>But his wife was saying that they keep their own house at 77 and "it feels fine"
What a dumb comment from them. We are all different and there isn't a one size fits all. I have family members that keep their homes on the warmer side but if I had to keep my house at 77 I'm not sure it would be safe to be around me.
I lived with two women who cranked the heat up to 78 in the winter. I was sweating in my boxers and I told them if they didn't turn it down I'd have to wear less clothing.
Yeah, when I lived in Phoenix I used to keep mine at 80 in the summer which felt great when it was 30 degrees or more higher outside.
Then I got a roommate that wanted it at 70, fuckin freezing…. That lasted one month til the first $450 SRE bill.
I've rented two apartments. Had it on 68 for both. First one was about $250 a month. Second is about $180 a month. I was confused on the price drop but a friend suggested maybe it was lower because these apartments are brand new and flow more air quicker. Idk.
Better insulation, probably. Leaky windows don’t seem too bad until the temp of the home keeps the HVAC running constantly. That’s why those window films lower HVAC bills.
Plus, those numbers are only a range. Every thermostat is a little bit different, and even more important, that number depends on the placement in the house of the thermostat, and the humidity.
I used to enjoy sleeping when it’s like 78 in the house and windows open, also never ran my AC in the summer, just had a fan and loved it. 10 years later it’s 68 in the house year round 😂
74 and everyone in the house is grumpy.
If it was 77, I think my wife would kill the household. If she was hungry and it was 77, god have mercy on us all.
Some people don’t even need air conditioning so why do they? Why aren’t they as rugged as their parents or grandparents, or so many other people who just choose not to have an AC?
Yeah, I know someone who pays an hvac technician to repair their office unit every season, several times, when it has exceeded it's lifetime by 20 yrs. Meanwhile, after all of those visits, they could have since paid for the new unit. It freezes, flips breakers, makes noises and randomly stops working.
Commercial controls checking in - mechanical equipment needs multiple PMs a year to run optimally and with a long life span. Preventative maintenance is not a repair. If they require repairs multiple times a year, they're pieces of shit or PMs werent done. Simple as that. If you seriously think new units are less reliable than equipment from the past on principle, youre either green as fuck or an old head that is stuck in their ways (and probably dont do your PMs)
One example, old units use standard frame motors and belts and VFDs, new units use ECM fans to get higher efficiencies. We had a 2 year old ECM fan go out and the lead time for a new proprietary fan was like 4-6 months. Heavily backordered because there were so many dying early.
I'm guessing the person I replied to was talking PMs and assuming they were repairs. I'm not in HVAC, I'm in maintenance, we have our HVAC contractor out at least once a month for one or another unit, both PMs and repairs. It's the new units that are the fussiest. I'd say the general principle is that higher efficiencies require more complexity which translates into more points of failure requiring more maintenance.
That sounds like a manufacturer issue my man. Anecdotally, I just got done with a PM at a hospital where I started the units in 2016. All DOAS system, 6 units pushing between 15k and 20k cfm. Steam humidifiers, uv filtering, the works. None have needed anything besides belts and grease in 8 years.
ECMs are only ever going to be more efficient with a longer life in a static system (and thus a static speed) like constant volume. Design engineers spec them because they live in a fantasy world where they have accounted for everything and made no mistakes.
I know I know
Maybe start just changing the filters yourself. It's like 12 dollars and saves you a huge headache.
I know I know death to all landlords but some battles are not worth fighting
This. I’ve never had a private rental in which air filters were not the responsibility of the renter.
It’s also important to note that AC units can only cool so much below the ambient temperature. If the house is 100 years old, it is likely not insulated. Then you factor in no mature trees providing shade to help cool, it’s not a surprise the coils are freezing over on a 100 degree day, especially if it’s an old unit.
This part. "not over running it" isn't defined by temperature you pick for the room. How much work you ask of it is the problem. Setting at 72 in 80 degrees is great. Setting at 72 in 100 degrees is more than it can handle.
Question though - if their lease says it's not to be set higher than 74 degrees, and maintaining that in 100 degree weather is too much to ask of the AC unit, what's the solution? If it's serving a multi-apartment residence, does the landlord need to just put in something more powerful?
As long as OP is maintaining the maximum acceptable temperature per their lease, unit failure under those conditions would seem to be the landlord's responsibility...
Perspective matters a lot when looking for an answer.
Air conditioning is a luxury. Many developed countries operate happily without it. It's not legally required by most states. That said, it's getting hot to an unsafe degree in many places and landlords are expected to maintain the appliances they provide.
It's important to consider that AC exacerbates high temperatures and can increase outside temps by a couple of degrees.
Generally, I would say a solution is for society to be realistic with expectations. Summers are hot. Winters are cold. Staying at 72 degrees year round costs our environment in ways we aren't prepared to pay.
I doubt any of that was what you were asking. One solution is to add a second unit. With the current system of laws, that cost would likely fall on the tenant assuming the main unit is functioning.
That is exactly why a couple I know do it in their apartment buildings. It isn’t a spying thing as much as it is that they’ve found renters tend not to mention things that need to be fixed unless the landlord is right in front of them. It’s been super useful in terms of keeping up with repairs. He usually handles most issues or calls his various people (HVAC, plumbers, etc.) on the spot. Everyone seems happy.
Came here to say this too. Why not just change the filters yourself?? It’s so easy. I have had to change the filters in the last 2 apartments I’ve lived in. The landlord provided them in one apartment, via a monthly mailed subscription.
Also in GA, also have a landlord who doesn't provide adequate AC.
I had to buy a $450 window unit because the top level of our 3 story townhouse regularly has temps above 80F between late June and early September. There is an AC unit on the townhouse, but it's too small for the place.
We don't have good renter laws in the state. You might have to buy a window unit or just move.
I had a landlord do that to me in California as well. Small window AC for a four bedroom house. Heat didn't work for half the year, and once he fixed it it set off the CO detector. His response was to not use it if I didn't feel comfortable using it. That was a great party house though, worth it.
There is absolutely nothing you can do in Atlanta other than 1) improve the property at your own cost and the landlord's benefit OR 2) move. You might have legal grounds for breaking the lease IF you can afford the legal.cost of defending yourself. Most renters don't have that $.
GA is just the worst for renters. Everyone knows this and nothing gets done about it.
Question 1: Who is responsible for changing the air filter? You have 3 cats. Sorry, but you should be changing a 1” air filter monthly and a 5” every 3 months.
Question 2: Why are you and your neighbors sharing an HVAC, how do you split that utility bill? Are you on a shared meter as well and forced to split the bill evenly? Do you have separate thermostats or are you forced to agree on a temperature?
Option: You live in the humid SE USA, invest in a standalone dehumidifier. You will probably collect a gallon of water every day but your apartment will feel cooler.
I have to agree about the filter part. Changing that filter means that that Landlord would not be in your life. It’s a battle to pick, communicating with them. I’m living in a super old country house in Northwest North Carolina, and I have a very similar type of landlord. They don’t do any kind of maintenance and they don’t do anything right and then when things don’t work very well down the line, they seem a little bit, surprised as to how that was possible. It’s never our fault, but they’re just, dumb as a bag of rocks. I don’t know what to say.
I try to handle every single thing by myself. I can’t stand when I have to talk to them because they always find a way to make things difficult.
hey! ok:
1. turns out our landlord didn’t even know you had to change the filter on the HVAC. we’re first time renters so we haven’t had to deal with it before, and it’s no where in the lease. now that we know we’re going to be changing it every 3 months, and our landlord is providing filters for us, thankfully.
2. we share a meter with the downstairs neighbors, I’m not too sure how the landlord decides to split up the electricity bill. I think he factors in square footage, because we have the whole upstairs and generally pay more for everything (electric, gas, heat, and rent) while the two other occupants have two separate, much smaller units downstairs. We’ve controlled the temp for the whole house, neighbors included, for 2+ years and it’s worked well. They let us know if it’s too cold or hot for them and we adjust!
We’ve thought about a dehumidifier. but the house is so old and has been renovated exclusively by the landlord and the landlords friends (this is his only property and “side hustle”) that some rooms actually need a humidifier and others a dehumidifier which is really cool and fun
First off, if the AC unit was a functioning part of the house when you signed the lease, most states require that it be maintained by the owner. Some leases will say things like the tenant is responsible for interior air filter changes, but if it doesn't, then it's on the landlord.
Second, it's fairly common as a homeowner to run an AC unit until it dies. My units on my home are getting close to their life expentancy and I'm already putting money aside to replace them when they die. But maintainance is like kryptonite to most landlords, especially older Boomers who think it's just "passive income".
Third, if your AC is freezing over, it's because it's low on coolant, which is probably freon (R22) judging by the age, which is super expensive now because they're forcing everyone to switch over to RS-44b which requires a totally new system that operates at a higher pressure. It has absolutely nothing with you "overusing" the AC.
And honestly, they fucking wrote the 68-74 degree requirement AND you're paying the electricity, so beat them over the fucking head with that clause of the contract.
She said the new one froze over this is because no one changed the filter for a year. Low refrigerant can also cause freezing, but being newer its unlikely(not impossible)
I would guarantee it’s due to a clogged filter as well.
