Question AC temp
Hi BP, I have a question for some of you PM’s or self managers. I self manage a handful of my personal properties and this is the second time I have had to explain to a tenant about the AC in Idaho. Last year we had a tenant that relocated from another state and they would crank the ac up during the day and then down at night (our hottest part of the day is usually 4-8pm, in summer it stays light until 10ish) the tenant was complaining the system wouldn’t keep up with demand. We sent a tech over and they explained that in peak summer you should keep the system on the same temp all day so It is more efficient at night.
A couple days ago, I get a message from a tenant saying the ac isn’t working well. I ask some questions and it turns out they are keeping the ac at 67 during the day and dropping it to 65 at night. It has been in the 100’s here. I called my ac tech and was told a system should be able to have a 30 degree spread (100 outside, 70 inside is reasonable) Everything I am reading online is saying a 20 degree spread is optimal for the system not to strain.
Does anyone have any feedback on the above or do you have any lease language you apply on this? I don not want to be unreasonable, when its 100 outside, and you want the ac to be on 65, seems excessive and like the system may be overworked…Thanks for the feedback…
- Ryan Spath
- [email protected]
- 208-600-2814
Most Popular Reply
#5 All Forums Contributor
- Honolulu, HI
Typically you are looking at more like 20 - 25 degrees above/below ambient for the average home HVAC. Additional factors include overall insulation, age and condition of coils and filters, and of course type of system, but the wall "thermostat" does nothing more than control the duty cycle.
Whenever tenants raise issues with heating or cooling not being satisfactory, I place a couple data loggers like these to record the actual temperature swings. You can plainly see the heat/cool cycles and temps achieved.
Placed properly, away from ducts, drafts, or artificial heat/cold sources, with this data you have proof vs. someone "feeling" too warm or too cold. Logging for a 24 hour or longer period also makes it clear if someone has tampered with it.