So it begins (West: how much, house, refrigerator)

[Dr.Mcninja]

Brownout today on the south side. It gets warm really fast without fans moving the air.
Thankfully it was only 2 hours. Anyone else getting this?

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by Dr.Mcninja

Brownout today on the south side. It gets warm really fast without fans moving the air.
Thankfully it was only 2 hours. Anyone else getting this?

Which neighborhood you in?

[Dr.Mcninja]

Near Weber and Saratoga.

[team_evans]

I've noticed that on super hot days, my A/C doesn't cool my house completely. I have two condensers (upstairs and downstairs) and they're brand new from last summer, so they really ought to be working properly, but they seem underpowered. I left the thermostat at 83 when we were out of town recently, reset it to 77 when we got home and it took a full 24 hours for the temperature to come down in the house. I've wondered whether I have less electricity available to my house on the 98/99 degree days due to demand on the grid.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by team_evans

I've noticed that on super hot days, my A/C doesn't cool my house completely. I have two condensers (upstairs and downstairs) and they're brand new from last summer, so they really ought to be working properly, but they seem underpowered. I left the thermostat at 83 when we were out of town recently, reset it to 77 when we got home and it took a full 24 hours for the temperature to come down in the house. I've wondered whether I have less electricity available to my house on the 98/99 degree days due to demand on the grid.

Unless the electricity goes off, you should have the same amount of it available regardless of the temperature. Brownouts rarely happen unless the power company messed up. Normally they will completely shut off portions of the grid to avoid brownouts.

Did you add insulation and seal all your ducts when you replaced the air conditioning? If you have a lot of duct leaks and poor insulation the new units won't help much. Many older homes have leaky ducts and insufficient insulation.

You should also install solar screens on your windows, they help a lot. This fall you should consider planting shade trees on the East West and South sides of your house. They cost relatively little and the shade when the mature will greatly reduce your AC costs.

[John26]

Originally Posted by team_evans

I've noticed that on super hot days, my A/C doesn't cool my house completely.

You don't say? I think I've found your problem.

I left the thermostat at 83 when we were out of town recently, reset it to 77 when we got home and it took a full 24 hours for the temperature to come down in the house.

Seems like a waste of electricity to me, I just turn of my air when nobody is home. I'd rather have the money to spend on stuff I want rather than to keep a house cool that no one is home to enjoy. Then again when I was growing up we only had crappy A/Cs so I'm used to warmer weather, 85 degree temperatures don't bother me so much as long as there is a fan or a good breeze going.

[team_evans]

@John, no need to be rude.

We leave it on while we're out of town because our research has indicated that it takes less energy overall to maintain a steady temperature than to let the house get up to 95 degrees and then have the aircon kill itself trying to suddenly get it back down to a liveable temperature.

@Cptn, thank you for the suggestions. Maybe it would be worth it to have an HVAC guy come inspect the ducts to make sure they're sealed well--the new units were installed before we moved in, as part of the purchase of the house. We do have large oaks shading the house, and solar screens, and I close the blinds wherever direct sunlight is entering the house, and keep the thermostat at 78 when we're home at 80 when we're not, and do everything else I can think of it to keep usage low, and we still have high AC bills. The cost of doing business in STX, I guess, but it's still a bummer....

[catman]

If you completely turn off the A/C, another thing to consider is that the refrigerator is having to keep its contents cool inside an un-air-conditioned house, meanwhile pumping out its own heat. Also, everything in your house that is supposed to be stored at a cool temperature isn't (prescription medicines, bread, etc.). It sounds like a bad idea to me.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by team_evans

@John, no need to be rude.

We leave it on while we're out of town because our research has indicated that it takes less energy overall to maintain a steady temperature than to let the house get up to 95 degrees and then have the aircon kill itself trying to suddenly get it back down to a liveable temperature.

@Cptn, thank you for the suggestions. Maybe it would be worth it to have an HVAC guy come inspect the ducts to make sure they're sealed well--the new units were installed before we moved in, as part of the purchase of the house. We do have large oaks shading the house, and solar screens, and I close the blinds wherever direct sunlight is entering the house, and keep the thermostat at 78 when we're home at 80 when we're not, and do everything else I can think of it to keep usage low, and we still have high AC bills. The cost of doing business in STX, I guess, but it's still a bummer....

Don't overlook adding insulation, how much do you have in the attic? I increased mine to R-38 this summer and noticed a big improvement. Insulation is relatively cheap and pays for is self quickly, a good investment.

[John26]

Originally Posted by team_evans

@John, no need to be rude.

We leave it on while we're out of town because our research has indicated that it takes less energy overall to maintain a steady temperature than to let the house get up to 95 degrees and then have the aircon kill itself trying to suddenly get it back down to a liveable temperature.

I find that highly unlikely except under certain conditions such as large square footage areas, extremely good insulation, and wanting to get temperatures down to lower levels. These conditions would be more typical for a refrigerated warehouse than the typical home I would think, but I'll admit I haven't done the research on your house.