How do you set your a/c unit?

[Nick ZepTepi]

Over night my ac runs on 27c dry mode, the fan and cooling only switch on occasionally.

 

In the day time I do the same maybe drop it couple of degrees add it warms up.

 

I've got a south facing outer wall on my room and found that if I keep Windows doors and curtains closed when I go out for the afternoon i can switch off the AC and the room remains a little cooler & less humid on my return than opening windows but closing curtains.

The price is fairly economic, to run it like this than to have it on cool.

 

Any other tips to keep it pleasant yet economical?

 

Sent from my mobile, please forgive the autocorrect.

 

 

[naboo]

Turn it off overnight and use a fan. We run ours until we go to bed, the only exception being April.

 

It doesn't come on until 4pm either. I think this is because of our house, though, the sun only seems to heat things up as it shines in through the windows in the late afternoon.

[tonray]

Turn it off on October 31st and back on again March 15th.

[VocalNeal]

I have mine on about 26/27 at night plus a regular fan.

[Lizard2010]

Keep your curtains and windows closed from 11 Am

Maybe keep you windows closed till after the sun goes down

It is always a hit and miss

It all depends on where the sun is compared to you room

I use a fan most of the time

With a new A/C unit set at 26 I only use to cool the room down after 30 Deg C

I maybe use 2 to 3 hours a day the A/C i will use more when it get hot

Hope this is of help

[Pilotman]

max of two air cons on in the house at any one time, one on in the bedroom all night  all set at 21 degrees, love it. 

[Nick ZepTepi]

It's the humidity that has more affect on me. Just a fan probably wouldn't do the trick. Dry setting on my AC does seem a bit cheaper to run.

Sent from my mobile, please forgive the autocorrect.

[Pilotman]

Our house is very open plan but we have builders all around, so its not possible to open windows  yet and get a breeze through.  When that day comes, I'm sure that aircon will only be needed at night, on very hot days and perhaps in the study if I have work to do. One thing that is a must for me is that I like to be bordering on cold in  bed. My long suffering wife had to put up with open windows all year round in the UK, now she has to put up with low temperatures in our Thai bedroom, but I just can't get a good nights sleep without it. She just wraps up!  What I can't fathom is that I did three tours in Asia, including one in Borneo, with the Military and no air-con and I dont recall it being a big issue.  Must be getting soft in my old age!  

[Tonto21]

Off for most of the year. If hot, it gets put on in the bedroom for an hour when going to bed, then sleep with fan.

 

Have a big AC in the lounge, rarely use, but do a few times a year to stretch it's legs.... so to speak.

 

I struggle with AC, I find, for me using AC a little, leads to using it more and more until I can't function without it. If I use over night I normally wake up feeling shit.

[Tonto21]

10 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Our house is very open plan but we have builders all around, so its not possible to open windows  yet and get a breeze through.  When that day comes, I'm sure that aircon will only be needed at night, on very hot days and perhaps in the study if I have work to do. One thing that is a must for me is that I like to be bordering on cold in  bed. My long suffering wife had to put up with open windows all year round in the UK, now she has to put up with low temperatures in our Thai bedroom, but I just can't get a good nights sleep without it. She just wraps up!  What I can't fathom is that I did three tours in Asia, including one in Borneo, with the Military and no air-con and I dont recall it being a big issue.  Must be getting soft in my old age!  

 

 

What you need is a refresher course 'Pilotman'  get you back out in the bush for a week, living under a basher, pulling dark-O-clock watches and smashing jungle trails with 60Ib strapped to you..... Happy days.

 

[Pilotman]

5 minutes ago, Tonto21 said:

 

 

What you need is a refresher course 'Pilotman'  get you back out in the bush for a week, living under a basher, pulling dark-O-clock watches and smashing jungle trails with 60Ib strapped to you..... Happy days.

 

Ha Ha  yep, you're probably right, but the memories are I'm sure better than the experience ever was, although I do look back fondly at those days. 

[searcher22]

I also set my a/c to 27 C overnight, with an automatic shut-off at 4 a.m. while keeping one fan active.

Edited September 27, 2017 by searcher22

[connda]

Put insulative batting above your ceiling tiles.  Personally, I don't use the A/C until it starts to get hot during the day, which is generally after 12 noon.  However, we do use the A/C at night until the Cool Season.  I find that I sleep significantly better in a cool, dry bedroom.  So, it's worth the price to me to keep in on at night, but we offset that cost by not using the A/C in the morning sometimes into the early afternoon. And we keep the temp at 27 C.  It's really all about how you define your personal comfort.  

