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Energy Saver: Programmable Thermostat Upgrade
(continued ...) actually similar to the wind-chill effect that you hear about in the winter. The surface of your skin is generally moist compared to even tropical air. As the moisture (or your sweat) evaporates, there is a phase change from liquid to vapor. This thermodynamic process consumes heat which makes you feel cooler. So, even sitting under a tiki hut on the beach in the Caribbean, a gentle breeze from a fan makes you feel cooler by the wind chill effect. With the addition of fans, you can comfortably be in the 76 to 78 F (24 to 26 C) setting on your thermostat. This is the sixth step in energy reduction.
During sleeping hours, I have to admit I cannot stand to be hot while sleeping. I suppose I could get used to it if I really tried. However, I cannot in good conscience tell you to do anything other than what I do. I lower my sleeping time set point to 74 F (23 C) and turn on the ceiling fan. Nobody wants a grouchy engineer!
The other cooling mode of operation is the time when you are away from home. Again, you just want to prevent damage and keep your pets and plants alive. That temperature can be fairly high. I recommend you try 86 to 88 F (30 to 31 C). This could be higher but there is another complication that I will talk about later that makes this setting the sound advice. This is the seventh step in energy reduction.
We have all these different settings discussed to optimize energy reduction for various times of the day. The week days and weekends are likely different too. Does this mean you have to remember to adjust your old round bimetallic, mercury ...