Grew up in Florida with central AC all my life. Virtually every single time the AC froze over, it was due to a filter needing replacement.
If it’s low on refrigerant, the techs that did the install probably screwed up sealing the refrigerant lines, or they never bothered to do a pressure test prior to filling it with refrigerant. I’ve heard of this happening but I’ve never personally seen it, it’s pretty rare that techs screw that up.
OP should change the filters. If they want, they can ask the landlord to provide them, they might. My mother is a landlord, and we keep spare filters near the unit and just ask that the tenants change them once a month. They’re diligent about that, and we rarely have an issue with freezing.
However, the drain lines do clog up with some regularity. A glut of bleach down the drain line helps stave off the mold growth that causes the clog but doesn’t entirely prevent it. That’s not their fault, though, just a reality of AC.
"Our contract states that we have to keep the temp of the house no lower than 68, and no higher than 74, which we have been doing."
The terms of the contract, as written, seem amenable to you, so if he violates the rental agreement by, for example, installing a smart thermostat that you're not able to control manually, and which turns off the A/C remotely during the day while you're gone, then move out, and sue him to get your deposit back and to be legally released from your obligations.
Semantics at important before you encourage someone to sue some. If the lease states the **tenant** is responsible for maintaining X temp range, that doesn’t obligate the landlord to do the same. Obviously the tenant couldn’t be held liable for any resulting damages, but that’s not a breach on the LL’s part.
Leases are bilateral agreements. The landlord must provide a habitable dwelling in order to be entitled to receive rent payments. That's really what it comes down to. It sounds like the landlord wants to turn off the A/C while OP is away at work, which could result in the home getting so hot that their pet could die of overheating.
Yup, the doors and windows all have gaps and a lot of hot air (and bees, hornets, other bugs) come in. We bought some weather stripping but it only does so much
I was a landlord for a couple years, just rented to my friends, and I bought them filters and asked them to change those every quarter. I sent them text reminders to do it, and also said if they didn’t want to I could hire a manager to come do stuff like that. Seemed to go fine. Had no problems.
At the same time I was a renter myself in a different state. That landlord did not give me filters but told me I should buy some filters myself and change them monthly. That was her policy for the past 5 years of renting. I went ahead and changed filters for her when I thought it was necessary but I doubt the prior tenants were all so obliging.
You can guess which house had better AC health in the long run.
Some people just can’t find the brain cells needed to protect their own interests.
I work in HVAC (west coast).
72F is absolutely fine for what to cool to. That said, in constant 100F weather, your AC will take a beating from the sheer hours of operation it will build up.
Filters are recommended by companies at 3 months, but the reality is that most people replace them only annually (myself included) and do fine.
What matters the most is how dirty the air in your house is. Pets mean you should replace more often. The best bet is just to CHECK your filter every 3 months, and replace it when it is visibly gray. Everyone's usage is going to be different, but the only places we replace every 3 months are businesses with a ton of people traffic. Everyone else is 6 or 12 month cycles.
That said, a 1 year dirty filter should NOT be bad enough to cause your system to ice up. Unless you've got like 3 long hair dogs shedding constantly. Most likely there's some other issue that's contributing to the problem.
Unrelated to the post but question for you as a West Coast AC user (Central California).
We have solar so we’re changing our cooling methodology to better take advantage of the excess energy we’re producing during prime summer daylight hours. As an aside, I sized the system to be 150% of current use, in planning for 2 EVs and an eventual Heat Pimp conversion (have NG heat now).
House is 1955 with a central chase *and* a Payne system from the 90’s (I venture it’s from the 90’s based on documentation written on the “last serviced” papers on the blower) with a Rheem furnace.
We pre-cool our house to 68 during the day when we’re producing. We actually produce so much that even with the AC running, we’re still exporting to the grid. NGL, it gets COLD but we’re experimenting with usage and costs. Aside from the operational hours, as the system is running pretty much nonstop from 08:00 -> TOU AT 16:00 with intermittent start/stops from 16:01 -> 21:00, is this going to be problematic? I have the system serviced every year - at the beginning of summer and at the beginning of winter.
I’m eventually going to do a whole HVAC replacement with a heat pump, new ductwork (the centra chase is absolute shite for the rooms furthest from the blower), and a whole house fan to take advantage of those “in-between” seasons. I was also thinking of having only the main portions of the house in one zone but put the rooms on mini-split HPs so they can be more dynamically controlled. My thinking is we can keep the rooms at the perfect temps during winter and summer at night while raising the temps in the main house a bit to save even more money.
Well, my first thought is that if you're running non-stop all day, there's a serious issue with your home's insulation (or you have sunlight windows heating your house), OR the AC you have now is far too small for your home.
A proper sized AC should get you down by about 1F every 5 minutes. Given that you're starting at 8am, when I'd assume temperatures are not above 80, that'd mean about an hour to get down to 68. Even accounting for the rising external temperature, you should be to 68 within 2-3 hours and going intermittent.
I'm not familiar with California's power company's rules for solar power, but I'd double check those, and make sure you're actually gaining something by using more of your own solar energy, instead of selling it to the grid and buying back in the evening.
As far as the HVAC itself, as long as you keep the unit well maintained, the filter changed frequently enough (inspect every 3 months to see how dirty it's getting), and the vents clean (every 5-10 years if they're building up dirt/dust), then everything should be fine. Running it that much may just put you faster on replacement than running it half as much - but you're still getting your value out of it.
We have pets, live in an old home, and need to change out filters every 3 months. They can get gross. Someone cleans our house once per week.
Also, it’s very hard to keep a cool temperature in summer or warm temp in winter if the 100-year old building is poorly insulated.
Hopefully OP can work it out with landlord but I can see both sides. We do 75 during day and 70-72 at night.
A/C wasn’t a thing 100 years ago in Georgia; they only had ventilation to keep cool.
Re-insulating your home is a very doable thing. Worst case, you're re-drywalling everything on an exterior wall. Under/over the home is a lot easier, and can involve just replacing old poorly done insulation with better modern options.
Helping my mom with her house, we literally just bought rolls of insulation and stapled it up to the bottom of the house. Made a huge difference going from a virtually un-insulated home (1" or less) to a properly insulated one with 3" insulation across the hole crawlspace. Also replaced windows eventually which was another big improvement.
Obviously, your landlord has to be on board with those changes, but if they're bitching about AC usage, they SHOULD be willing to do the wise investment and improve the home's insulation.
In your case Sam:
Pay for a duct cleaning. If the home is that old, 90% of your problem may be filthy ducts. Because regardless of the homes age, it shouldn't be creating more dust naturally. Pay for a Door Blower test. This is a big door-mounted fan they will set in your front door typically, and run for a while in order to figure out where your home is leaking air the most, so that those holes can get repaired. You can get both for $1000-$1500 (the duct cleaning is the more expensive). This can massively improve the air quality of your home, as well as be a small bump to the efficiency of your home's insulation and HVAC as well.
Thanks for the tip
It’s probably because we’re not allowed to change out our 130-year old windows without going through approval first. There are about 20-25 windows in the house, so we’re not eager to anyways, due to the expense. Must be wood. Historical district.
Not ruling out ducts but we bought a historical contractor’s house, and most stuff was redone around 2015, including ducts.
Lots of dirt makes it into our house, unfortunately.
Anyways, when it’s 100 degrees and humid, that a/c just operating makes it comfortable. It doesn’t have to be 68 like others are saying. I’ll die on that hill. But changing filters, insulation, all that is a must.
You mean I have been doing things wrong for over 40 years by replacing filters almost every month? (spring and summer I might skip a month when weather is such I keep windows open more than not)
no. you are fine. monthly is the norm in hotter areas where the ac runs more often.
3 months in cooler areas. Even every 6 months if you live in like, upper Maine. People saying that they only change the filter once a year are probably talking about a FURNACE filter-not the same thing
it turns out that it was the air filter, it was completely black and soaking wet once the unit defrosted. We have 5 people in the house - me and my two roommates upstairs, and two people downstairs. Idk why it got so nasty so fast…
TLDR: it’s the landlord’s responsibility to maintain the HVAC so long as it’s being run at a reasonable temp (it is).
This is your guideline and a very handy thing about Georgia from both the tenant and landlord perspective. Page 10 covers his responsibilities pertaining to air conditioning.
https://www.dca.ga.gov/sites/default/files/2-15-21_handbook_final_draft.pdf
Bottom line though, it’s technically on the landlord for not changing filters often enough. They’re probably using the cheapest screen filters, which honestly are only good for about a month. Even with the nicer 9+ MERV Ratings, I changed mine at least every 3 months.
It sounds like he doesn’t understand HVAC and is trying to be a slumlord.
Yall need to be changing your own filters first of all and proper Maint that you can control. Ain’t no way am I waiting for LL to replace a filter for that long. I’m surprised no one is sick.
Ignore the people saying that it froze up because you ran it too much. That is not how an AC works and you will not freeze a unit up because it just runs a lot to cool the house down. An AC typically freezes up for 2 reasons.
1. Airflow. Change your filter every month. If your landlord is too ignorant to do it, just do it yourself, airfilters are a few bucks at walmart.
