movement, your interior will get warmer than 75 pretty easily.
Yup. Last weekend it was roughly 20 C (68 F) all weekend. The we had our windows open and the house was about 76 F in the afternoon.
Well the AC will kick on at 75. That’s what I have it set at.
If it is 73 degrees inside, and 76 outside, am I better off leaving the windows open, or closing them?
For better or worse we have very little if any insulation (65+ year old house). And the attic gets hot as hell even with the exhaust fan up there (I should probably look into installing a better/newer one).
We don’t run the A/C unless the temp outside is 30 C (86 F) or higher.
If my house were 85 degrees I would get zero sleep. I’m going to set the thermostat so that I’m comfortable and not worry about it. Electricity is a bargain.
My house is never that hot inside. Right now we don’t have the fan on in the house. During the summer we have the fan circulating the cold air of the basment through the vents up into the rest of the house. That helps a lot. Our AC turns on when the house is 80 F.