Is 78 too hot for a house? (2023)

Is 78 degrees in a house too hot?

According to Energy Star, it's an ideal temperature. 78 degrees keeps you fairly cool and comfortable during the day. It also shouldn't make your electric bill skyrocket. Start with your thermostat at 78.

Keep your house at 78 degrees to save energy during hot months, federal program recommends. Energy Star also said you should set your thermostat to 82 degrees when you're sleeping. The coolest you should keep your home is 78 degrees when trying to save energy during the spring and summer months.

What temperature is too hot for a house? Any temperature higher than 25.56 degrees Celsius or 78 degrees Fahrenheit is too hot for a house. However, it is worth noting that people living in naturally hotter climates lead normal lives despite the elevated temperatures.

Be careful not to decrease your home's temperature to less than 55 degrees in winter or allow your home to warm to more than 80 degrees in summer, as it may leave your home susceptible to damage. An indoor temperature of less than 55 degrees may lead to freezing pipes, while anything more than 80 may damage drywall.

Every season has an ideal thermostat temperature and for summer the U.S. Department of Energy suggests that when home, 78 degrees is the sweet spot between staying cool and keeping your energy bill low. Give your air conditioner and energy bill a break by setting your thermostat to 88 degrees when away.

Sleeping in a room with the air conditioner set to an appropriate temperature is important for quality sleep. The ideal AC temperature for sleeping is around 65°F (18.3°C). However, this may differ between individuals, who might find their ideal AC temperature lies between 60 and 67°F (15.6 and 19.4°C).

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) website, you can save as much as 10% annually on your cooling bills by turning your thermostat up seven to 10 degrees for eight hours a day.

A safe temperature is accepted to be between 68 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit for people above the age of 65. The temperature inside your home should not reach below 68 degrees Fahrenheit in any case, as that increases the risk of respiratory disease and even hypothermia if there is prolonged exposure.

You want to be comfortable this summer without spending a lot of money on air conditioning, right? While you ultimately must decide what temperature you feel comfortable at, the US Department of Energy and Energy Star suggest that the best AC temperature is 78°F for summer days.

Yes. In fact, many of the symptoms of seasonal illnesses are mimicked by the body's reaction to breathing in allergens (even if you are not prone to allergies) and sitting in hot, dry conditions.

What happens if a house gets too hot?

FOUNDATION. Your home's foundation is designed to use the surrounding soil as its support system. As the ground around your home heats up, the soil shrinks and the moisture evaporates. This causes the soil to separate from the footing, which can cause major damage to the foundation.

Outside the home and in the office setting, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration recommends temperatures between 68 and 76 degrees and humidity control in the range of 20%-60%.

For most people, optimal sleeping conditions are between about 60° F and 68° F, and 40 to 60 percent humidity. Anything outside these ranges, experts say, and sleep quality plummets.

“Generally, caution should be taken if the heat index is over 77 degrees (Fahrenheit). Above 82 degrees is considered 'extreme caution' — heat-related illness is possible with long exposure. Over 85 is dangerous — heat illness is likely and heat stroke is possible.

It usually takes around two and a half to three and a half hours to cool your house from 80 to 72 degrees. However, a variety of different factors can affect the time it takes to reach the desired temperature, including the thermostat setting, the size of the house, and the efficiency of the air filters.

For example, let's say you want to cool your house by 2-degrees from 80°F to 78°F. This will take, on average, about 36 minutes.

Instead of choosing a constant temperature year-round, it's better to keep your house a constant temperature on a seasonal basis. Keeping your home at a higher temperature during the warmer months will mean your air conditioner doesn't have to work as hard.

Leaving your air conditioner on is actually more efficient than frequently turning it on and off. Having your AC on also allows you to better control humidity in your home throughout the day. The lower the humidity in a home, the more comfortable it feels during hot weather.

Setting your AC to run in the mornings is the best way to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature and save money on cooling costs because the unit doesn't have to work as hard. Turning off the AC during a heatwave can quickly introduce a lot of heat and humidity into your home.

Does turning your AC on and off cost more?

Your AC will actually run longer overall if it is left on all day instead of being shut off. If you turn it off for part of the day, it runs less and results in more energy savings for you. In almost all cases, it will save you money to shut off your AC while you are away from home.

According to the Department of Energy¹, 78° Fahrenheit is the sweet spot for air conditioners to balance energy savings and comfort when people are at home and need cooling.

Energy Saver recommends setting your air conditioner to 78 degrees when you wake up, 85 degrees during the day, and 82 degrees when you're sleeping to save the most money. Kureczka suggests bumping the temperature up to the highest setting you're comfortable with.

Sleeping too hot

“Heat is a huge disruptor for REM sleep,” Dr. Drerup says. With the heat of the room, your body temperature will also rise, thus undoing the sleep initiation process entirely. If your bedroom temperature is above 70° F, it's too hot.

The ideal temperature for a baby's room should be between 68 degrees to 72 degrees fahrenheit (or 20 degrees to 22.2 degrees celsius). Even if you aren't able to measure the exact temperature of the room, ask yourself, “Is the temperature in here too hot or too cold for me?” After all, babies are just little humans!

