uvadixiechicken wrote in message ...

I'm on a tight budget, and I'm trying to lower my AC bill.
I don't have a programmable AC (live in an apartment).
So, I was wondering if you could tell me how I could most
efficiently set my thermostat and the fan (only settings are
'auto' and 'on').

Dan O. wrote in message ...

On "auto" the fan motor will cycle on and off when the air
conditioner does. On "ON" the fan motor will run continuously.

While the fan motor uses *some* energy and it cycling on
and off with the A/C will save some of that, the savings will
be insignificant IMO in relation to the energy consumed by
the A/C itself which is the main energy consumer.

To save power, turn the thermostat to a higher temperature
which in turn will cause the A/C to run less and consume less
energy.

Also, having the A/C's outdoor condenser professionally
cleaned at least every 3 years or every year if you live in
a high traffic area will allow it to cool the best it can while
using the least amount of energy.

EL wrote

Gotta disagree a little with Dan on this one.

First the part where I agree: higher temp will save
energy and $$$. Period.

But there's another angle to the fan auto/on question.
In "auto" (the "normal" mode of operation), the fan shuts
off when cooling is not called for by the thermostat.

Set to "on", the fan runs all the time, consuming a small
amount of electricity as Dan said. But there's a secondary
effect: when the A/C shuts off but the fan stays running,
some of the moisture that condensed in the A/C coil will
re-evaporate into the air in your house.

Therefore, the indoor humidity will be higher, making it feel
warmer inside.

While that may be true, the "re-evaporate" process will also consume heat
which is the main purpose of the unit, the removal of heat. I wonder if
anyone has done any actual tests to determine the effect of either?

Also, we don't know where the OP lives and may be in a dry climate where a
'swamp cooler' type evaporative cooler is quite acceptable (especially
considering the limited amount of humidity likely to be produced by such a
process in a regular A/C unit IMO).

The main point I was trying to make was that a professionally maintained
(cleaned) air conditioner will have the greatest effect on energy
consumption as it helps the main energy consumer (the compressor) do its job
most efficiently.

JMO

Dan O.
-
Appliance411.com
http://ng.Appliance411.com/?ref411=air+conditioners

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