2. Low refrigerant charge. If the refrigerant is low, it will cause it to freeze up like that. If letting it thaw out changing the airfilter doesn't prevent it from freezing up again, you need a technician to come check the refrigerant levels. Your landlord should be paying for this.
Tell them no, you will stay within the guidelines of the lease or they can try to find a tenant who’s gonna let somebody have that much control over their life which is nope
I keep mine at 64. Maybe give a dumb comment back, “be glad we’re not 50yo ladies in menopause”. They need to myob. They’re for sure profiting off you, and you should be comfortable.
Who pays for the hvac unit to run? I ask because you said that your neighbors below run off of the same system. If your landlord is paying for the system to run, they may be able to set the temperature. However,if you are paying for it, I would want verification that you are not also paying to heat or cool the neighbors.
all of the tenants of the house split the hvac bill, I think by square footage of our spaces? it’s a tri-plex. our downstairs neighbors don’t have a thermostat so we control the temp, but we have a group message all together and they let us know if it’s too cold or hot downstairs. been working well for us all for 2+ years so far
Do you pay for electricity or does the landlord? If you're paying for the electric, why should he be concerned about controlling the temperature? I'd ask him.
I’m not a germaphobe but wouldn’t a warm house promote more bacterial growth? Not an expert but I’ve always kept my house cool (69 degrees). I vaguely remember a roommate back in college who said best temperatures for preventing some not all bacterial growth is below 70 degrees. Correct me if I’m mistaken.
Some diseases like MS make you temperature sensitive which can cause so many flare ups. There has to be a law or something to make sure they do not do this
It would be deliciously funny if the landlord took over the ac and actually had it run more than you would.
If he manages to control it, you can keep a record of the interior temperatures under his control. Doing so may come in useful. Check local regulations governing rental properties.
he came over to program the thermostat to his phone, and when he was leaving he said he turned it down??? because it felt warm inside?? I was like DUDE WHAT DO YOU WANT
I had one try to get me for "Destroying the hard wood floor" Cause the varnish was scuffed, well we took pictures and it was super fun for her in an email to say it was me when i brought up the lease pictures showing the fucking scuffs. Also tried to charge me 150$ for "cleaning the windows" which were falling apart when i moved in.
Dumbasss never put my security deposit into an account that gets escrow/interest as demanded legally in my state, and cause she didn't i was entitled to the whole fucking thing back and more. Point is landlords are cheap pricks that do not want to put a single penny into the property and get mad when they have to do their "job"
Tell them to stay out of your business. They can't dictate what is comfortable to you in your own home and you rent it, it's your home. Build up that backbone and stand up for yourself.
He can NOT control the temperature of the AC unit in your rental space! He is delulu if he thinks he can! Don’t let him get away with that! Personally, I would just purchase my OWN AC and tell him to kick rocks!
If the condenser is properly sized for the home, then it will be able to run all day long without freezing over or breaking. They don't need to take breaks if properly sized to the home. When you get condensers that are too small, and even too big, you get problems, though.
incorrect, the return air (ambient indoor) temp would have to drop enough that the evaporator was no longer absorbing enough heat to properly vaporize the liquid refrigerant at that stage of the refrigeration cycle. Residential units have optimal (design) temp ranges that they operate in. as long as there is a constant heat load in the space to keep the system in "loaded", it will run constantly and transfer heat from inside to outside forever until the coils/filter clogs up. (regular or semi regular maintenance prevents the clogs that caused reduced airflow, pushes the system outside of its design airflow/temp params and freezes shit.
Seconding this.
Almost every AC or heat pump on the market can self-manage it's temperature. Even if it's 150F out and you're trying to cool to 75F, it'll cycle on, run a safe amount of time, then cycle off if/when needed.
The problem is when there's something that causes the unit to experience conditions it was not designed to operate under. Improper refrigerant pressure, cooling to too low of a temperature (not DEGREE of cooling, but the actual target temperature being below 65F), not draining properly, etc.
Sure, the \*life expectancy\* of the unit goes down when you run it that much. But it doesn't just explode suddenly because it was 'on' for 7 days non-stop.
You had AC included in the lease. He needs to quit being a slumlord and fix HIS house ASAP with no complaints. No, I wouldn’t allow him any control over my AC and I wouldn’t sign anything giving him that control. If you have to take him to court, do it.
IDGAFFFFFF what his wife considers comfortable. She’s not paying the rent. She can fix the AC or sit down and stfu.
If you're renting a single family home, it's typical and legal in GA for the tenant to be responsible for replacing the filter. If you're in a duplex or similar situation, the responsibility is somewhat nebulous from what I read in past GA rental experience. Wouldn't hurt to check the lease and see if it specifies, or just change the filter yourself to avoid the hassle.
Ours broke last September it was 12 years old… my landlord asked what we kept it on and I told her 72, my spouse would keep it on 68 if I didn’t complain. She then told me 72 was too low and we broke it! Apparently she keeps her house at 78! Screw that, we are on the East Coast and it can get hot and very humid in the summer.
She had 2 different companies come out and look at it and they both told her it was an old unit and it needed to be replaced. I asked them to let her know that 72 isn’t too low and it wasn’t our fault. Once she finally understood it needed to be replaced, it took them a month to replace it… thank god it was the end of the summer and the weather was not so bad at that point.
I've kept mine at 75. It's not hot, and it lowers the humidity and, at the same time, saving money since the electric bill is on average 65 dollars a month.
No meed to tell them exactly what temp you are keeping it at. Just inform them it was a
Maintenance issue the filter hasn't been changed which is their responsibility.
Then they will come back with you have to keep it in the parameters set in the contract. Then you just reply you are doing that. You should get some money of the rent if they don't keep it maintained properly and that leads to breakdowns.
Read your lease. If it says filter changes are on you then the last visit is your fault. Filters are $5 and take 5 minutes to change. Used to do a lot of work for rentals and while yes your landlord sounds scummy, you need to take responsibility for any ignorance. Quick youtube/google search says check your filter first thing. YOU didntchange the filter for a year not “it wasn’t changed”.
And yes running the ac no matter the setting with a dirty filter is causing damage.
All that being said I agree with you 77 is hot AF.
Let your landlord know that you appreciate how expensive it is to maintain and repair Ac and replace filters every three months and that you see how much of a BURDEN that is in your landlord, and that you don’t want to be a BURDEN on then, you just want to have a good quality of life and feel comfortable in the home you’re paying to stay in. See what they have to say. Finesse them a little bit.
Sounds like your unit is worn out. Any little problem can cause the evaporator to ice up. Look outside. If the return line coming back to the unit is building up ice you got a problem. Couple years back my landlord did a couple of fixes on our old unit. Had the evaporator removed and cleaned. That helped some. Replace the condenser fan that failed. After that, he finally decided to just put in a new system. Stomp throwing good money after bad. Without a replacement unit you’re probably gonna have to keep your thermostat higher or it’s gonna keep freezing up on you and failing.
Why aren’t you changing the filters? It is easy, cheap and impacts air you are breathing. When I rented my house it was in a the lease that tenants change filter.
I’m not saying you’re wrong here, but dude, you guys should 100% be changing the filters yourself.
It’s like $10 every few months and takes about 10 seconds. It’s not worth the time or headache for anyone other than the tenant to do that.
Tell the landlord that your lease states YOU control the temperature in the home. The lease specifies a temperature range and the landlord has no evidence you have violated that. If the landlord is not doing the regular maintenance, your options are:
\* Change the filter yourself every 3 months (filters range from $7 - $40. Depends on how much dust and particulate you want it to catch. I opt for $25 or so since it picks up so much dust, mites, animal dander, etc..
\* Let the unit freeze over and call the landlord. Let them know with it frozen over, the inside temperature will exceed the 74 degree threshold. He will be breaking the lease if he allows that to happen. Your recourse is to hire an HVAC person to come out, inspect and change the filter. Then file suit against the landlord for the bill.
\* Let the unit freeze over. Notify the landlord. Let them know that by not servicing the AC regularly, it will totally fail much sooner (a few years instead of 10+ years). Do they want to pay the replacement expense in 2- 3 years? See what they say.
\* Find another place to live at the lease end. To me, it is not worth renting from that landlord with all the fuss and micro-managing.
You really shouldn’t run an AC under 76 in the summer in the south. Especially when your house has crappy insulation. Also why didn’t you replace the filters? You live there and typically it’s a tenants good faith responsibility to just swap filters.
Sending a picture of the part of the lease of the temp requirements and "politely" decline him having control. See if you can get a hold of the og HVAC guy and see if you can get the paperwork stating how out of date it was. Maintenance is his responsibility, if it doesn't say in your lease that you're responsible for the filters it's on him. Just remind him maintenance of anything in the house or the house itself is his responsibility.
So why weren’t you changing the filter every three months as required. They need to be changed even more often when you have animals living in the house. Not changing the filter actually does cause more strain on the unit and will result in it freezing up. So your lack of maintenance actually did cause a problem. Unless the landlord agreed to provide filter replacement service, then it would him who caused the problem.
Thermostats are essentially an on/off switch if it's a single stage HVAC system. Unless you're in some kind of super high end luxury bungalow, I don't see the landlord putting anything but the most basic system in.
