What is the right temperature for your AC?

It’s not easy to fight the heat, especially if you have to deal with the electricity bill, the environmental impact, and local regulations, without forgetting the possible health risks due to the swings of temperature.

But what is the right temperature for your home air conditioner?

Here are the global advice from experts, taking into account the different variables, including personal preferences, to identify the correct parameters and set the air conditioner in the best way.

What is the right temperature for your home air conditioner

Setting up the air conditioner seems simple, but there are so many factors to balance. The energy expenditure and therefore the expense of the electricity bill is the greatest source of concern together with the health, especially of children and the elderly who have bodies more exposed to thermal changes.

Consequently, there is not a right temperature for everyone, but only a range within which to choose depending on your needs. In the meantime, we must also try not to make disproportionate use of household appliances to limit the environmental impact, also taking care to prefer appliances with better energy efficiency.

Now let’s get to the numbers. According to the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, the optimal temperature is around 28 degrees Celsius, with the approval also of South Korea and the Toronto Hydro company, which recommends this temperature to keep your home cool while you’re away. Probably, many will think that this temperature is still too high, but we must also take into account the geographical and cultural prerogatives of the case.

Even the World Health Organization is more tolerant, recommending a temperature around 27 degrees Celsius and suggesting using a fan to feel the coolness more. Spain has therefore set this limit for public places, followed by Greece and Italy, suggesting doing the same in homes too.

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Some recommend lower temperatures, for example, Toronto Hydro recommends setting the temperature of air conditioners to 26 degrees Celsius, the same limit that the Canadian standard association suggests for inhabited buildings, while still giving a range between 23 and 26.

The Hong Kong government instead drops to 25.5 degrees Celsius, while the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) goes up to 24 degrees Celsius, even recommending lower temperatures for the night hours. Some go lower, such as North America, where it is usual to set a temperature around 22 degrees Celsius.

It is necessary to find an optimal average between these limits, therefore between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius. Taking into account that the first limit is unusually low, the best solution would be to stay around 25/26 degrees Celsius. According to experts, this level represents a fair compromise between the various interests at stake and is on average safe even for the most fragile subjects.

For the latter, however, it remains essential to encourage a gradual transition between the various temperatures and avoid sudden changes, which are dangerous for the body. In this regard, a very popular proposal is to organize the switching on of the cooling systems at times when the house is empty or during the night, to optimize times and enjoy the cool air for longer.

Depending on the contract with the electricity supply, doing so could even save, but the temperature shouldn’t be excessively low compared to that of the outside and the use of air conditioners should be decreased in the rest of the day, enjoying the fresh air left in the house.

Original article published on Money.it Italy 2024-07-16 20:56:02. Original title: Qual è la giusta temperatura per il condizionatore di casa?