An ideal temperature doesn't exist for all dogs, since their normal body temperature will vary according to size. Most dogs begin to show signs of overheating when the air temperature is between 81 and 85 degrees F.

Best temperature to set your thermostat in summer

I recommend trying to keep your house below 80 degrees at all times during the summer. At 80 degrees, there's a good chance the humidity level in your home will be very high. This is not only uncomfortable but inefficient.

The answer to the question “is it cheaper to leave your air conditioner on all day?” is a resounding yes. You'll save money on your energy and repair bills, especially during the summer months.

The figure comes from extensive empirical research conducted by the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, which determined that 79 degrees was the upper temperature threshold at which most people could maintain comfort.

Effects of a hot home

Prolonged exposure to a home that's too hot can cause the following health conditions: Heat exhaustion. Heat cramps. Heat stroke.

Does a hot house make you tired?

More often than not, it isn't the heat that's making you feel sleepy, but rather the dehydration that happens as a result. When it's hot and humid, the body quickly loses salt and fluid in the form of perspiration, which can lead to dehydration in a short time.

Anyone can experience heat stroke when exposed to high temperatures, even if they are indoors and without AC. "The elderly and young children that may not be able to recognize they are overheating or aren't able to communicate to someone they feel hot are at more risk," Dr. Adkins says.

Looking at the available research, most studies agree that a temperature between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal for sleeping, with temperatures above 75 degrees and below 54 degrees disruptive to sleep.

They recommend that when it's 90 degrees outside, you should try setting your air conditioning thermostat at 80 degrees or higher. And when it's 95 to 100 degrees outside (and higher), you should set your thermostat at 85 degrees or higher.

My answer is always the same, set it where you are comfortable within some reasonable limits. We recommend that you never set your thermostat above 79 degrees and never below 69. Again above 79 can cause the above issues and below 69 typically will make the air conditioner freeze up.

We may feel hotter at night, but it's because our core is redistributing heat from the core to the surface, to the periphery. And one of the places of the body where we're best able to dissipate that heat may be the feet.

Your body's failure to cool itself

As a result, your body may develop heat cramps, the mildest form of heat-related illness. Signs and symptoms of heat cramps usually include heavy sweating, fatigue, thirst and muscle cramps. Prompt treatment usually prevents heat cramps from progressing to heat exhaustion.

What temp does heat stroke occur?

Heatstroke is a condition caused by your body overheating, usually as a result of prolonged exposure to or physical exertion in high temperatures. This most serious form of heat injury, heatstroke, can occur if your body temperature rises to 104 F (40 C) or higher.

Collectively, the literature on heat tolerance suggests that middle-aged (45- to 64-year-old) men and women are more work-heat-intolerant and suffer more physiological strain during heat acclimation than younger individuals.

Research has shown that pouring water over your head can make you feel cooler by reducing your skin temperatures and also reduce your perceived exertion (how hard you feel like you're working) in the heat. However, it won't improve your performance.

Also called an evaporative cooling system, a roof misting system lowers surface temperatures by spraying an extremely small amount of water across the roof, allowing the water to cool the roof as it evaporates. Think of it as akin to the way sweating cools your body.

A badly ventilated house, high seasonal humidity, and clogged air filters are just a few reasons your AC may not be enough to fully dehumidify your home. You may notice that your AC runs all day and that you only feel cool standing right next to the vents while the rest of the house remains warm.

As we said, an air conditioner should run for about fifteen minutes- if your ac runs all day long, especially on hot days, it's time for some maintenance! This is bad for your air conditioner and bad for your electricity bills. That's why we recommend an annual tune-up to keep your AC in tip-top shape.

The recommended bedroom temperature range for sleep is typically between 60 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit, with 65 degrees considered the sweet spot for most people, according to Raymann.

As a rule of thumb, if you are comfortable with the temperature in your home, your pet likely is, too. As a benchmark, most dogs (and cats!) do very well with the home between 75 and 78 degrees during the summer months.

The best bedroom temperature for sleep is approximately 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius). This may vary by a few degrees from person to person, but most doctors recommend keeping the thermostat set between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 to 19.4 degrees Celsius) for the most comfortable sleep.

What temperature should I keep my house to save money?

Energy.gov suggests that 68 degrees is a good room temperature while you're awake at home but recommends lowering it while you're asleep or away. Lowering your thermostat 7-10 degrees for eight hours a day can reduce your annual heating expenses by as much as 10 percent.

The average room temperature is typically around 20°C, or 68 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a good ambient temperature to aim for, but it is important to bear in mind that different rooms will need to be heated to specific temperatures.

Anytime your dog is in a car without AC, watch out for signs of heat stroke. They include excessive panting, weakness, muscle twitching and vomiting. If you think your dog has heat stroke, cool water or damp towels can help cool him down – and you need to get to a vet right away.

At 100°F or more outdoor temperatures, it makes more sense to set your AC setting to 74°F than to 72°F. Setting the thermostat above 72°F makes sense because: You don't want to overwork your air conditioner.

It should take a standard AC 18 minutes to cool down a house by 1 degree. It should take a standard AC 36 minutes to cool down a house by 2 degrees. It should take a standard AC 54 minutes to cool down a house by 3 degrees. It should take a standard AC 1 hour and 12 minutes to cool down a house by 4 degrees.