air setting (apartment, condo, house)

[imapalmnut64]

hi folks, im not a full time resident as of yet, wondering what temp I should leave the air on when not there for extended periods, tks

[SeaRay35]

We leave ours on 79. When we come back the house feels comfortable.

[MikMal]

This is from the FPL website:

1. A/C settings and mold prevention*

• Change your A/C filter. If it is washable, then wash it. An accumulation of dirt plus the summer heat and humidity can lead to mildew and mold growth, which can spread through the house.
• For programmable thermostats: Set your A/C to run at 72 degrees for just two hours each morning before sunrise and at 88 degrees for the remainder of the time.
• For non-programmable thermostats: Set your A/C to run at 80 degrees while you are away. If you live in a condo or apartment, set your A/C at 77 degrees.
• Set the controls of your humidistats and/or dehumidifiers to 58 percent RH to maintain acceptable humidity, since some humidistat sensors are inaccurate by as many as 10 percentage points. For more information about using humidistats and mold prevention, refer to this blog post.
• For maximum energy savings: Use portable dehumidifiers instead of air conditioning. Set dehumidifiers at 58 percent by sinks and showers, and use one for every 1,000 square feet. Be sure to place the dehumidifiers so the water runs into the drain.
• Open your closet and cabinet doors, just to keep fresh air moving in and out of those areas.

[HarborRat]

The temp isn't really that important while you are away, it's the humidity level IN the house that may or may not cause problems. (I lean towards the not side)

I've used the FPL advice posted above before, seems to work fine...maybe a bit overkill

If you have internet there while you are away get a NEST or similar thermostat you can control from anywhere in the world....add some cameras too . If not, replace the batteries in your thermostat before you program it and leave for months, because if they die....

[MikMal]

Originally Posted by HarborRat

....
If you have internet there while you are away get a NEST or similar thermostat you can control from anywhere in the world.......

We had an Ecobee thermostat that we could monitor on our smartphones that would even send alerts for high or low heat and/or humidity levels, plus you can make any adjustments from on the road as well. But we decided it wasn't worth keeping the internet active (Comcrap is over $100/mo. now) just for that so we go on "vacation suspension" when we leave if it's going to be for a few months. The Ecobee is just sitting in a drawer in the garage now; we're back to using a plane 'ol programmable thermostat with a humidistat.

[Harbor Hopper]

83 is very common. The best thing is to have a humidistat installed ($100-150 installed). This will run the AC based on humidity level, NOT temperature. All you want to do is keep it dry inside, not cool.

[MartyGras]

I set mine for 83 summer and 78 winter

Gary