Best A/C Setting for Snowbirds

Here is a copy of the question from a "snowbird" and the response from FPL to a question posed by some who wanted to know what FPL suggests as the best A/C settings for snowbirds. Keep in mind that Peace of Mind Homeminders check our client's Florida home weekly and as such make A/C setting adjustments whenever we feel a unit is too cool, too hot or too humid. Most important we ask our clients to monitor their monthly electric bill to check for any major changes is Kwh useage and to notify us if they feel it's either too high or too low.






What are the best A/C settings for snowbirds?

By Energy Expert

Asked on: February 18, 2014 by Scott F., Englewood

I have my thermostat/humidistat set to 80/60 while away up north. I watch my usage via my energy dashboard, but wondered if these are the best settings to save energy and prevent issues?
There are definitely ideal settings that can help you maximize your savings while you’re away from your winter home in Florida, while preventing moisture and other issues in your home. You’re off to a good start!
The right setting for manual thermostatsOur research found that setting a manual thermostat to 80 degrees for homes and 77 for condos typically provides enough dehumidification to prevent mold. Since you also have a humidistat to control humidity, you have the flexibility to set the temperature higher at 88 degrees, while setting your humidistat’s relative humidity, or RH, to 58 percent. This will help you save even more energy while still keeping the indoor humidity in a safe range.
Increased control with programmable thermostatsFor customers with programmable thermostats without humidity control (without a built-in humidistat), FPL recommends programming thermostats at 72 degrees for just two hours each morning before sunrise and at 88 degrees the rest of the time. This will prevent mold by removing moisture from the air during the cooler hours when RH is highest and your A/C runs most efficiently.
Even more efficiency and mold preventionThe most energy-efficient way to help prevent mold from developing in vacant homes is to use stand-alone dehumidifiers. Use one dehumidifier for every 1,000 square feet and set the controls to 58 percent RH. Locate them by a sink or shower so water from the drainage tube can go down the drain.
Other tips for your homeAs an additional precaution, we recommend having your A/C ductwork checked for leaks by requesting an FPL duct test. Check for air leaks around doors and windows, too.  Both are good ways to minimize the amount of moisture getting into your home.
We’re happy to hear that you are finding the Energy Dashboard helpful in monitoring your usage while you’re not in Florida. We highly recommend that customers log into their online account to view their own personal dashboard, especially while they are away, to watch for any unusual changes in energy usage which could indicate an equipment malfunction.
Visit www.FPL.com/seasonal for more energy-saving tips while away from your home.

Storing Jugs Over Laundry Area

The following entry is a problem we discovered on several occasions while checking units. The first time we came across it, it was the result of a gallon plastic jug of soap detergent (TIDE), next time it was from a jug of fabric softener and this last time from a jug of bleach. All three clients had stored these jugs on a common wire shelf atop the washer/dryer area as shown in the left photo. Apparently when hefting the jug up onto the shelf, somehow a very tiny hole penetrated the plastic jug which over time caused the contents of these jugs to seep out then drip down the back of the washer/dryer or in this latest case atop the dryer. The soap and fabric softener were discovered only after they had seeped onto the floor and out the front side of the appliance. The bleach which is somewhat caustic, wasn't discovered until it had left it's mark on the lid of the dryer as shown in the right photo.

Broker Slider Door Glass

Although this problem doesn't occur too often we've come across it on several occasions and still are unable to determine the root cause. While checking a veranda unit in Countryside we discovered that the glass on one of the slider door panels had shattered. At first we thought it was caused by an errant golf ball but although it was facing the golf course it was located in a spot where that would be almost impossible. We immediately notified the owner and then set off to get the glass replaced. We contacted a window repair contractor, gave them access to measure the glass panel and ultimately to replace the broken pane of glass. Unfortunately the glass was a custom size and had to be special ordered which would take several days to procure so in the meantime we had to do something to prevent the elements from getting into the unit. The panel was 81x42 inches so we had a large area to cover which in itself poses a problem. Fortunately we were able to use a large sheet brown paper that painters use as a drop cloth by securing it to the walls with tape. Total cost to the owner was $325 for the pane of glass and $85 for them to cleanup the broken glass chards. Our efforts cost $0...all part of doing our job!

A/C Line Set Problems

This purpose of this posting is to describe what happens when the A/C to a unit stops cooling as a result of loss of coolant. Recently we encountered this problem in a 1st floor condo in Countryside. The owner had a service contract with a well known company so we contacted them and gave them access to the unit so they could troubleshoot the A/C. They determined that the line set that carries coolant from the outside compressor to the inside air handler was leaking allowing the coolant to escape. They isolated the problem by cutting each end of the two coolant lines, sealing them off at both ends (inside & outside) then installing a pressure gauge on one of the lines. After this was done they pressurized the lines until there was 400psi in the lines. They returned a day later to see if the pressure was being maintained and it wasn't...it had dropped to 235psi indicating that the line set would have to be replaced at a cost of $4500! Why so costly? Normally they would have to run the lines up the outside wall to above the third floor through the wall into the attic crawl space, then down through the 3rd floor unit, then the 2nd floor unit then and finally into the 1st floor unit. When the owner told us the price that the A/C company had given him, we suggested that he get a second opinion which he did and they in turn confirmed that the line set was defective however they gave him a price estimate that was 1/3 less than the first  estimate  given. Instead of running the lines the way the first company suggested they decided to run the lines in a ditch underground, along the
outside of the condo, then up the wall (see photo #1) then into the condo, across the bedroom ceiling (see photo #2), then re-connect them to the air handler (see photo #3) all of which could be done far less costly than the first estimate. He elected to go with the more economic estimate and ended up with a significant savings. This line set problem, although not a common every day occurrence, seems to be happening more often as buildings and A/C units get older. The moral of this posting is to "always get a second opinion" and don't rely on the first estimate. 
Meanwhile we just added a photo below of what the bedroom looks like after the A/C line set was enclosed. Great job huh?

Casrport Disaster

BEWARE!...If you live in a condo with carport parking be very, very careful when backing out of a parking space or you'll end up with the cost of replacing the carport support (see photo) to say nothing of what the cost of getting the damage to your car repaired. The photo left shows the results of what can happen if you're not careful however they had to tow the vehicle away before we had a chance to take a photo of the damage to the car.

A/C Drain Problems?

Came across this flyer on the bulletin board at one of the condo buildings where we check units. It's an offer from Service America at two price points. During the course of checking units, over time, we have encountered a number of clogged drain lines which can cause one of two problems...the condensation from the A/C fails to drain properly and backs up into the condo causing a flood or it causes the kill switch that many of the newer A/C units have and shuts down the A/C completely. If you haven't had your A/C serviced for awhile it might be worth looking into by contacting them at 1-800-314-4621.

Car Left in Garage

One of our clients in a home at Lely Resort leaves a car with a convertible top in their garage with the battery disconnected and windows and doors tightly closed. Because the garage isn't temperature controlled with A/C we regularly poke our nose inside the car to make sure there are no problems. Because of the lack of air conditioning in the garage it has always had a musty odor but there was nothing we could do to improve the situation. Several weeks ago we checked the car as always and we discovered the start of mold/mildew on the center console as shown in the photo. We contacted the owner and decided the only course of action was to leave the doors open and place a Damp-Rid container inside. Fortunately allowing the car to air out along with adding the Damp-Rid all signs of mildew have subsided. Keeping our fingers cross that things stay that way!