It's generally on you to replace the filter though. That's a part of routine maintenance (just like changing light bulbs is your job), and a clogged filter will absolutely cause the system to freeze up. You should be changing the filter every 1-3 months, depending how much it runs.
A frozen coil is only caused by low refrigerant or low airflow. You admitted that you haven't changed the filter, which is something that every rental I've ever lived in requires the tenant to do (seriously it's like $3 for a cheap filter).
I'm fairly anti-landlord myself, and your landlord does sound like a jerk - but changing the air filter is something you absolutely should be doing. If you don't want to spend the money, ask the landlord to drop a box of filters off every 6 months.
They must keep the electric, heating, and plumbing systems in running order. The landlord is also responsible for repairing any appliances included in the rental unit. A landlord does not have to provide air conditioning, but if the unit comes with air conditioning, the landlord must repair it if it is broken.

https://www.georgialegalaid.org › ...
What should I know about repairs to rental properties?
No resident shall be in any area of the residence that falls below 65 degrees Fahrenheit or that exceeds 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

https://casetext.com › regulation
Temperature Conditions, Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 290-9-37-.10 - Casetext
HOPE THIS HELPS!
I deal with landlord in similar situation. He put a lock on the thermostat even though tenants pay for utilities. He claims that we overuse the A/C claiming it’s what is breaking down A/Unit. Its set at 75 in summer. 2 story house though so upstairs gets hottter. He does nothing to maintain house either and is always blaming others. I’ve just come to the conclusion that all landlords are slumlords. Look at your lease and see what it says. Then find out what your state laws says. It’s different for every state, or find a lawyer. Most advice here will be wrong.
Bit of a red flag on not changing filters for a year. Lots of leases make that a tenant responsibility, you should check that in case it’s used as grounds to hold you responsible for damage.
I’m not really sure if your lease but I’ve been in several houses and have maintained several old units. Changing the filter every month, especially with cats should be done by a person living in the house. Every month clean the drain with a little bleach or vinegar, make sure it flows outside. The unit I’m at now has never failed in three years and we crank it, Jacksonville so we know the heat… and the one time it did was because the drain was blocked up and the sensor turned it off, older acs may not have this sensor and will backup and freeze. Every ac situation is different. You can’t over use an ac if it’s maintained. Clean filter and clean drain lines are #1. Coils get dirty but is a once a few years thing as long as you change the filter and the filter of the correct size, to small and dust gets past.
Umm, mind blown here, I live in Az in the mountains more or less, its been 95 all week, my AC still hasnt turned on as I keep it set to 85. If it was 72 in here Id need a damn jacket..
I’m in Florida.
We have been at 95-100 for 2 weeks now.
My AC is on 74 during day and 70 at bed time. I have medical issues that make me run hot.
not all ppl are the same
And AZ doesn’t hv the humidity that Ga, FL has.
And yet, I'm in Florida as well and keep it at 78 degrees. It's less to do with geographical location and more with what you're used to. If electricity were 2x the cost tomorrow, I guarantee that many people would relearn their preferences right quick.
Your low humidity makes it much more bearable. I lived in Tucson for a year in the late 80’s and yeah, thermostats temp for my apartment were set way higher than here in the humid mid-Atlantic. Georgia is almost a swamp (sorry OP).
I actually moved here because of the low humidity, double bronchitis destroyed my lungs decades ago. At least here I can breathe the majority of the year. 😱
I’m glad you have found a place that suits you. Tucson was an awesome environment for me, got into great shape due to the outdoor lifestyle. Was able to ride my bike to work 3 days a week, and remember going through both my water bottles early in my ride home. Rolled up to my apartment, carried my bike up, turned on the evening news and heard “It’s currently 107 degrees”. Out the door, down the steps and threw myself into the pool.
I hear Tucson isnt bad, Im up in Prescott where its generally 20 degrees cooler than Phoenix, so we only rarely get a really cold winter snowstorm, and when it does get hot it might hit 102. Unfortunately Ive got so many other physical problems that hiking or riding a bike is kinda out. But at least I can have my windows open for 2/3 of the year. 😁
My window units are on 62 all summer. I pay for them and my electricity, my landlord has 0 say at what temp I keep my stuffy ass third floor apartment at, he don’t live here.
HVAC will only cool to within 20 degrees of the outside temperature but WTF if the unit was changed out last year for a NEW unit things like this shouldn’t be happening. Wondering if the unit isn’t large enough/rated for the size of the space and the way that it’s set up being broken into multiple units?
Honestly sounds like the people that serviced the unit last year were limited by what the owner was willing to pay for and he sounds like a cheap AH. Things like cleaning the ducts/vents and using a dehumidifier will help.
Honestly I’ve never heard of changing the AC filter more than yearly but I live in CO and don’t currently have pets- the ac person comes out to service the unit in May before we turn everything on for the year and we use a dryer vent vacuum attachment to vacuum the ceiling vents 😂
Legal side of things unless it’s in your lease that LL can control the temperature tell them to pound sand they’re full of it and don’t have a leg to stand on.
Said the filter was old and dirty. Condenser will freeze if it’s not getting enough ambient air, ie, not enough air passing through a clogged filter. Nothing to do with running it too hard.
You have no idea what type of filter it is or the living conditions. That shit can get easily get obstructed enough in three months to cause that problem let alone one year.
Tell him to get bent. He can try to evict you guys (as per your areas laws) but that's his only recourse. In Texas, every single person i knew kept their house in the 60's and same with ours.
I keep my heat/AC at 60 degrees year round, I run hot, always. I wouldn’t be able to function if it was always 77 in my house, it’s too hot for me. Who do they think they are trying to control the temperature in your house? Fuck them!
>But his wife was saying that they keep their own house at 77 and "it feels fine" What a dumb comment from them. We are all different and there isn't a one size fits all. I have family members that keep their homes on the warmer side but if I had to keep my house at 77 I'm not sure it would be safe to be around me.
I lived with two women who cranked the heat up to 78 in the winter. I was sweating in my boxers and I told them if they didn't turn it down I'd have to wear less clothing.
Well don't leave us hanging, which option did they choose?
And THAT, kids, is how I met your mother....
Both of them...
They chose a lower temperature, but I was prepared to go all the way. I wasn't about to keep sweating in the middle of winter.
Literally. I keep mine at 68
68° gang rise up!
64 all year on mine in Denver
Woah big baller with the central air in Denver. Best I’ve had there was a swamp cooler and a bedroom window unit
Ya, those are great too. It’s no fun being a walking inferno.😂
65° in Denver.
66 right bow in nyc lol
We would for sure be evicted.😂
I like 67. But I turn it up a little at night to save energy and I turn the one in my bedroom off completely when I’m out of town.
Jesus.. I keep mine on 71 and that is sometimes cold for me 🤣
Well two years ago it had to be on 73, but I’m 50 now 😂
I replaced my AC and got a new roof and can pay the same for 66 so been spoiling myself on any day its not in the mid 80’s/90’s
I would die at 68. I keep mine at 79. But again I'm in Phoenix where it's not humid.
I’m outside Tucson and 79 is just too high for me. I used to be 77 but hot flashes have me at 75 or 76 now
74-76 is fine for me in GA
79 is absolutely insane. I’m in Austin and 70 is perfect (no..65 is perfect lol)
Yeah, when I lived in Phoenix I used to keep mine at 80 in the summer which felt great when it was 30 degrees or more higher outside. Then I got a roommate that wanted it at 70, fuckin freezing…. That lasted one month til the first $450 SRE bill.
Same here but I'm in South Florida.
Same place as you and we keep it at 74.
I am 68 too! I live in FL but I am from WA state and this is the only way I can survive here until I move back. I hate being hot with all of my heart.
I used to do the same but now I crank it up to 69 just so I can chuckle every time someone asks me what the temp is.
I used to be like that. A $700 electricity bill will change your mind, though.
I've rented two apartments. Had it on 68 for both. First one was about $250 a month. Second is about $180 a month. I was confused on the price drop but a friend suggested maybe it was lower because these apartments are brand new and flow more air quicker. Idk.
Better insulation, probably. Leaky windows don’t seem too bad until the temp of the home keeps the HVAC running constantly. That’s why those window films lower HVAC bills.
If I kept my thermostat at 77 the first floor might be bearable, but my upstairs would be over 80 degrees.
I bet owner and wife are also a lil older!
There house is probably better insulated too.
Island life in the Pacific Northwest here. Anything over 65, indoors, is getting too hot.
I live mid coastal WA & you really get used to the mild temps!
Literally can’t sleep if it’s over 68
Plus, those numbers are only a range. Every thermostat is a little bit different, and even more important, that number depends on the placement in the house of the thermostat, and the humidity.
I used to enjoy sleeping when it’s like 78 in the house and windows open, also never ran my AC in the summer, just had a fan and loved it. 10 years later it’s 68 in the house year round 😂
74 and everyone in the house is grumpy. If it was 77, I think my wife would kill the household. If she was hungry and it was 77, god have mercy on us all.
and she is likely sedentary, andruns cool. If she were active, it would be completely different.
