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Weird question about central air

:lol: Sorry. Thrilla is a hottie. Cannot be helped. :shrug:

Seriously, though - I hope they are solved, too. The electrician is coming out on Monday. I hope he finds something.
 
Superfly said:
OK I have a weird question. I try to keep my thermostat set on 75. Our electric bill is really high (around $400+ a month, during the summer) so I tried to keep it on 78 but it was just too hot, and my husband has COPD and emphysema, so he can't breathe when he gets too hot. Anyway. So during the hottest part of the day, when it's around 90 to 95 outside, the house is quite comfortable at 75. However, at night, when the temps drop to 70 to 75, the house is just awful. It's so hot. Last night, I went to bed about 3am, and my tee shirt was stuck to my back from all the sweat. Now does that make sense to you?

I'd think, logically, that it'd be hotter in the house during the day than during the night, but the night is often unbearable. Also, logic would dictate that 75 is 75, no matter what the temp is outside.

Also, let me reiterate - I run an extremely high electric bill. It's at least double, if not triple, of everyone else's here in the neighborhood. Now this is a brand new house, only about a year old. Last Sunday, we woke up and the house was really hot. We went outside to see if the unit was running, and it was, but along all the wires leading into the house, they were frozen solid. We turned off the AC and turned the unit strictly on fan, and left it on until the ice melted. Once the ice melted, the air started working again. We had the HVAC guy come out and he had to put in a couple of pounds of Freon and said he thinks we have a bad *something-or-other* part.

Would that have anything to do with us sweltering at night? Would it have anything to do with our electric bill being so much higher than everyone elses? I don't want to depend on this guy to tell me the truth, because of course he's going to say that everything's fine and I'm worried over nothing. My husband and my daughters both said that it's unbearably hot at night, but I don't dare turn the thermostat down below 75. I couldn't imagine what the bill would be. :(
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Too many factors here, I would love to help your situation tho.

You could have a closed vent or an obstruction or an inadequate air conditioner...
 
Superfly said:
OK I have a weird question. I try to keep my thermostat set on 75. Our electric bill is really high (around $400+ a month, during the summer) so I tried to keep it on 78 but it was just too hot, and my husband has COPD and emphysema, so he can't breathe when he gets too hot. Anyway. So during the hottest part of the day, when it's around 90 to 95 outside, the house is quite comfortable at 75. However, at night, when the temps drop to 70 to 75, the house is just awful. It's so hot. Last night, I went to bed about 3am, and my tee shirt was stuck to my back from all the sweat. Now does that make sense to you?

I'd think, logically, that it'd be hotter in the house during the day than during the night, but the night is often unbearable. Also, logic would dictate that 75 is 75, no matter what the temp is outside.

Also, let me reiterate - I run an extremely high electric bill. It's at least double, if not triple, of everyone else's here in the neighborhood. Now this is a brand new house, only about a year old. Last Sunday, we woke up and the house was really hot. We went outside to see if the unit was running, and it was, but along all the wires leading into the house, they were frozen solid. We turned off the AC and turned the unit strictly on fan, and left it on until the ice melted. Once the ice melted, the air started working again. We had the HVAC guy come out and he had to put in a couple of pounds of Freon and said he thinks we have a bad *something-or-other* part.

Would that have anything to do with us sweltering at night? Would it have anything to do with our electric bill being so much higher than everyone elses? I don't want to depend on this guy to tell me the truth, because of course he's going to say that everything's fine and I'm worried over nothing. My husband and my daughters both said that it's unbearably hot at night, but I don't dare turn the thermostat down below 75. I couldn't imagine what the bill would be. :(
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You have a leak somewhere. Could be at the something or other. Could be in the coil in your air handler - they're notorious for developing leaks at the bends in the coil. This lack of adequate R22 causes your ac to run too much, causes the ice on the lines outside, and just will not adequately cool as a result. Find out who makes that ac unit, and call them. Most have a toll free number, and they can tell you what the likely problem is, and also what your electrical consumption should be. Then find someone to fix it who knows what they're doing. If an HVAC tech came and charged the unit without fixing the source of the problem, don't call that guy again.
 
humbolt said:
You have a leak somewhere. Could be at the something or other. Could be in the coil in your air handler - they're notorious for developing leaks at the bends in the coil. This lack of adequate R22 causes your ac to run too much, causes the ice on the lines outside, and just will not adequately cool as a result. Find out who makes that ac unit, and call them. Most have a toll free number, and they can tell you what the likely problem is, and also what your electrical consumption should be. Then find someone to fix it who knows what they're doing. If an HVAC tech came and charged the unit without fixing the source of the problem, don't call that guy again.
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I've never seen an air conditioner "leak" - when that happenes they realize they were just ripped off for some copper.
 
