Who is insane here?

[Wade Lippman]

It was cold last night, so the house is 70*. The A/C is set at 73*.

I come home from walking the dog. It was a very sticky 83* outside. My wife has windows open to let the fresh air in.
As I see it, she is letting 83* humid air in, which is about the last thing I would want to do.
She has no idea what I am upset about; what do I have against fresh air. Nothing, I was just outside for an hour; try it.

So, who is insane.

[Dave Richards]

Careful.

[John Coloccia]

If it were up to me, my house would be hermetically sealed and about 65 year round.

I hope your wife doesn't read SMC, BTW, or we'll be reading threads like:

"Anyone have plans for a big...BIG....doghouse?"
"How hard is it to run plumbing to a shed?"
"Woodworking in your car - dust collector filters or exhaust outside?"
etc etc

[Ken Fitzgerald]

In as much as this discussion happens too frequently in my home, I don't know the answer.

However, the last week we have not used the air conditioner in an effort to assist speeding up the drying of the sheetrock mud and texture material on our kitchen addition/remodel.

The temperatures have been in the low 90's F but it's a "dry heat" as our relative humidity has been averaging 24%.

[Erik Loza]

Here is a timely example, since I am getting ready to go to Las Vegas for the AWFS show, next month. At these trade shows, we are there for several days ahead of time, setting up the machines and the booth. The trade shows don't turn on any A/C until the morning the show opens to the public. So, you are in the convention center, working your butt off in a non-climate controlled situation for several days. IWF in Atlanta is never really more than 75-80 degrees inside the convention center but it's the South and very humid, so you feel about 10X more tired than you do in Vegas, which is 5-10 degrees warmer but has no humidity. The humidity makes a big difference.

Erik

[Jason Beam]

Happy wife = happy life.

[Bruce Page]

Did she turn off the AC before opening the windows?
Luckily my wife is good at keeping the house closed up when the AC is on. My problem is we have a couple of rooms that we don't use and we keep them closed up. For the life of me if my wife goes into one of them she cannot close the door behind her when she leaves. I think she does it on purpose just to drive me nuts!

[Mike Henderson]

If it were up to me, my house would be hermetically sealed and about 65 year round.

Me too. At night, my wife has a pile of blankets on her side of the bed and I have a sheet. And it's between 71-73 in the bedroom. When I used to travel a lot, I'd turn the AC in the hotel room down as far as it would go and then put a blanket on the bed. I'd sleep like a baby.

Mike

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Median temp in my house is about 85F. Summer here gets mid 90'sF and winter mid 70's at night. We have A/C but never use it except when friends visit from afar because if not, they complain how hot it is. I am not being cynical, but I am amazed at how people feel the need to keep their homes 68 deg in summer and crank up the heat in winter. Our bodies acclimate if we just let them. I wear a business suit in 88F weather and don't sweat a drop.

When we went to Peru we stayed with Quechuan Indians who used no heat at 32F and we had to take showers in literally freezing temps with no hot water. I have to say, that was probably my limit, but it showed me how the body can acclimate. Yes, by the way, I screamed like a girl and took the shortest showers ever; let me tell no lies. Arriving home and stepping off the plane felt like entering a sauna, but a day later we were back to normal.

As I type, the house is 85F. I am wearing long pants, long sleeve linen shirt, and just awoke from a nap where I was covered with a blanket in the same clothing. It's all about acclimating.

[Kent A Bathurst]

A fella has to pick his battles carefully.....you can win a few, but, ultimately, you pay for each victory.

My point?

I can't believe you picked this one as a "must win".

You should reconsider your strategy...if this is a strategic issue, then your tactics are fine.

[David Ragan]

Our house is routinely 68-69*

Plus, Sears largest window unit in Master BR. Blankets are good.

When I was a kid, all we had was an attic fan, out in Tulsa. That fan was great @ night, just position the bed by the window, and good night.

Lots of folks in more temperate climates never use A/C.

[Wade Lippman]

Median temp in my house is about 85F. Summer here gets mid 90'sF and winter mid 70's at night. We have A/C but never use it except when friends visit from afar because if not, they complain how hot it is. I am not being cynical, but I am amazed at how people feel the need to keep their homes 68 deg in summer and crank up the heat in winter. Our bodies acclimate if we just let them. I wear a business suit in 88F weather and don't sweat a drop.

Probably true, but only because your January temperatures are also in the 80s. We get below 0 in the winter and the body can't adjust to both. I spent many summers without any A/C and never got used to the heat.

Here is a timely example, since I am getting ready to go to Las Vegas for the AWFS show, next month. At these trade shows, we are there for several days ahead of time, setting up the machines and the booth. The trade shows don't turn on any A/C until the morning the show opens to the public. So, you are in the convention center, working your butt off in a non-climate controlled situation for several days.

I set a show up in Chicago one August when it was in the 90s. Must have been 120 in the hall. Geez.

Did she turn off the AC before opening the windows?

This time it was off because I turned it off a couple days ago, but I am sure she didn't look. She will also open windows when it is 60 outside with the heat on.

I can't believe you picked this one as a "must win".

Yeah, I hear you.

[Perry Holbrook]

Here is a timely example, since I am getting ready to go to Las Vegas for the AWFS show, next month. At these trade shows, we are there for several days ahead of time, setting up the machines and the booth. The trade shows don't turn on any A/C until the morning the show opens to the public. So, you are in the convention center, working your butt off in a non-climate controlled situation for several days. IWF in Atlanta is never really more than 75-80 degrees inside the convention center but it's the South and very humid, so you feel about 10X more tired than you do in Vegas, which is 5-10 degrees warmer but has no humidity. The humidity makes a big difference.

Erik

Erik, I was in Vegas the first week of the month setting up a show at the convention center, 105 F about every day, close to 90 in the hall. Two years ago we set up in the parking lot in front of central hall in early Sept. around 120 F on the pavement. Don't you just love setting up in Vegas in the summer!

Perry

[Steve Kinnaird]

Will be married for 38 yrs next month..... So, my answer to the wife would be "Great Idea!"
While knowing that is makes no sense

[Bert Kemp]

Humidity makes the difference is RIGHT! Temp here the last few days has been above 110f and yet you can still go outside if you stay out of the sun and its not to bad, in the evening when it drops down to 100 you can go out and do yard work or go for a walk. Right now its 111 outside and the humidity is 6% not to bad but if it were to rain the temp would drop to 80/85 but you wouldn't be able to move at all you'd die with the humidity up over 60%.

Here is a timely example, since I am getting ready to go to Las Vegas for the AWFS show, next month. At these trade shows, we are there for several days ahead of time, setting up the machines and the booth. The trade shows don't turn on any A/C until the morning the show opens to the public. So, you are in the convention center, working your butt off in a non-climate controlled situation for several days. IWF in Atlanta is never really more than 75-80 degrees inside the convention center but it's the South and very humid, so you feel about 10X more tired than you do in Vegas, which is 5-10 degrees warmer but has no humidity. The humidity makes a big difference.

Erik