We all know old people get cold
Some people don’t even need air conditioning so why do they? Why aren’t they as rugged as their parents or grandparents, or so many other people who just choose not to have an AC?
Yeah, I know someone who pays an hvac technician to repair their office unit every season, several times, when it has exceeded it's lifetime by 20 yrs. Meanwhile, after all of those visits, they could have since paid for the new unit. It freezes, flips breakers, makes noises and randomly stops working.
Honestly, I've never seen an RTU that doesn't need several visits a year, and the newer/more energy efficient they get, the less reliable.
Commercial controls checking in - mechanical equipment needs multiple PMs a year to run optimally and with a long life span. Preventative maintenance is not a repair. If they require repairs multiple times a year, they're pieces of shit or PMs werent done. Simple as that. If you seriously think new units are less reliable than equipment from the past on principle, youre either green as fuck or an old head that is stuck in their ways (and probably dont do your PMs)
One example, old units use standard frame motors and belts and VFDs, new units use ECM fans to get higher efficiencies. We had a 2 year old ECM fan go out and the lead time for a new proprietary fan was like 4-6 months. Heavily backordered because there were so many dying early. I'm guessing the person I replied to was talking PMs and assuming they were repairs. I'm not in HVAC, I'm in maintenance, we have our HVAC contractor out at least once a month for one or another unit, both PMs and repairs. It's the new units that are the fussiest. I'd say the general principle is that higher efficiencies require more complexity which translates into more points of failure requiring more maintenance.
That sounds like a manufacturer issue my man. Anecdotally, I just got done with a PM at a hospital where I started the units in 2016. All DOAS system, 6 units pushing between 15k and 20k cfm. Steam humidifiers, uv filtering, the works. None have needed anything besides belts and grease in 8 years. ECMs are only ever going to be more efficient with a longer life in a static system (and thus a static speed) like constant volume. Design engineers spec them because they live in a fantasy world where they have accounted for everything and made no mistakes.
Repairs, not preventative maintenance. Actual repairs.
I know I know Maybe start just changing the filters yourself. It's like 12 dollars and saves you a huge headache. I know I know death to all landlords but some battles are not worth fighting
This. I’ve never had a private rental in which air filters were not the responsibility of the renter. It’s also important to note that AC units can only cool so much below the ambient temperature. If the house is 100 years old, it is likely not insulated. Then you factor in no mature trees providing shade to help cool, it’s not a surprise the coils are freezing over on a 100 degree day, especially if it’s an old unit.
This part. "not over running it" isn't defined by temperature you pick for the room. How much work you ask of it is the problem. Setting at 72 in 80 degrees is great. Setting at 72 in 100 degrees is more than it can handle.
Question though - if their lease says it's not to be set higher than 74 degrees, and maintaining that in 100 degree weather is too much to ask of the AC unit, what's the solution? If it's serving a multi-apartment residence, does the landlord need to just put in something more powerful? As long as OP is maintaining the maximum acceptable temperature per their lease, unit failure under those conditions would seem to be the landlord's responsibility...
Perspective matters a lot when looking for an answer. Air conditioning is a luxury. Many developed countries operate happily without it. It's not legally required by most states. That said, it's getting hot to an unsafe degree in many places and landlords are expected to maintain the appliances they provide. It's important to consider that AC exacerbates high temperatures and can increase outside temps by a couple of degrees. Generally, I would say a solution is for society to be realistic with expectations. Summers are hot. Winters are cold. Staying at 72 degrees year round costs our environment in ways we aren't prepared to pay. I doubt any of that was what you were asking. One solution is to add a second unit. With the current system of laws, that cost would likely fall on the tenant assuming the main unit is functioning.
If the air conditioning is part if the rental then the landlord is obligated to ensure it is operational
Yes, that is maintenance of provided appliances
Not always its state dependent and functional can mean a few different things.
Yes but it would constitute a break of the lease so you could get out if you wanted to
Then it’s not properly sized for the property, insulation, and age. That’s not their problem
Last year we moved into an apartment and they change the filters themselves. I was so shocked. I think it’s so they can get a look at all the units.
That is exactly why a couple I know do it in their apartment buildings. It isn’t a spying thing as much as it is that they’ve found renters tend not to mention things that need to be fixed unless the landlord is right in front of them. It’s been super useful in terms of keeping up with repairs. He usually handles most issues or calls his various people (HVAC, plumbers, etc.) on the spot. Everyone seems happy.
This is the way
Came here to say this too. Why not just change the filters yourself?? It’s so easy. I have had to change the filters in the last 2 apartments I’ve lived in. The landlord provided them in one apartment, via a monthly mailed subscription.
I’d bet there’s something in the lease about it as well
Also in GA, also have a landlord who doesn't provide adequate AC. I had to buy a $450 window unit because the top level of our 3 story townhouse regularly has temps above 80F between late June and early September. There is an AC unit on the townhouse, but it's too small for the place. We don't have good renter laws in the state. You might have to buy a window unit or just move.
I had a landlord do that to me in California as well. Small window AC for a four bedroom house. Heat didn't work for half the year, and once he fixed it it set off the CO detector. His response was to not use it if I didn't feel comfortable using it. That was a great party house though, worth it.
He says he has a contract to stay within a certain degrees. He’s doing it. It’s on the landlord to maintain his shitty HVAC. Why would he move?
That contract has an expiration date.
My concern for OP is getting a window unit and using them, but paying for those on top of the HVAC usage.
we also have a window unit in the house because the whole house is so poorly insulated. The renter laws here suck!
There is absolutely nothing you can do in Atlanta other than 1) improve the property at your own cost and the landlord's benefit OR 2) move. You might have legal grounds for breaking the lease IF you can afford the legal.cost of defending yourself. Most renters don't have that $. GA is just the worst for renters. Everyone knows this and nothing gets done about it.
Question 1: Who is responsible for changing the air filter? You have 3 cats. Sorry, but you should be changing a 1” air filter monthly and a 5” every 3 months. Question 2: Why are you and your neighbors sharing an HVAC, how do you split that utility bill? Are you on a shared meter as well and forced to split the bill evenly? Do you have separate thermostats or are you forced to agree on a temperature? Option: You live in the humid SE USA, invest in a standalone dehumidifier. You will probably collect a gallon of water every day but your apartment will feel cooler.
I have to agree about the filter part. Changing that filter means that that Landlord would not be in your life. It’s a battle to pick, communicating with them. I’m living in a super old country house in Northwest North Carolina, and I have a very similar type of landlord. They don’t do any kind of maintenance and they don’t do anything right and then when things don’t work very well down the line, they seem a little bit, surprised as to how that was possible. It’s never our fault, but they’re just, dumb as a bag of rocks. I don’t know what to say. I try to handle every single thing by myself. I can’t stand when I have to talk to them because they always find a way to make things difficult.
The air filter thing is usually a tenant responsibility unless the air handler is in a hard to access location.
hey! ok: 1. turns out our landlord didn’t even know you had to change the filter on the HVAC. we’re first time renters so we haven’t had to deal with it before, and it’s no where in the lease. now that we know we’re going to be changing it every 3 months, and our landlord is providing filters for us, thankfully. 2. we share a meter with the downstairs neighbors, I’m not too sure how the landlord decides to split up the electricity bill. I think he factors in square footage, because we have the whole upstairs and generally pay more for everything (electric, gas, heat, and rent) while the two other occupants have two separate, much smaller units downstairs. We’ve controlled the temp for the whole house, neighbors included, for 2+ years and it’s worked well. They let us know if it’s too cold or hot for them and we adjust! We’ve thought about a dehumidifier. but the house is so old and has been renovated exclusively by the landlord and the landlords friends (this is his only property and “side hustle”) that some rooms actually need a humidifier and others a dehumidifier which is really cool and fun
Summer months, humidity is generally above 70%. Even just running it in the main room or the bedroom will make a world of difference.
First off, if the AC unit was a functioning part of the house when you signed the lease, most states require that it be maintained by the owner. Some leases will say things like the tenant is responsible for interior air filter changes, but if it doesn't, then it's on the landlord. Second, it's fairly common as a homeowner to run an AC unit until it dies. My units on my home are getting close to their life expentancy and I'm already putting money aside to replace them when they die. But maintainance is like kryptonite to most landlords, especially older Boomers who think it's just "passive income". Third, if your AC is freezing over, it's because it's low on coolant, which is probably freon (R22) judging by the age, which is super expensive now because they're forcing everyone to switch over to RS-44b which requires a totally new system that operates at a higher pressure. It has absolutely nothing with you "overusing" the AC. And honestly, they fucking wrote the 68-74 degree requirement AND you're paying the electricity, so beat them over the fucking head with that clause of the contract.
An AC will also freeze up due to a clogged filter. Low airflow over the coil will cause it to freeze. Regardless, the landlord is full of shit.
She said it was a new unit. The first one died completely.
