Leaving AC on during vacation

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by sdhivya

Hi,

If you were to go out of town for like a week - 2 weeks, do you turn the AC off or just let it run all week ? Whats a better option and why ?

Thanks !

I usually just set it to hold at 80 or so. Depends on the outside temps at that time.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by 43north87west

I usually just set it to hold at 80 or so. Depends on the outside temps at that time.

80? Mine is set at 80 when I am home! I set it to 85 when I leave out of town. I would set it higher but I have cats that stay in the house and someone comes to check on them.

[Sandduner]

Jmho, but don't turn it off completely....your home and the materials used to build it inside is used to a temperature and humidity level that is somewhat constant. I go to many homes that people turn off the ac completely and when they get back, they wonder why they have drywall cracks at the tape joints in the ceilings. We are now learning that an extreme adjustment to temperature plays a part....
Turn it up a little, but not off. The money you think you are saving, will be offset if you have to make any repairs .

[asufan]

Originally Posted by Sandduner

Jmho, but don't turn it off completely....your home and the materials used to build it inside is used to a temperature and humidity level that is somewhat constant. I go to many homes that people turn off the ac completely and when they get back, they wonder why they have drywall cracks at the tape joints in the ceilings. We are now learning that an extreme adjustment to temperature plays a part....
Turn it up a little, but not off. The money you think you are saving, will be offset if you have to make any repairs .

Ive also seen interior doors warp just enough in a hot house that they won't shut properly.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by Sandduner

Jmho, but don't turn it off completely....your home and the materials used to build it inside is used to a temperature and humidity level that is somewhat constant. I go to many homes that people turn off the ac completely and when they get back, they wonder why they have drywall cracks at the tape joints in the ceilings. We are now learning that an extreme adjustment to temperature plays a part....
Turn it up a little, but not off. The money you think you are saving, will be offset if you have to make any repairs .

We know many people who have homes with drywall cracks who don't travel/keep their cooling on all the time. Besides workmanship, settling and our overall dry climate I would say are the culprits in the vast majority of those cases. In the houses we've owned out here, we've had it off for extended periods of time without any of the issues you state. A house reaching 90-93 degree tops inside isn't over the top for such things to occur in my experience. Perhaps a home with very high ceilings helps as all our homes have had them, keeping the heat higher? Our house tops off at 89-90 in summer with no A/C on. But I can see a point on the humidity angle but not in our parts either. I've seen much more issues occurring in high humidity/dew point climates though and I certainly wouldn't turn off A/C if I lived in FL during the summer for that reason. Even our worst monsoon seasons in humidity/dew point pale to the level of consistently high humidity/dew points in the south. Our house closed up/AC off never reached much beyond the 40% humidity range in monsoon season.

[Sandduner]

Like is said it was just my opinion. I'm a roof truss engineer who deals with just about every home builder in town, and we are learning that drywall cracks in ceilings are exaggerated with a sudden change in temperature. Many cracks are also caused by edge lift or edge curl of the slab.
I've seen interior doors warp and even cabinet doors warp some when the ac is shut off.
Obviously, each home is different with framing, insulation and interior materials used so this is also a factor.
To each their own, but not worth it to me. I would definitely shut the water off though....

[Captain Bill]

We set ours at about 85%.

[Rogarven]

I set the temp up but not warmer than 84 or so. If you have an acoustic piano, do not let it get real hot, otherwise, you have a cracked soundboard. I also don't think it is good for fine furniture as well.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by Rogarven

I set the temp up but not warmer than 84 or so. If you have an acoustic piano, do not let it get real hot, otherwise, you have a cracked soundboard. I also don't think it is good for fine furniture as well.

I have a grand in our house and all the research I've done and playing on the road once upon a time ago and learning from the piano techs I knew/traveled with told me humidity is a much bigger factor in creating a PSO(piano shaped object), especially the swings from high to low. And of course our low desert humidity much of the year that can do ugly things to pianos I understand.

How Should I Take Care of My Piano

I keep a cool mist vaporizer with a humidity monitor under the piano and keep it at 40%. The tuning stays very consistent on my Kawai as long as the I keep the humidity consistent regardless of temp swings of +/- 10 degrees in the house.

Very little is said about temp by the PTG other than the optimum temp for a piano is 68 F. That ain't happening in my house/I'd freeze in the summer if I set the A/C that low.

[manhattangirl]

Good thing I read this thread. I had no idea that stuff in my house could melt above 85 degrees. I don't even consider that hot!