Edited September 27, 2017 by connda

[baansgr]

Its not the air con that increases electricity usage, its hot showers, kettle, oven, washing machine, toaster, anything that is heating. Suprisingly having a 12,000 BTU ac on most of the day shouldn't cost anymore than 400-600 a month. Of course depends on roof and wall insulation as well as age and condition of unit.

[Jack Mountain]

I always put the air-con in the bedroom at original room temp -2. Mostly 29 degrees. Electric bill for all is about 1000 Baht.

[Sparkles]

24 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Its not the air con that increases electricity usage, its hot showers, kettle, oven, washing machine, toaster, anything that is heating. Suprisingly having a 12,000 BTU ac on most of the day shouldn't cost anymore than 400-600 a month. Of course depends on roof and wall insulation as well as age and condition of unit.

With respect I would disagree.In the hot/humid months March/April to end October our little brick house averages 2,000 baht per month. I simply cant do without ac ,13 BTU bedroom and a 9 BTU study. In the cooler months November to March the monthly av is around 800 baht. We use more hot water in the cooler months and the electric oven ,toaster,TV's, computer,washing machine etc the same usage all year round

[mamypoko]

Consider buying a cheapy humidifier. Feels much cooler and I end up using the aircon much less.

[4MyEgo]

We have 7 A/C units in our house, the most we would use them would be at night, if its too hot, otherwise its fans, only 3 of the 6 bedrooms would have them on at 26, however during the hot season we will put the A/C at the back and the A/C at the front on at around 3.00pm until we go to bed.

 

You would be surprised how much heat comes in through your glass window panels, what I do during the hot season is put up soffit barges up on the window ledges, refer to the first photo below, the soffit barges are things you use for under your eaves, i.e. 600mm x 1200mm, simple 45 baht per sheet fibro pieces that knock the sun dead out, you can still get some light in by moving them to how you want, i.e. a gap between each fibro sheet, or add another one or two over the top off each other blocking the little slits that allow the sunlight in to really keep the sun totally out.

 

We have a front room where the sun hits from about 2pm until the sun goes down, thinking it was the wall heating up, yes well, but the 1800mm width 3 glass panel window would allow 70% of the heat in, it was like walking into an oven, but you put 3 of these fibro sheets over and you could sit down watching TV in there without a problem, they would reduce the heat by 90%, I kid you not, and its so so so cheap to do, a couple of hundred baht per window, try it.

 

I swear by them, although they might seem a little unpleasing to the eye, personally I don't care, keeping the house cool is my priority during the summer season where you get those 40 plus temps. It also helps to have some curtains with sunblock on the back, or them being thick enough to reduce the heat coming in and also work well in keeping the cool from the A/C in.

 

You can get the fibro sheets from the hardware and the curtains from Home Pro, the curtains more expensive than the fibro sheeting.

 

It is the really cheap alternative, although you will need to put them on the outside, because you don't want the sun touching the windows as they will heat up and allow the heat in, i.e. not on the inside, so if you have a window ledge, your almost there, however if you don't, putting them on the inside will still work, but probably to 70% if you increase the thickness, x 3 sheets, over each other, which is still better than nothing.

 

Buy 2 or 3, give them a go, and I swear, you will go back out and buy the rest for the remaining windows, just bring them down when it gets windy, otherwise as soon as they hit the ground they will break in two.

 

Put them up in the morning, then simply take them down before the sun goes down, and or remove them from the windows that the sun is not hitting as it moves around the house during the day.

 

It will also reduce your A/C costs.

 

 

  

Edited September 27, 2017 by 4MyEgo

[bazza73]

I very rarely need aircon. I sleep stark naked, no bedclothes, with a fan blowing over me. Apologies if that is too much information.

[bbbb1952]

17 hours ago, Nick ZepTepi said:

 

Over night my ac runs on 27c dry mode, the fan and cooling only switch on occasionally.

 

In the day time I do the same maybe drop it couple of degrees add it warms up.

 

I've got a south facing outer wall on my room and found that if I keep Windows doors and curtains closed when I go out for the afternoon i can switch off the AC and the room remains a little cooler & less humid on my return than opening windows but closing curtains.

The price is fairly economic, to run it like this than to have it on cool.

 

Any other tips to keep it pleasant yet economical?