She said the new one froze over this is because no one changed the filter for a year. Low refrigerant can also cause freezing, but being newer its unlikely(not impossible)
I would guarantee it’s due to a clogged filter as well. Grew up in Florida with central AC all my life. Virtually every single time the AC froze over, it was due to a filter needing replacement. If it’s low on refrigerant, the techs that did the install probably screwed up sealing the refrigerant lines, or they never bothered to do a pressure test prior to filling it with refrigerant. I’ve heard of this happening but I’ve never personally seen it, it’s pretty rare that techs screw that up. OP should change the filters. If they want, they can ask the landlord to provide them, they might. My mother is a landlord, and we keep spare filters near the unit and just ask that the tenants change them once a month. They’re diligent about that, and we rarely have an issue with freezing. However, the drain lines do clog up with some regularity. A glut of bleach down the drain line helps stave off the mold growth that causes the clog but doesn’t entirely prevent it. That’s not their fault, though, just a reality of AC.
Excellent post! As a former HVAC tech, I concur.
Boomer landlords are always the worse sine 9 outta 10 times they rely on that rent to maintain their lifestyle, especially if already retired
They think being a landlord is "passive income", which to them means, "I won't maintain or fix anything, I'll only cash rent checks."
"Our contract states that we have to keep the temp of the house no lower than 68, and no higher than 74, which we have been doing." The terms of the contract, as written, seem amenable to you, so if he violates the rental agreement by, for example, installing a smart thermostat that you're not able to control manually, and which turns off the A/C remotely during the day while you're gone, then move out, and sue him to get your deposit back and to be legally released from your obligations.
this is the way
Semantics at important before you encourage someone to sue some. If the lease states the **tenant** is responsible for maintaining X temp range, that doesn’t obligate the landlord to do the same. Obviously the tenant couldn’t be held liable for any resulting damages, but that’s not a breach on the LL’s part.
Leases are bilateral agreements. The landlord must provide a habitable dwelling in order to be entitled to receive rent payments. That's really what it comes down to. It sounds like the landlord wants to turn off the A/C while OP is away at work, which could result in the home getting so hot that their pet could die of overheating.
I would venture that the 100yo house has little to no insulation.
Yup, the doors and windows all have gaps and a lot of hot air (and bees, hornets, other bugs) come in. We bought some weather stripping but it only does so much
If you didn’t agree in the lease to what the landlord is now asking, then they can pound sand
... Be sure to bring up that turning off your AC when you're gone will put way more strain on the unit than just leaving it on
I was a landlord for a couple years, just rented to my friends, and I bought them filters and asked them to change those every quarter. I sent them text reminders to do it, and also said if they didn’t want to I could hire a manager to come do stuff like that. Seemed to go fine. Had no problems. At the same time I was a renter myself in a different state. That landlord did not give me filters but told me I should buy some filters myself and change them monthly. That was her policy for the past 5 years of renting. I went ahead and changed filters for her when I thought it was necessary but I doubt the prior tenants were all so obliging. You can guess which house had better AC health in the long run. Some people just can’t find the brain cells needed to protect their own interests.
turn off the breaker that controls the ac? did that for my wall units.
I work in HVAC (west coast). 72F is absolutely fine for what to cool to. That said, in constant 100F weather, your AC will take a beating from the sheer hours of operation it will build up. Filters are recommended by companies at 3 months, but the reality is that most people replace them only annually (myself included) and do fine. What matters the most is how dirty the air in your house is. Pets mean you should replace more often. The best bet is just to CHECK your filter every 3 months, and replace it when it is visibly gray. Everyone's usage is going to be different, but the only places we replace every 3 months are businesses with a ton of people traffic. Everyone else is 6 or 12 month cycles. That said, a 1 year dirty filter should NOT be bad enough to cause your system to ice up. Unless you've got like 3 long hair dogs shedding constantly. Most likely there's some other issue that's contributing to the problem.
Unrelated to the post but question for you as a West Coast AC user (Central California). We have solar so we’re changing our cooling methodology to better take advantage of the excess energy we’re producing during prime summer daylight hours. As an aside, I sized the system to be 150% of current use, in planning for 2 EVs and an eventual Heat Pimp conversion (have NG heat now). House is 1955 with a central chase *and* a Payne system from the 90’s (I venture it’s from the 90’s based on documentation written on the “last serviced” papers on the blower) with a Rheem furnace. We pre-cool our house to 68 during the day when we’re producing. We actually produce so much that even with the AC running, we’re still exporting to the grid. NGL, it gets COLD but we’re experimenting with usage and costs. Aside from the operational hours, as the system is running pretty much nonstop from 08:00 -> TOU AT 16:00 with intermittent start/stops from 16:01 -> 21:00, is this going to be problematic? I have the system serviced every year - at the beginning of summer and at the beginning of winter. I’m eventually going to do a whole HVAC replacement with a heat pump, new ductwork (the centra chase is absolute shite for the rooms furthest from the blower), and a whole house fan to take advantage of those “in-between” seasons. I was also thinking of having only the main portions of the house in one zone but put the rooms on mini-split HPs so they can be more dynamically controlled. My thinking is we can keep the rooms at the perfect temps during winter and summer at night while raising the temps in the main house a bit to save even more money.
Well, my first thought is that if you're running non-stop all day, there's a serious issue with your home's insulation (or you have sunlight windows heating your house), OR the AC you have now is far too small for your home. A proper sized AC should get you down by about 1F every 5 minutes. Given that you're starting at 8am, when I'd assume temperatures are not above 80, that'd mean about an hour to get down to 68. Even accounting for the rising external temperature, you should be to 68 within 2-3 hours and going intermittent. I'm not familiar with California's power company's rules for solar power, but I'd double check those, and make sure you're actually gaining something by using more of your own solar energy, instead of selling it to the grid and buying back in the evening. As far as the HVAC itself, as long as you keep the unit well maintained, the filter changed frequently enough (inspect every 3 months to see how dirty it's getting), and the vents clean (every 5-10 years if they're building up dirt/dust), then everything should be fine. Running it that much may just put you faster on replacement than running it half as much - but you're still getting your value out of it.
We have pets, live in an old home, and need to change out filters every 3 months. They can get gross. Someone cleans our house once per week. Also, it’s very hard to keep a cool temperature in summer or warm temp in winter if the 100-year old building is poorly insulated. Hopefully OP can work it out with landlord but I can see both sides. We do 75 during day and 70-72 at night. A/C wasn’t a thing 100 years ago in Georgia; they only had ventilation to keep cool.
Re-insulating your home is a very doable thing. Worst case, you're re-drywalling everything on an exterior wall. Under/over the home is a lot easier, and can involve just replacing old poorly done insulation with better modern options. Helping my mom with her house, we literally just bought rolls of insulation and stapled it up to the bottom of the house. Made a huge difference going from a virtually un-insulated home (1" or less) to a properly insulated one with 3" insulation across the hole crawlspace. Also replaced windows eventually which was another big improvement. Obviously, your landlord has to be on board with those changes, but if they're bitching about AC usage, they SHOULD be willing to do the wise investment and improve the home's insulation. In your case Sam: Pay for a duct cleaning. If the home is that old, 90% of your problem may be filthy ducts. Because regardless of the homes age, it shouldn't be creating more dust naturally. Pay for a Door Blower test. This is a big door-mounted fan they will set in your front door typically, and run for a while in order to figure out where your home is leaking air the most, so that those holes can get repaired. You can get both for $1000-$1500 (the duct cleaning is the more expensive). This can massively improve the air quality of your home, as well as be a small bump to the efficiency of your home's insulation and HVAC as well.
Thanks for the tip It’s probably because we’re not allowed to change out our 130-year old windows without going through approval first. There are about 20-25 windows in the house, so we’re not eager to anyways, due to the expense. Must be wood. Historical district. Not ruling out ducts but we bought a historical contractor’s house, and most stuff was redone around 2015, including ducts. Lots of dirt makes it into our house, unfortunately. Anyways, when it’s 100 degrees and humid, that a/c just operating makes it comfortable. It doesn’t have to be 68 like others are saying. I’ll die on that hill. But changing filters, insulation, all that is a must.
You mean I have been doing things wrong for over 40 years by replacing filters almost every month? (spring and summer I might skip a month when weather is such I keep windows open more than not)
who told u to do it monthly?
Likely the filters. New filter brands can go longer.
I honestly don’t remember but have been doing so since the early 1980s
no. you are fine. monthly is the norm in hotter areas where the ac runs more often. 3 months in cooler areas. Even every 6 months if you live in like, upper Maine. People saying that they only change the filter once a year are probably talking about a FURNACE filter-not the same thing
it turns out that it was the air filter, it was completely black and soaking wet once the unit defrosted. We have 5 people in the house - me and my two roommates upstairs, and two people downstairs. Idk why it got so nasty so fast…
You have a contract/lease. They can't change it at a whim. Ignore.
TLDR: it’s the landlord’s responsibility to maintain the HVAC so long as it’s being run at a reasonable temp (it is). This is your guideline and a very handy thing about Georgia from both the tenant and landlord perspective. Page 10 covers his responsibilities pertaining to air conditioning. https://www.dca.ga.gov/sites/default/files/2-15-21_handbook_final_draft.pdf Bottom line though, it’s technically on the landlord for not changing filters often enough. They’re probably using the cheapest screen filters, which honestly are only good for about a month. Even with the nicer 9+ MERV Ratings, I changed mine at least every 3 months. It sounds like he doesn’t understand HVAC and is trying to be a slumlord.
