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Energy Saver: Programmable Thermostat Upgrade
(continued ...) lights laying around after you read my article on light energy reduction. Although I do not like heat tape as it is reliably unreliable, it can be used on susceptible piping and fixtures. Don't expect heat tape to work more than one season *6.
Now for the other side of thermostat operation: cooling. This is equally or more complicated as heating. In addition to high temperature, we have to deal with excess moisture or lack of moisture. We'll talk more about cooling strategies for each type in other articles. Here, I'm just talking about the dry-bulb thermostat setting and those implications on energy reduction.
The usual cooling comfort setting that I see is also 72 to 74 F (22 to 23 C). Yes, that is the same as heating mode; amazing how that works. Now, presumably you're already doing the opposite with your wardrobe and you're down to flip-flops, shorts and tee-shirts. Without too much notice, you can increase the cooling set point to about 74 to 76 F (23 to 24 C). If you think it's too warm, step outside where it is 85 or 95 F (29 to 35 C) and then step back inside. That perception problem just got solved. This is the fifth step in energy reduction.
The next economical step is to install fans in the rooms where you spend most of your time. Any kind of fan will work: table fan, ceiling fan or pedestal fan. Fans can move air much better than a central cooling system fan and placing them in a single room allows you to precisely focus the air stream. The way fans are effective is ...