Thanks, guys - it was apparently a leak in the evaporator coil. They replaced it today, so we'll see how it goes. Also, I'm holding out hope for Monday when the electrician shows up. I'm honestly hoping he can find the problem and we can fix it and move on.
 
Mr.Nick said:
I've never seen an air conditioner "leak" - when that happenes they realize they were just ripped off for some copper.
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Well, then it wouldn't cool at all, and it would be obvious that lines were missing. There are two copper lines which run - one from the ac compressor to the cooling coil in the air handler, and a return line to the ac from the coil. Either line can leak coolant, as well as the coil and a valve, and the condensing coil. Happens all the time.
 
Superfly said:
OK I have a weird question. I try to keep my thermostat set on 75. Our electric bill is really high (around $400+ a month, during the summer) so I tried to keep it on 78 but it was just too hot, and my husband has COPD and emphysema, so he can't breathe when he gets too hot. Anyway. So during the hottest part of the day, when it's around 90 to 95 outside, the house is quite comfortable at 75. However, at night, when the temps drop to 70 to 75, the house is just awful. It's so hot. Last night, I went to bed about 3am, and my tee shirt was stuck to my back from all the sweat. Now does that make sense to you?

I'd think, logically, that it'd be hotter in the house during the day than during the night, but the night is often unbearable. Also, logic would dictate that 75 is 75, no matter what the temp is outside.

Also, let me reiterate - I run an extremely high electric bill. It's at least double, if not triple, of everyone else's here in the neighborhood. Now this is a brand new house, only about a year old. Last Sunday, we woke up and the house was really hot. We went outside to see if the unit was running, and it was, but along all the wires leading into the house, they were frozen solid. We turned off the AC and turned the unit strictly on fan, and left it on until the ice melted. Once the ice melted, the air started working again. We had the HVAC guy come out and he had to put in a couple of pounds of Freon and said he thinks we have a bad *something-or-other* part.

Would that have anything to do with us sweltering at night? Would it have anything to do with our electric bill being so much higher than everyone elses? I don't want to depend on this guy to tell me the truth, because of course he's going to say that everything's fine and I'm worried over nothing. My husband and my daughters both said that it's unbearably hot at night, but I don't dare turn the thermostat down below 75. I couldn't imagine what the bill would be. :(
Click to expand...


Check your water heater. 75% of the time when someone's bill is way high, it is the water heater, or something else that uses heating elements, like the clothes dryer running all the time.
 
Goshin said:
Check your water heater. 75% of the time when someone's bill is way high, it is the water heater, or something else that uses heating elements, like the clothes dryer running all the time.
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In my house, it's the big-ass TV in the living room. I don't watch television much, and last month, I left it turned off most of the time (I often leave it on for the noise), and my bill was substantially less than I expected. :mrgreen:
 
Goshin said:
Check your water heater. 75% of the time when someone's bill is way high, it is the water heater, or something else that uses heating elements, like the clothes dryer running all the time.
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We checked that last year. Thanks, though, hon. That and the AC unit were the first things we checked. They both seem/ed to be operating normally. At least until the AC sprung a leak. :lol:
 
lizzie said:
In my house, it's the big-ass TV in the living room. I don't watch television much, and last month, I left it turned off most of the time (I often leave it on for the noise), and my bill was substantially less than I expected. :mrgreen:
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We have a big-ass TV in the living room, too, but it's brand new and it's energy efficient. The label said it ran something like $9 a year to operate.
 
lizzie said:
In my house, it's the big-ass TV in the living room. I don't watch television much, and last month, I left it turned off most of the time (I often leave it on for the noise), and my bill was substantially less than I expected. :mrgreen:
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What kind of TV is it? LCD or LED or Plasma or an old tube type TV? I have a LED TV in the living room and I think it uses a lot less energy and produces less heat than the one in our bedroom which is LCD.
 
Superfly said:
Thanks, Auntie. We aren't allowed :roll: to have window units. Although our HOA is crap right now so I could get away with murder and dare anyone to say anything to me about it.

longview - I don't understand why a window unit would work as a "hurricane" unit. *confused*

KSU - We have double-paned windows and they are tinted almost like a green color to make them energy efficient. Is that what you are talking about?
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No. This is a screen...like a screen door. Tint doesn't do the same thing.
 
OK. Update: The electrician came out today and said that there was nothing wrong. He checked everything, checked all the wires in the breaker box. Said nothing was spiking really high, and most things, including the hot water heater, spiked low, which was good. He then said that, based on what he saw, with the wiring, with our new energy star appliances and with our normal usage, that there was absolutely no way that our electric bill should be this high. Said there was no issue with grounding, either.

He gave us a few ideas, but while he was standing here, our lights started dimming. He said that that sounded like an issue with the outside wiring, not the inside, and to call Georgia Power. We did. We are waiting on them to come out. We are also going to request a new meterbox outside.