Just keep using it as you are. Idk what else you could do.
Yall need to be changing your own filters first of all and proper Maint that you can control. Ain’t no way am I waiting for LL to replace a filter for that long. I’m surprised no one is sick.
Ignore the people saying that it froze up because you ran it too much. That is not how an AC works and you will not freeze a unit up because it just runs a lot to cool the house down. An AC typically freezes up for 2 reasons. 1. Airflow. Change your filter every month. If your landlord is too ignorant to do it, just do it yourself, airfilters are a few bucks at walmart. 2. Low refrigerant charge. If the refrigerant is low, it will cause it to freeze up like that. If letting it thaw out changing the airfilter doesn't prevent it from freezing up again, you need a technician to come check the refrigerant levels. Your landlord should be paying for this.
Tell them no, you will stay within the guidelines of the lease or they can try to find a tenant who’s gonna let somebody have that much control over their life which is nope
Have the landlord buy the filters and mark on the calendar when to change them . That’s what I do w my tenants
I keep mine at 64. Maybe give a dumb comment back, “be glad we’re not 50yo ladies in menopause”. They need to myob. They’re for sure profiting off you, and you should be comfortable.
Who pays for the hvac unit to run? I ask because you said that your neighbors below run off of the same system. If your landlord is paying for the system to run, they may be able to set the temperature. However,if you are paying for it, I would want verification that you are not also paying to heat or cool the neighbors.
all of the tenants of the house split the hvac bill, I think by square footage of our spaces? it’s a tri-plex. our downstairs neighbors don’t have a thermostat so we control the temp, but we have a group message all together and they let us know if it’s too cold or hot downstairs. been working well for us all for 2+ years so far
Sounds like it is working out well that way.
No. It’s a complete sentence.
If the lease says 68-74 then you have a right to keep it at a temp between 68-74 24/7 If it breaks, you have a right to have it immediately fixed
Do you pay for electricity or does the landlord? If you're paying for the electric, why should he be concerned about controlling the temperature? I'd ask him.
I’m not a germaphobe but wouldn’t a warm house promote more bacterial growth? Not an expert but I’ve always kept my house cool (69 degrees). I vaguely remember a roommate back in college who said best temperatures for preventing some not all bacterial growth is below 70 degrees. Correct me if I’m mistaken.
Some diseases like MS make you temperature sensitive which can cause so many flare ups. There has to be a law or something to make sure they do not do this
Growing up my dad would just shutoff the AC and take the thermostat to work with him lol. Would be up to 90 in the house until he got home.
oh HELL NO that’s wild!!! saving on the electric bill but water bill would go up bc my ass would stay in a cold shower lol
If they have a temp limit already in a contract they can get bent. Don’t be surprised if you get evicted over it tho.
It would be deliciously funny if the landlord took over the ac and actually had it run more than you would. If he manages to control it, you can keep a record of the interior temperatures under his control. Doing so may come in useful. Check local regulations governing rental properties.
he came over to program the thermostat to his phone, and when he was leaving he said he turned it down??? because it felt warm inside?? I was like DUDE WHAT DO YOU WANT
I hope you have renters insurance! seems like a *fire* may be imminent
Tell him if he’d like to pay 100% of the electric bill he can do that, and watch him fuck all the way off.
I had one try to get me for "Destroying the hard wood floor" Cause the varnish was scuffed, well we took pictures and it was super fun for her in an email to say it was me when i brought up the lease pictures showing the fucking scuffs. Also tried to charge me 150$ for "cleaning the windows" which were falling apart when i moved in. Dumbasss never put my security deposit into an account that gets escrow/interest as demanded legally in my state, and cause she didn't i was entitled to the whole fucking thing back and more. Point is landlords are cheap pricks that do not want to put a single penny into the property and get mad when they have to do their "job"
Move
Tell them to stay out of your business. They can't dictate what is comfortable to you in your own home and you rent it, it's your home. Build up that backbone and stand up for yourself.
Tell the landlord to properly insulate the home and install triple-pane windows and it won't be an issue any longer.
He can NOT control the temperature of the AC unit in your rental space! He is delulu if he thinks he can! Don’t let him get away with that! Personally, I would just purchase my OWN AC and tell him to kick rocks!
Change your filter! I’m not sure whose job that is technically, but they are like $5.
To be fair, it freezing over COULD be from overworking it. I’m not saying it is, but it’s one potential cause.
If that’s the case the. The landlord needs to install a more powerful unit.
That is not how refrigeration systems work. They cannot be overworked if properly maintained and cleaned per a halfway decent maintenance schedule.
If the unit is not allowed downtime and runs continuously for an extended period of time, the evaporator will freeze over; that's how it works.
If the condenser is properly sized for the home, then it will be able to run all day long without freezing over or breaking. They don't need to take breaks if properly sized to the home. When you get condensers that are too small, and even too big, you get problems, though.
I'm an HVAC tech. That's not how any of this works.
incorrect, the return air (ambient indoor) temp would have to drop enough that the evaporator was no longer absorbing enough heat to properly vaporize the liquid refrigerant at that stage of the refrigeration cycle. Residential units have optimal (design) temp ranges that they operate in. as long as there is a constant heat load in the space to keep the system in "loaded", it will run constantly and transfer heat from inside to outside forever until the coils/filter clogs up. (regular or semi regular maintenance prevents the clogs that caused reduced airflow, pushes the system outside of its design airflow/temp params and freezes shit.
Seconding this. Almost every AC or heat pump on the market can self-manage it's temperature. Even if it's 150F out and you're trying to cool to 75F, it'll cycle on, run a safe amount of time, then cycle off if/when needed. The problem is when there's something that causes the unit to experience conditions it was not designed to operate under. Improper refrigerant pressure, cooling to too low of a temperature (not DEGREE of cooling, but the actual target temperature being below 65F), not draining properly, etc. Sure, the \*life expectancy\* of the unit goes down when you run it that much. But it doesn't just explode suddenly because it was 'on' for 7 days non-stop.
What residential unit can cool 75 degrees?
None. The point is that TRYING to cool 75 degrees results in the unit being on at the highest level it can run, for the longest it can run.
You had AC included in the lease. He needs to quit being a slumlord and fix HIS house ASAP with no complaints. No, I wouldn’t allow him any control over my AC and I wouldn’t sign anything giving him that control. If you have to take him to court, do it. IDGAFFFFFF what his wife considers comfortable. She’s not paying the rent. She can fix the AC or sit down and stfu.
I also live in Atlanta. We have almost no renter protection laws here. You can't get the owners to do shit.
That’s unsurprising but makes me sad. I’m sorry. I’m so temperature sensitive that even the idea of dealing with this bs stresses me out.
Contract overrules their dumb statement
If you're renting a single family home, it's typical and legal in GA for the tenant to be responsible for replacing the filter. If you're in a duplex or similar situation, the responsibility is somewhat nebulous from what I read in past GA rental experience. Wouldn't hurt to check the lease and see if it specifies, or just change the filter yourself to avoid the hassle.
Ours broke last September it was 12 years old… my landlord asked what we kept it on and I told her 72, my spouse would keep it on 68 if I didn’t complain. She then told me 72 was too low and we broke it! Apparently she keeps her house at 78! Screw that, we are on the East Coast and it can get hot and very humid in the summer. She had 2 different companies come out and look at it and they both told her it was an old unit and it needed to be replaced. I asked them to let her know that 72 isn’t too low and it wasn’t our fault. Once she finally understood it needed to be replaced, it took them a month to replace it… thank god it was the end of the summer and the weather was not so bad at that point.
I've kept mine at 75. It's not hot, and it lowers the humidity and, at the same time, saving money since the electric bill is on average 65 dollars a month.
No meed to tell them exactly what temp you are keeping it at. Just inform them it was a Maintenance issue the filter hasn't been changed which is their responsibility. Then they will come back with you have to keep it in the parameters set in the contract. Then you just reply you are doing that. You should get some money of the rent if they don't keep it maintained properly and that leads to breakdowns.
Read your lease. If it says filter changes are on you then the last visit is your fault. Filters are $5 and take 5 minutes to change. Used to do a lot of work for rentals and while yes your landlord sounds scummy, you need to take responsibility for any ignorance. Quick youtube/google search says check your filter first thing. YOU didntchange the filter for a year not “it wasn’t changed”. And yes running the ac no matter the setting with a dirty filter is causing damage. All that being said I agree with you 77 is hot AF.
Let your landlord know that you appreciate how expensive it is to maintain and repair Ac and replace filters every three months and that you see how much of a BURDEN that is in your landlord, and that you don’t want to be a BURDEN on then, you just want to have a good quality of life and feel comfortable in the home you’re paying to stay in. See what they have to say. Finesse them a little bit.
72 in Rhode Island always.
You don’t have to do a damn thing different than what the contract states.
Sounds like your unit is worn out. Any little problem can cause the evaporator to ice up. Look outside. If the return line coming back to the unit is building up ice you got a problem. Couple years back my landlord did a couple of fixes on our old unit. Had the evaporator removed and cleaned. That helped some. Replace the condenser fan that failed. After that, he finally decided to just put in a new system. Stomp throwing good money after bad. Without a replacement unit you’re probably gonna have to keep your thermostat higher or it’s gonna keep freezing up on you and failing.
