I have window ACs and clean the filters weekly. Those who have central ACs can buy and clean washable filters or remember to change disposable ones. In addition. the dust and debris on the outside compressor can be gently cleaned once a year.

I agree-keep the filters clean! And a programmable thermostat. It's kept much warmer (towards hot, but not sweltering, the cats would likely not like that) during the day, cooler in the evening, and only cold overnight while I am sleeping.

I tend to open windows at night unless it's really humid. I love fresh air and I can tolerate heat well. Here's what I do.....

Keep blinds/curtains closed during the day. It helps keep convection heating down.
Keep my thermostat at 78. If the temps soar above 100, the thermostat is bumped up so the temperature difference is 20 degrees. The benefit of air conditioning is the dehumidification process. Trust me, a 20 degree difference is really all you need.
Use slow cooker/pressure cooker or cook something on a low simmer on the stove top. We tend to grill outside more than cook inside when the weather is nice.
Microwave!!!

My a/c doesn't get turned on until it gets to mid-80 deg. temps. I keep the top of my a/c unit covered with vinyl screening, which keeps out all the debris. I keep mine set at 78 degrees which we have become accustomed to. I keep all the blinds closed. My electric bill still runs about $160/month - can't imagine have it any higher.

Kay mid 80's is cool here... LOL

My bill is less, but I also think my house is a WHOLE lot smaller.

Moni

Over the few years that we've lived in this house, we have increased the insulation, installed a new roof (after hail damage) with added roof vents; when we had siding installed, it was insulated.

The year we moved here, we planted a young Lacebark Elm in our front yard, which faces west. That tree is already a significant shade producer, screening the front of the house from the blistering summer sun.

We also keep ceiling fans running, which allows us to turn the thermostat up in the summer and down in the winter.

My thermostat is programed and set at 77 and I turn it down to 76 if I am working hard in the house. My central AC has not been cleaned since I moved in 2005. The man who installed it came over and showed me how to clean the outside unit. There is a key out there that I remove to turn the power off. He told me if it was getting blocked to remove the key, then remove the top and he showed me how. Then use the hose with a thumb on it not a nozzle and spray it from the inside out. The little metals things are easily bent is the reason for the thumb pressure. I have not had to do it yet. He said they are built much better than older ones and don't need as much attention. I use 3 month throw away filters and change them every 2 months.

My husband was an AC mechanic for many years. One of the biggest problems he ran into was plantings around the outside AC unit making it nearly impossible sometimes to get into the unit to repair. If you need to hide the unit, place a small fence a bit away from the unit that is still accessible for working on it. No fair planting briars or sticker bushes!

Run it for a few hours when its gets hot, mid 90's. Sleeping with the ceiling fan on low is plenty cool. I freeze all day at work with the goofy AC. Got to skip out and hit the sunny beach to thaw out.

OldFixer, I used to just hate when the AC was so cold at work. I'd be at my desk wearing a thick sweater when it was 95 degrees outside. I'd walk outside at lunch to warm up.

Added insulation in the attic plus an attic exhaust fan have made it much easier on the AC. Even the AC couldn't keep the upstairs comfortable and now it's comfy up there. I also use ceiling fans.

I have a small window unit with manual controls in my bedroom, used very little because I much prefer to pull in the cool night air with a window fan. I also have a larger window A/C downstairs. That one has electronic controls, and it notified me last week that the filter needed to be cleaned. I hate to admit this, but I didn't know it had a filter.

I cleaned and replaced it, and then it dawned on me that the bedroom A/C must have a filter too--but no electronic warning system. So I went up and pulled the filter--and felt like an idiot because it was thickly covered in dust. Although the unit doesn't get much use, it faces a very dusty dirt road.

I promise I'll be much better about cleaning filters from now on.

Not having one - I avoid that problem.

o j ... who hears it said occasionally that there seems to be quite a lot of hot air around this place

Opening up your house doesn't make it easier on your A/C - especially if you have any humidity.

I never open my windows or shut my air off once I start the season, unless we get some crazy cool and VERY dry weather (also my son deals with allergies, so it is best to just leave the house shut up)

It takes over a full day to remove the humidity in the house. Opening up at night would defeat the whole thing..

I don't like it super cold in the house - but having the humidty out and some ceiling fans moving the air is great.

My HVAC guys says to only use the cheap blue filters. Change them EVERY 30 days.

Wash your outside unit a couple times a season!!! That is very important to wash the dirt and debris out of the cooling fins on the outside unit.

Thank god for A/C! LOL

Allergy sufferers aside, all homes need fresh air to replenish oxygen and remove cooking smells and other pollutants that accumulate. Better quality and more recent construction, built to a tighter standard, often includes fresh air ventilation built in to the HVAC systems. Especially in the parts of the US that have extreme seasonal weather.

If your son doesn't have an allergy attack when he steps outside, he can tolerate (and indeed needs) fresh air in the house.

Older homes tend to be leaky enough to supply fresh air. If you're not sure, it's easy enough once a day to turn on a bathroom exhaust fan and open a window several inches for 20 minutes before you leave the house. That should be enough.

We changed the windows, added attic insulation, and added a solar attic fan. We have ceiling fans and a programmable thermostat. I even added solar film to our front storm door.

It's been sitting in the shed, unused ... for some time.

That may b part of the reason that our power bill is about $100.00 per month, including the landlord's shop, for which he pays part of the bill.

o j

When I was young, the only a/c that we experienced was at the movie theater. I believe that is why my father insisted on the drive-in instead.
As I have aged, I find that I am less tolerant of the heat. The thermostat is set at 76 during the day and sometimes that seems warm to me. I can fix that by removing some of my clothes (shades are down, thank you).
At night, I need to wrap myself in the blanket, almost mummy-like. Ceiling fan is operating and the programmable thermostat kicks in about 11:00 (when the price of electricity is much less) and it cools the house to 68. Rarely during the day with the a/c come on. The house (walls, carpet, ceiling) have chilled during the night and all will be OK.
We cook mid-day and evening meals on the grill, thus not much heat is created in the kitchen. The other day, I did a bunch of canning and that heated the kitchen (good bye clothes), but the other end of the house was still cool.

Jim

When we had our AC unit checked out we were told the unit wasn't big enough for this house (our builder cut corners) and to make sure we don't overburden it or it could freeze up...we help it by using the ceiling fans and have a few room fans too. Night is no problem, it's cool and not humid so we can open windows. (Colorado)

Planted deciduous trees to shade the house in summer. Attic fan with a thermostat. Close the blinds to sunlight upstairs and somewhat downstairs.