What Temperature Should You Set Your AC to in Tallahassee?

What actually determines comfort

• Indoor humidity — a drier house feels several degrees cooler at the same temperature.
• Insulation and attic condition, which govern how fast heat re-enters after the system cycles off.
• Sun exposure, especially west-facing glass in the late afternoon.
• System sizing: oversized equipment cools fast, shuts off early and leaves moisture behind.
• Home layout, ceiling height and how open the floor plan is.
• Occupancy, cooking, laundry and how many people are home during the day.
• Personal preference, age, health and clothing.
• Outdoor temperature and dew point, which set how hard the system has to work.

A practical way to find your setting

1. 1Pick a starting point that feels reasonable and leave it there for a few days rather than adjusting hourly.
2. 2Put an inexpensive hygrometer in a main living area and watch relative humidity alongside temperature.
3. 3If the house feels sticky, treat the humidity first — the temperature setting is usually not the real problem.
4. 4Use a modest setback while the house is empty rather than a large one, so the system is not fighting both heat and moisture on return.
5. 5Set the thermostat fan to AUTO unless a qualified professional recommended otherwise for your specific system.

Setbacks in a humid climate

In dry climates, letting the house drift warm while nobody is home is straightforwardly efficient. In North Florida, a deep setback also lets indoor humidity climb, and pulling that moisture back out takes long run times.

Many Tallahassee homeowners find a smaller setback — a few degrees rather than eight or ten — gives most of the savings without the clammy return.

Comfort tools that cost nothing

• Ceiling fans in occupied rooms; they cool people, not rooms, so turn them off when you leave.
• Closing blinds on west-facing windows during the hottest hours.
• Running bath and kitchen exhaust fans during and after showers and cooking.
• Keeping supply vents clear and the filter clean so the system can deliver its full capacity.

When the setting is not the issue

If the house holds a comfortable temperature on mild days but falls behind every hot afternoon, capacity or distribution has slipped. If it feels cool but damp, the system is cooling without dehumidifying properly.

Either pattern is worth a diagnosis. Call 850-790-6261 or send a short description of what your system is doing.