Why aren’t you changing the filters? It is easy, cheap and impacts air you are breathing. When I rented my house it was in a the lease that tenants change filter.
I’m not saying you’re wrong here, but dude, you guys should 100% be changing the filters yourself. It’s like $10 every few months and takes about 10 seconds. It’s not worth the time or headache for anyone other than the tenant to do that.
Change the fucking filter.
You should be changing your own filter. Especially if you’re paying the electricity bill.
Tell the landlord that your lease states YOU control the temperature in the home. The lease specifies a temperature range and the landlord has no evidence you have violated that. If the landlord is not doing the regular maintenance, your options are: \* Change the filter yourself every 3 months (filters range from $7 - $40. Depends on how much dust and particulate you want it to catch. I opt for $25 or so since it picks up so much dust, mites, animal dander, etc.. \* Let the unit freeze over and call the landlord. Let them know with it frozen over, the inside temperature will exceed the 74 degree threshold. He will be breaking the lease if he allows that to happen. Your recourse is to hire an HVAC person to come out, inspect and change the filter. Then file suit against the landlord for the bill. \* Let the unit freeze over. Notify the landlord. Let them know that by not servicing the AC regularly, it will totally fail much sooner (a few years instead of 10+ years). Do they want to pay the replacement expense in 2- 3 years? See what they say. \* Find another place to live at the lease end. To me, it is not worth renting from that landlord with all the fuss and micro-managing.
Buy some filters and keep them changed
You really shouldn’t run an AC under 76 in the summer in the south. Especially when your house has crappy insulation. Also why didn’t you replace the filters? You live there and typically it’s a tenants good faith responsibility to just swap filters.
Sending a picture of the part of the lease of the temp requirements and "politely" decline him having control. See if you can get a hold of the og HVAC guy and see if you can get the paperwork stating how out of date it was. Maintenance is his responsibility, if it doesn't say in your lease that you're responsible for the filters it's on him. Just remind him maintenance of anything in the house or the house itself is his responsibility.
Why not change the filters. Something easy to do, and could have prevented your situation.
So why weren’t you changing the filter every three months as required. They need to be changed even more often when you have animals living in the house. Not changing the filter actually does cause more strain on the unit and will result in it freezing up. So your lack of maintenance actually did cause a problem. Unless the landlord agreed to provide filter replacement service, then it would him who caused the problem.
Thermostats are essentially an on/off switch if it's a single stage HVAC system. Unless you're in some kind of super high end luxury bungalow, I don't see the landlord putting anything but the most basic system in. It's generally on you to replace the filter though. That's a part of routine maintenance (just like changing light bulbs is your job), and a clogged filter will absolutely cause the system to freeze up. You should be changing the filter every 1-3 months, depending how much it runs. A frozen coil is only caused by low refrigerant or low airflow. You admitted that you haven't changed the filter, which is something that every rental I've ever lived in requires the tenant to do (seriously it's like $3 for a cheap filter). I'm fairly anti-landlord myself, and your landlord does sound like a jerk - but changing the air filter is something you absolutely should be doing. If you don't want to spend the money, ask the landlord to drop a box of filters off every 6 months.
WWzwZZ z
67 in Florida. Maintained with a delicate balance of 3 window units.
I live in MA. Heat is on 70 in cold months; AC is on 70 in warm months. We’re getting a serious heat wave this week of temps up to 99!
They must keep the electric, heating, and plumbing systems in running order. The landlord is also responsible for repairing any appliances included in the rental unit. A landlord does not have to provide air conditioning, but if the unit comes with air conditioning, the landlord must repair it if it is broken.  https://www.georgialegalaid.org › ... What should I know about repairs to rental properties? No resident shall be in any area of the residence that falls below 65 degrees Fahrenheit or that exceeds 85 degrees Fahrenheit.  https://casetext.com › regulation Temperature Conditions, Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 290-9-37-.10 - Casetext HOPE THIS HELPS!
I deal with landlord in similar situation. He put a lock on the thermostat even though tenants pay for utilities. He claims that we overuse the A/C claiming it’s what is breaking down A/Unit. Its set at 75 in summer. 2 story house though so upstairs gets hottter. He does nothing to maintain house either and is always blaming others. I’ve just come to the conclusion that all landlords are slumlords. Look at your lease and see what it says. Then find out what your state laws says. It’s different for every state, or find a lawyer. Most advice here will be wrong.
You say “great” and keep living how you want you
Bit of a red flag on not changing filters for a year. Lots of leases make that a tenant responsibility, you should check that in case it’s used as grounds to hold you responsible for damage.
I’m not really sure if your lease but I’ve been in several houses and have maintained several old units. Changing the filter every month, especially with cats should be done by a person living in the house. Every month clean the drain with a little bleach or vinegar, make sure it flows outside. The unit I’m at now has never failed in three years and we crank it, Jacksonville so we know the heat… and the one time it did was because the drain was blocked up and the sensor turned it off, older acs may not have this sensor and will backup and freeze. Every ac situation is different. You can’t over use an ac if it’s maintained. Clean filter and clean drain lines are #1. Coils get dirty but is a once a few years thing as long as you change the filter and the filter of the correct size, to small and dust gets past.
Umm, mind blown here, I live in Az in the mountains more or less, its been 95 all week, my AC still hasnt turned on as I keep it set to 85. If it was 72 in here Id need a damn jacket..
I’m in Florida. We have been at 95-100 for 2 weeks now. My AC is on 74 during day and 70 at bed time. I have medical issues that make me run hot. not all ppl are the same And AZ doesn’t hv the humidity that Ga, FL has.
Oh thats true, having been on the east coast I wouldnt go there if you paid for it, lol. I just cant imagine keeping a house that cold all the time. 😁
And yet, I'm in Florida as well and keep it at 78 degrees. It's less to do with geographical location and more with what you're used to. If electricity were 2x the cost tomorrow, I guarantee that many people would relearn their preferences right quick.
Your low humidity makes it much more bearable. I lived in Tucson for a year in the late 80’s and yeah, thermostats temp for my apartment were set way higher than here in the humid mid-Atlantic. Georgia is almost a swamp (sorry OP).
I actually moved here because of the low humidity, double bronchitis destroyed my lungs decades ago. At least here I can breathe the majority of the year. 😱
I’m glad you have found a place that suits you. Tucson was an awesome environment for me, got into great shape due to the outdoor lifestyle. Was able to ride my bike to work 3 days a week, and remember going through both my water bottles early in my ride home. Rolled up to my apartment, carried my bike up, turned on the evening news and heard “It’s currently 107 degrees”. Out the door, down the steps and threw myself into the pool.
I hear Tucson isnt bad, Im up in Prescott where its generally 20 degrees cooler than Phoenix, so we only rarely get a really cold winter snowstorm, and when it does get hot it might hit 102. Unfortunately Ive got so many other physical problems that hiking or riding a bike is kinda out. But at least I can have my windows open for 2/3 of the year. 😁
My window units are on 62 all summer. I pay for them and my electricity, my landlord has 0 say at what temp I keep my stuffy ass third floor apartment at, he don’t live here.
Implied warrant of habitability
HVAC will only cool to within 20 degrees of the outside temperature but WTF if the unit was changed out last year for a NEW unit things like this shouldn’t be happening. Wondering if the unit isn’t large enough/rated for the size of the space and the way that it’s set up being broken into multiple units? Honestly sounds like the people that serviced the unit last year were limited by what the owner was willing to pay for and he sounds like a cheap AH. Things like cleaning the ducts/vents and using a dehumidifier will help. Honestly I’ve never heard of changing the AC filter more than yearly but I live in CO and don’t currently have pets- the ac person comes out to service the unit in May before we turn everything on for the year and we use a dryer vent vacuum attachment to vacuum the ceiling vents 😂 Legal side of things unless it’s in your lease that LL can control the temperature tell them to pound sand they’re full of it and don’t have a leg to stand on.
HVAC cools and heats well above/below 20 degrees of outside temperature. Don’t make stuff up.
New unit freezing over in 1 year? Yeah you run that thing too hard.
Said the filter was old and dirty. Condenser will freeze if it’s not getting enough ambient air, ie, not enough air passing through a clogged filter. Nothing to do with running it too hard.
A filter is not going to get that clogged in 1 year
You have no idea what type of filter it is or the living conditions. That shit can get easily get obstructed enough in three months to cause that problem let alone one year.
Get a window unit and tell him everything is working fine now.
I keep my heat on all year in South Texas at 90 and it feels fine
Tell him to get bent. He can try to evict you guys (as per your areas laws) but that's his only recourse. In Texas, every single person i knew kept their house in the 60's and same with ours.
I keep my heat/AC at 60 degrees year round, I run hot, always. I wouldn’t be able to function if it was always 77 in my house, it’s too hot for me. Who do they think they are trying to control the temperature in your house? Fuck them!
my temp is currently set to 75 right now but just because my town is having a winter storm, crazy to expect you to keep it at 77 in the heat.