Air Conditioning war: battle of the roommates

[Shaabenanizer]

I have a roommate for the summer. She’s originally from Arizona so I thought she would be okay with our fine hot humid weather. Quite the opposite, and she’s always turning the AC down to the ridiculous 62 degree while I’m okay at 80 degree. After a week of battling over the thermostat, we agreed to leave the thermostat at 79 degree when we’re both out of the house and then turn the AC down to 75 before going to bed. I’ve shut the vent in my room so that I don’t freeze to death while sleeping.

I think I’ve figured out that it’s not so much as the heat that bothers my roommate but the humidity. She can’t sleep unless there’s blast of cold air blowing on her. She recently got a new job where she won’t come home until 11 pm on some nights, so I’ll probably turn down the AC to 76 (not 75!) right before she comes home and that way she’ll have a constant gust of cold air as she prepares for bed.

I’m trying to get used to the AC noise at night and maybe eventually I’ll be able to tune out the noise. Maybe.

In the meantime is there any thing else I can do to improve the situation? I’ve thought about getting a dehumidifier…except I kind of need the humidity for health comfort.

P.S. the water heater is turned off for 21 hours a day as my way to make up for the AC being on more often.

[kork13]

She should get a stand or tower fan. Half of my family is that way (needs blowing air to sleep comfortably), and instead of running the A/C constantly, we used fans. The (modestly set) A/C will keep the air acceptably dehumidified, and the running fan keeps the air moving. Give it a shot.

[Shaabenanizer]

Thanks Kork13! I'm going to check out Target or Craigslist as a way to move the issue forward.

[jIM_Ohio]

ceiling fans
I could not sleep in a 75 degree house- needs to be cooler

[MonkeyMama]

Not that this helps, but next time don't take a roommate from Arizona (or California). It is no doubt a humidity thing. We are used to 0 humidity.

Hopefully, a fan will help.

[disneysteve]

she’s always turning the AC down to the ridiculous 62 degree while I’m okay at 80 degree.

I think I’ve figured out that it’s not so much as the heat that bothers my roommate but the humidity.

I'd say you are both wrong.

80 degrees is not a setting for the AC. You may as well turn it off because it won't ever come on anyway. That also isn't good for your house because the high humidity can damage the structure and lead to mold and mildew build up.

And you most certainly do not need to set the AC to 62 degrees to comfortably handle the humidity or the temperature.

So I think you need to agree on some middle ground. We keep ours at 76 during the day and 74 at night and that seems to work pretty well. At work, we need to keep it on 70 or 71 because every time somebody opens the front door, a blast of hot air and humidity comes in and if we don't keep it that low, the office never cools off and gets really stuffy.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

My AC certainly will come on when set at 80 degrees.That's where we had it set yesterday, cooling the house to 20 degrees cooler than outside. Could it be that older units can regulate to 80, but newer ones cannot?

Wherever one lives or moves to, one needs to adjust at least a bit to the climate. We do live on Planet Earth not some Planet of Perfect Comfort, and should expect to have to get used to some changes. (But personally I think the human body is meant to live seaside...in the tropics...with a pleasant breeze.)

[PrincessPerky]

My AC runs at 80 degrees...quite frequently on.

and a fan is essential to dealing with the temp.

AZ is not humid, neither is TX, least not the part I visited...

[disneysteve]

My AC certainly will come on when set at 80 degrees.

My AC runs at 80 degrees...quite frequently on.

I guess it depends on the temp where you live. I'm in NJ and we rarely get over the low 90s and is usually in the 80s most of the summer and dips into the low 70s at night. Our house is pretty well insulated so the inside temp wouldn't really climb over 80 that often. Of course, we'd never let it because we'd be dying if we didn't have the air on well before it got to 80.

[MonkeyMama]

I had to chime in - depends where you live. We have no humidity, but a modern/well insulated building will easily get up to 100 degrees in the worst of summer. Which probably isn't good for the home, or material possessions, humidity or no. 80 is quite nice, with no humidity - and our AC works pretty hard to keep it there.

[terces]

AZ is not humid, neither is TX, least not the part I visited...

Come down to Houston.... its humid here! We keep ours at 78. Its always running. The fan is a great idea. We have ceiling fans in almost every room.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

DH and I were just out and commenting to each other how much more pleasant it is today than yesterday. We both noted that it feels much less humid. Coming home, I opened doors and windows for some fresh air in the house.

Weatherunderground.com tells me it is presently 87F and 50% relative humidity. We are on the Mississippi valley....I never thought of TX as having low humidity, so I looked up the weather in Katy where we have relatives: 93F and 33% RH. Hmm, we usually only get humidity like that in winter. Isn't Katy a suburb of Houston? (update: Huston currently 86F and 28% RH.)

[Angio333]

I hate to say it, but I have to side with your friend....80 degrees is way to hot. 75 sounds like a fair compromise.

[terces]

That's weird Joan.... today's humidity is 91%!

[disneysteve]

Coming home, I opened doors and windows for some fresh air in the house.

I wish. Wife and daughter both have allergies. Opening windows is not an option here. In fact, I spend a big part of my day during allergy season giving patients handouts and explaining why they should keep their windows closed at all times.