Matt Mc_Carthy  wrote
 
-------------Air conditioning
 
 PM>  Even on very hot days, I usually don't use the
 PM>  A/C until 2 pm.
 
> I use an automatic "setback thermostat", one of
> those electronic gadgets with programable time and
> temperature settings. I set it the opposite of the
> recommended settings, that is, colder at night
> when the outside is cooler reduces the load on the
> A/C, and pre-cools the house for the next day. At
> 8:00AM it goes up one degree, and at 1:00PM it
> goes up another degree. On most days when it is 90
> degrees outside, the A/C doesn't come on until
> 3:00 to 4:00PM.  At 9:00PM after the sun is down,
> it drops one degree, then again at 11:45PM it
> drops another degree for comfortable sleep.
 
 I'm a chronic tinkerer/gadgeteer and there's
 nothing I won't modify [I won't say 'improve'[g]
 but that's one appliance I've left alone. I've
 even removed the built in thermostat that cycles
 the bedroom one on and off becuase it does so too
 often for sound sleep. So while it may not be the
 most cost efficient way to go, I simply crank 'em
 up when necessary. But by venting the place at
 night, cooling only those rooms in use, and other
 such practices, the total A/C time is at most a
 couple of hours a day, even when the temperature
 and humidity is high. So cost has never been any
 kind of burden that I've noticed -- $5/month per
 5-6000 BTU unit. But then we're supposed to have
 the lowest electricity rates in North America.
 
 PM>   I don't really think a frig generates that much
 PM>  heat, but I could be wrong. How hot are the coils
 PM>  in back of your frig? A tip Hydro-Quebec repeats
 PM>  often is to keep those coils free of dust-buidup.
 
> That's a good tip too! If the heat can't get out
> of those coils, the fridge has to run longer to
> get it's job of removing the heat from inside the
> box done.
 
 Yup. I once saw a layer of built-up dust on frig
 coils that looked like it could have been
 sprayed-on insulation. Don't think that frig was
 very efficient.
 
 >> Only the lower halves of our windows let air
 >> circulate, that puts a lot of distance between it
 >> and the ceiling which is more than a meter higher
 >> - some heat reservoir!
 
 PM>   Sounds like -that- could be a problem.
 PM>   Again, a good window fan might help get that
 PM>   hot air out.
 
> It would help a lot if such a fan could be mounted
> in the upper half of a window to skim the heat
> from the ceiling area.
 
 That might not be possible if he has the type
 of windows I suspect he has -- the upper half
 sealed. He might be able to remove a section of the
 upper part to install the window fan, don't know.
 If not, a combination of a room fan aimed at the
 ceiling to circulate the air in the room, plus a
 window fan to get the hot air to the outside,
 should do the trick.
 
 
 
 
 

--- Maximus/2 3.01