 

Sent from my mobile, please forgivhave e the autocorrect.

 

 

 

We have a rented house no loft insulation some days hotter inside than out landlord want help I like to insolate it but to much money 

[bbbb1952]

17 hours ago, Nick ZepTepi said:

 

Over night my ac runs on 27c dry mode, the fan and cooling only switch on occasionally.

 

In the day time I do the same maybe drop it couple of degrees add it warms up.

 

I've got a south facing outer wall on my room and found that if I keep Windows doors and curtains closed when I go out for the afternoon i can switch off the AC and the room remains a little cooler & less humid on my return than opening windows but closing curtains.

The price is fairly economic, to run it like this than to have it on cool.

 

Any other tips to keep it pleasant yet economical?

 

Sent from my mobile, please forgivhave e the autocorrect.

 

 

 

We have a rented house no loft insulation some days hotter inside than out landlord want help I like to insolate it but to much money 

[Nick ZepTepi]

Those soffit boards remind me of the external shutters they had in Portugal. each slat had a gap between then and of lifted would have small slots of light coming through much like yours but horizontal.

Sent from my mobile, please forgive the autocorrect.

[DukSiam1]

I rent condos for my stays of 2-3 months. An efficient air-con doesn't seem to be available for these rental units. I always request a cleaning as soon as I move in and am amazed at the gunk that shows up in the cleaning water.

In 2 different condos I was surprised at the 1st month's electricity charge. After some snooping I discovered that, with everything turned off, the meter kept running. I even pulled the breaker and still the meter ran. The manager frowned and said, "Have problem". It was corrected soon after. I suspect my electricity was being tapped.

Once I had a very poor fridge that would get quite hot on the sides when running. It was a Thai boy that had the solution. He said to move the fridge onto the balcony.

[tryasimight]

4 hours ago, bazza73 said:

I very rarely need aircon. I sleep stark naked, no bedclothes, with a fan blowing over me. Apologies if that is too much information.

Without photos it never happened.........

[FolkGuitar]

We don't run the A/C during the day. We have three fans that seem to do the trick for us. But night time, we'll turn the unit on in the bedroom, set at 28 degrees.

I've noticed that when we come back from a vacation where the rooms were air conditioned during the days, for the first day or two back we wanted to turn ours on too. But by the second day, we were comfortable again with just the fans.

[BuddyDean]

Surprising how little Low E glass is used here.  The glass doesn't get hot.  Otherwise, I would go with a thermostatically controlled attic fan, or a pair of spinners....for starters.  If buying a new AC, the extra cost oif a 16 SEER over a 12  can be recouped in about a year....well worth it.

[The manic]

My AC 18 to 21 for a  couple of hours at night but use ceiling fans... When I didn't have to pay had it on 21 all night and day when I was in the villa. I like it very cold at night.

[Ulic]

I put aluminum foil on the bedroom windows (reflective side out)

Also keep the blackout curtains drawn. Set the air con on 27c at night.

I like my bedroom as dark as possible and dry more than cool.

I use the fan in the living room in the AM and early afternoon. When it

starts to get too hot, I close the living room blackout curtains and turn

on the air con there. The outside wall of the condo faces south and gets

really quite hot. My electric bills generally range from 800-1,400 baht

depending on the time of year. Well worth the price to stay comfortable. 

[Ulic]

17 hours ago, mamypoko said:

Consider buying a cheapy humidifier. Feels much cooler and I end up using the aircon much less.

Dehumidifier

[Lizard2010]

12 hours ago, DukSiam1 said:

I rent condos for my stays of 2-3 months. An efficient air-con doesn't seem to be available for these rental units. I always request a cleaning as soon as I move in and am amazed at the gunk that shows up in the cleaning water.

In 2 different condos I was surprised at the 1st month's electricity charge. After some snooping I discovered that, with everything turned off, the meter kept running. I even pulled the breaker and still the meter ran. The manager frowned and said, "Have problem". It was corrected soon after. I suspect my electricity was being tapped.

Once I had a very poor fridge that would get quite hot on the sides when running. It was a Thai boy that had the solution. He said to move the fridge onto the balcony.

Yes the Old Style A/C churn up the electricity Cleaning helps

One friend was renting form 1 place the electricity was going up each month  Plus they were shutting everything off  You have to watch some Condos

When i had to change rooms one time  The fridge did not have a freezer door  

I requested another fridge

Who know how much that would have cost

Plus i would be ever defrosting the freezer