Now here is another question. We've been told both. Georgia Power told us to keep our thermostat on about 78. He said that is what they suggest to everyone. However, when the electrician was here, he didn't necessarily agree with that. He said that, when your AC unit cuts on, it spikes way up there. Said all units do. Once it's on, then it slows down and doesn't use as much electricity. So I asked him, "What do you think is better - to leave it on high, like 78, and pay more for it to kick on, or leave it lower, like around 73, and hope that it doesn't cut on as often, because it's always on." He didn't give me much of an answer, so I'm asking you guys what you think.

Leave it on high, suffer in the heat, and pay more when it kicks on (but it will kick on less), or....
Leave it on lower, be very comfortable, and hopefully the unit won't have to kick on as often because it's always on.
 
Superfly said:
OK. Update: The electrician came out today and said that there was nothing wrong. He checked everything, checked all the wires in the breaker box. Said nothing was spiking really high, and most things, including the hot water heater, spiked low, which was good. He then said that, based on what he saw, with the wiring, with our new energy star appliances and with our normal usage, that there was absolutely no way that our electric bill should be this high. Said there was no issue with grounding, either.

He gave us a few ideas, but while he was standing here, our lights started dimming. He said that that sounded like an issue with the outside wiring, not the inside, and to call Georgia Power. We did. We are waiting on them to come out. We are also going to request a new meterbox outside.

Now here is another question. We've been told both. Georgia Power told us to keep our thermostat on about 78. He said that is what they suggest to everyone. However, when the electrician was here, he didn't necessarily agree with that. He said that, when your AC unit cuts on, it spikes way up there. Said all units do. Once it's on, then it slows down and doesn't use as much electricity. So I asked him, "What do you think is better - to leave it on high, like 78, and pay more for it to kick on, or leave it lower, like around 73, and hope that it doesn't cut on as often, because it's always on." He didn't give me much of an answer, so I'm asking you guys what you think.

Leave it on high, suffer in the heat, and pay more when it kicks on (but it will kick on less), or....
Leave it on lower, be very comfortable, and hopefully the unit won't have to kick on as often because it's always on.
Click to expand...

Ya ever think your neighbors might be lying about theor electric bills?
 
IDK. Our upstairs unit cannot maintain a temperature that high. If we set it on something above about 72, the temperature will shoot several degrees higher than the setting before it kicks on, but it can maintain 70° 24/7. Just one of those oddities.
 
Superfly said:
OK. Update: The electrician came out today and said that there was nothing wrong. He checked everything, checked all the wires in the breaker box. Said nothing was spiking really high, and most things, including the hot water heater, spiked low, which was good. He then said that, based on what he saw, with the wiring, with our new energy star appliances and with our normal usage, that there was absolutely no way that our electric bill should be this high. Said there was no issue with grounding, either.

He gave us a few ideas, but while he was standing here, our lights started dimming. He said that that sounded like an issue with the outside wiring, not the inside, and to call Georgia Power. We did. We are waiting on them to come out. We are also going to request a new meterbox outside.

Now here is another question. We've been told both. Georgia Power told us to keep our thermostat on about 78. He said that is what they suggest to everyone. However, when the electrician was here, he didn't necessarily agree with that. He said that, when your AC unit cuts on, it spikes way up there. Said all units do. Once it's on, then it slows down and doesn't use as much electricity. So I asked him, "What do you think is better - to leave it on high, like 78, and pay more for it to kick on, or leave it lower, like around 73, and hope that it doesn't cut on as often, because it's always on." He didn't give me much of an answer, so I'm asking you guys what you think.

Leave it on high, suffer in the heat, and pay more when it kicks on (but it will kick on less), or....
Leave it on lower, be very comfortable, and hopefully the unit won't have to kick on as often because it's always on.
Click to expand...
Depending on the unit of course the likely hood is that the capacitance draw at the start of of a compressor cycle will only amount to about two or three minutes of average draw run time. Cycle start spikes in amperage are huge, but they are very short.
It is a factor but people tend to exaggerate the effect on the bill overall. You can bet that the higher you set the thermostat the less you will pay for air cooling. Setting the thermostat at 78 will definitely cost less than 75. The cycles will be shorter and the "start draws" will be fewer. Only if the cycle starts are less that three minutes apart will lowering the thermostat be more efficient and lower the electric bill. If the differential Where the system overshoots the pre-set before shutting off is set properly on the thermostat that will never happen. Cycles should be at least 1.5 degrees apart to get a proper hysteresis of at least 10 to 15 minutes.
If the compressor is cycling shorter than that you have a thermostat problem.
 
winston53660 said:
Ya ever think your neighbors might be lying about theor electric bills?
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No. Georgia Power said the same thing. I actually had someone from Georgia Power say, "Why the heck is your light bill so much higher than everyone else's?" so I know it's not just the neighbors saying as much.
 
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