How hot is too hot?? Vacant Property (Phoenix: sales, apartment)

[thegamer36]

I can monitor my homes temperature from the web. How hot can I let the unit get? Should I have the A/C on at all or just turn it off? We will not be there for the next 4 months. The current temperature in the unit is 93 degrees. We are on the second floor.

According to APS, they say the following:

"Unless there is something in your home that might suffer heat damage, turn your heat pump or air conditioner off. If you prefer to leave it on, set the thermostat at 85 to 90 degrees. For each degree you raise the temperature, you'll save 2 to 3 percent on the cooling part of your electric bill."

Thanks for the help.

[HX_Guy]

I would say 90º would be ok.

[SubconsciousMe]

Do you have pets? Fish? We have 2 cats, 3 fish.

If so, my vet says no higher than 80 degrees.

[thegamer36]

Originally Posted by SubconsciousMe

Do you have pets? Fish? We have 2 cats, 3 fish.

If so, my vet says no higher than 80 degrees.

We are currently not there for the next 4 months. So no pets inside.

[goolsbyjazz]

I agree, 90 should be fine.

[DellNec]

Books and certain items within the home (glues, adhesives in the carpeting, furniture, etc) can be affected by high temperatures. Another thing that most people don't think about when they turn off their A/C during summer is the plumbing traps. The traps in the plumbing (toilet, sinks) will dry out because of the high temperatures and will cause sewer gasses to come into the home. I've seen this happen. Someone I knoew turned off the AC for the summer (June), went back to Washington state, came back to Arizona in October and walked into the house and it smelled like death and raw sewage. On top of that, sewer roaches made their way into the homes because the traps were dry and they crawled through the sewer pipes.

In addition the wax ring on the toilet can dry out and get brittle and crack, causing the toilet to leak when you flush it. There are rubber parts that need to have water on them to lubricate them and keep them from dry rotting.


If I were you, I would set the AC to around 84F and let it kick on if it gets hotter than 84F within the home. It's NOT WORTH IT in my opinion to let it get that hot within a home. It's bad for certain materials and it will dry out your sewer traps and leave you with a smelly mess, not to mention possibly sewer roaches. 90F is just way too hot for the interior. Your traps would dry out in a matter of 2-3 weeks.

[UnexpectedError]

I've opened some bottles of wine that went bad from being in an unairconditioned apartment. They weren't anything terribly fancy, but might be worth it to either store any wine in the fridge, finish them off, or take them with you. Same goes for any food or drink item that might be spoiled in the heat.

[AzScorpion12]

Originally Posted by DellNec

Books and certain items within the home (glues, adhesives in the carpeting, furniture, etc) can be affected by high temperatures. Another thing that most people don't think about when they turn off their A/C during summer is the plumbing traps. The traps in the plumbing (toilet, sinks) will dry out because of the high temperatures and will cause sewer gasses to come into the home. I've seen this happen. Someone I knoew turned off the AC for the summer (June), went back to Washington state, came back to Arizona in October and walked into the house and it smelled like death and raw sewage. On top of that, sewer roaches made their way into the homes because the traps were dry and they crawled through the sewer pipes.

In addition the wax ring on the toilet can dry out and get brittle and crack, causing the toilet to leak when you flush it. There are rubber parts that need to have water on them to lubricate them and keep them from dry rotting.


If I were you, I would set the AC to around 84F and let it kick on if it gets hotter than 84F within the home. It's NOT WORTH IT in my opinion to let it get that hot within a home. It's bad for certain materials and it will dry out your sewer traps and leave you with a smelly mess, not to mention possibly sewer roaches. 90F is just way too hot for the interior. Your traps would dry out in a matter of 2-3 weeks.

90 is fine as long as you take a few other precautions. When I leave I fill all traps with RV anti-freeze,it doesn't evaporate,it won't hurt the pipes and you can get it at Pep Boys for under $5.00. I put all the sink stops down and tape them closed with blue painters tape just as an added precaution. The toilets I just cover with Saran wrap, turn off all gas shut offs to the dryer,stove and water heater. Unplug the fridge,open the doors and put a box of baking soda in each side. It's also a good idea to disconnect the power to your garage door opener. I shut the main water off outside,my irrigation is below the main shut off. I usually leave for 3-4 months and have not had any issues doing this.

[DellNec]

Originally Posted by Gixxer1K

90 is fine as long as you take a few other precautions. When I leave I fill all traps with RV anti-freeze,it doesn't evaporate,it won't hurt the pipes and you can get it at Pep Boys for under $5.00. I put all the sink stops down and tape them closed with blue painters tape just as an added precaution. The toilets I just cover with Saran wrap, turn off all gas shut offs to the dryer,stove and water heater. Unplug the fridge,open the doors and put a box of baking soda in each side. It's also a good idea to disconnect the power to your garage door opener. I shut the main water off outside,my irrigation is below the main shut off. I usually leave for 3-4 months and have not had any issues doing this.

Is not placing Anti-freeze in your homes plumbing pipes illegal?

Your local municipality would most likely fine you if they found out, as it is illegal in many areas to put that stuff down the drain.

In the end, how much $$$ is one saving by letting a home get to 90F instead of 84F? Are we talking $50 a month?

If the home has books, furniture, and other items, I just don't see the benefits in letting the home get insanely hot to just save a few bucks. We are talking Phoenix here, where it gets to 120F at times.

[AzScorpion12]

Originally Posted by DellNec

Is not placing Anti-freeze in your homes plumbing pipes illegal?

Your local municipality would most likely fine you if they found out, as it is illegal in many areas to put that stuff down the drain.

In the end, how much $$$ is one saving by letting a home get to 90F instead of 84F? Are we talking $50 a month?

If the home has books, furniture, and other items, I just don't see the benefits in letting the home get insanely hot to just save a few bucks. We are talking Phoenix here, where it gets to 120F at times.

It's not Anti-Freeze it's RV Anti-Freeze,there's a huge difference. RV anti freeze is Propylene Glycol base not Ethanol base. It's safe for plumbing and sewer systems,that's what it's designed for.

propylene glycol is a lubricant and will actually work to extend the life of the seals in your faucets and toilets, unlike the ethanol based products.

Types of RV Anti Freeze. Not all non-toxic anti freeze are created equal -- J&M Camper Sales - Your Maine Camper Dealer

PEAK RV & Marine Antifreeze

Also 90 is not insanely hot.There's plenty of snowbirds who leave their a/c completely off without any problems,I wouldn't but some do. APS also recommends setting the t-stat at 85-90,I guess they don't know how hot it gets in Arizona.

APS :: Summer vaction tips. What do do before you leave, when your return, protect your home while you are away