On or off?

I think ours only have on/off switches, but it puzzles me as they're the standard ac units most villas have and everywhere else I lived they turn on and off to maintain a certain temp, but these ones don't - very frustrating. Driving me nuts - I keep waking up with a gale force wind on my face. And I'm not even homesick. Good idea, will get husbad to have a look at the strips tonight. just don't let husbad hear you calling him that

I think ours only have on/off switches, but it puzzles me as they're the standard ac units most villas have and everywhere else I lived they turn on and off to maintain a certain temp, but these ones don't - very frustrating. Driving me nuts - I keep waking up with a gale force wind on my face. And I'm not even homesick. Good idea, will get husbad to have a look at the strips tonight. It was much much better, as the air now blows round the sides of the room, not straight in your face so you wake up with a dry, sore throat and a head cold.

I think ours only have on/off switches, but it puzzles me as they're the standard ac units most villas have and everywhere else I lived they turn on and off to maintain a certain temp, but these ones don't - very frustrating. Driving me nuts - I keep waking up with a gale force wind on my face. And I'm not even homesick. Good idea, will get husbad to have a look at the strips tonight.

I think ours only have on/off switches, but it puzzles me as they're the standard ac units most villas have and everywhere else I lived they turn on and off to maintain a certain temp, but these ones don't - very frustrating.aha, I think what may be happening is the 'chiller' system is cutting off at required temperature, but the fan blows away.... if you stay at an old hotel here (like Intercon AD) you will get the old system that cuts in and out, but stay at a new hotel and you wake up feeling like a fan has been blowing in your face all night, because it has! Yeah I got the OH on the ladders last night to move the strips inside the vents, so it's not blowing in our faces all night.

I think ours only have on/off switches, but it puzzles me as they're the standard ac units most villas have and everywhere else I lived they turn on and off to maintain a certain temp, but these ones don't - very frustrating.aha, I think what may be happening is the 'chiller' system is cutting off at required temperature, but the fan blows away.... if you stay at an old hotel here (like Intercon AD) you will get the old system that cuts in and out, but stay at a new hotel and you wake up feeling like a fan has been blowing in your face all night, because it has!

I think ours only have on/off switches, but it puzzles me as they're the standard ac units most villas have and everywhere else I lived they turn on and off to maintain a certain temp, but these ones don't - very frustrating.

Der, thanks, that's very interesting. What's with the "altering"? Sounds as if we need it.. does your a/c have an auto switch or only on/off if it has an auto swith then the fan and a/c should cut in together, then cut off when pre set temp is reached. most of the newer buildings have the on/off system as it is cheaper to install and run, but really bad for the upper respitory system! when we were building our villa we had to rent an appt, and oh boy, we quickly learnt what a/c system to NOT install in our villa!

simpleas - about 6 months after we moved into our villa we had a visit from a couple of guys who'd installed the A/C and they suggested the adjustment (the A/C is LG). They said it involved the installation of a new circuit board for each A/C unit but we never believed them and we were right not to. However, naive as we were, we believed that they'd instal a new circuit board for each unit. On the other hand, whatever they did to alter the existing circuit boards definitely worked. We recently had to have a new circuit board installed on one of our A/C units and, as was happening originally, the fan was running all the time. We called our maintenance contractors (who aren't the guys who made the initial adjustments) back in and, having looked at one of the other boards which had been altered, they made the necessary adjustments (it did take them about two hours) and now it also works the same, ie the fan only works when the A/C unit is blowing cold air. I know we were ripped off initially (they said each 'new' board for the four units would cost 500dhs) but we saw the savings in the first 18 months on our DEWA bills. I have absolutely no idea what they did to alter the boards but whatever they did works.

Outdoor temps seem to have shot up 10 degrees over the past week alone ........so our living area AC this past week has been on /off / on / off / on / off! DH & I can not quite adjust our internal thermometers to match! During summer months when on we set it to 21 degrees (& I'll be making a hot water bottle to warm my feet & dashing out to the balcony every couple of hours to warm up). In a 2 bed apartment we never have our bedroom AC on (too noisy), but leave the door open and have the living area on to circulate around & cool the place ........ it works, & doesn't keep us awake. Just turned the AC off now DH has gone to bed tho, and it'll stay off at night till the really high summer temps kick in. x

Der, thanks, that's very interesting. What's with the "altering"? Sounds as if we need it..

Our three bed villa has four separate A/C units; one covers the lounge/dining area and hall/lobby area, a second covers the kitchen/family room/maids room (in our case study), a third covers the two spare bedrooms and shared bathroom and the fourth covers the master bedroom/bathroom and landing. None are ever turned off but are set to 28c all the time (just in case we get unseasonally hot weather during the winter). We've just turned down the A/C in the master bedroom at night to 26c but elsewhere in the house it's still set at 28c and has yet to kick in. We do have a floor-standing fan in the doorway between the dining/lounge area and kitchen/family room which keeps the air moving and it still feels very comfortable, despite having the terrace doors wide open all day and evening. During the height of the summer we may turn the A/C down in the master bedroom to 24c and the A/C in the kitchen/family room to around 25c but in the other two areas it remains set at 28c unless we use the dining room or have guests to stay. Even at 28c the A/C comes on just often enough to move the air around and to stop mildew/damp and building deterioration. We were recommended to do this by a friend who worked in facilities management and, over the course of six years, it seems to have done the job. Funnily enough, as I commented on a previous thread, guests seem to like their bedroom at Arctic temperatures, ie 18c. Back home in the UK they'd have their central heating on if temperatures got that low - humph. In addition, we got the A/C control boards 'altered' so that the fans only work when the A/C units are functioning/blowing cold air. At first the A/C and fans kicking in woke us up a few times but we soon got used to it. Thought it a bit expensive at the time but, boy, has it saved us money on our DEWA bill since. So, to DEWA costs. Average throughout the year (only two of us but guests for, say eight weeks per year) with a heated/chilled pool, no green stuff in the garden so no irrigation required, and including housing fee of around 500dhs/month - just under 2000dhs/month.

On at night as it's muggy and warm. I hate our ac's though as they don't switch on and off with the temp, they're either on or off. Yes, ours are the same, I was moaning about that last night, which is the first night the a.c's been on since we moved into our house. Ours is boodly loud, too, which I find really annoying. Don't suppose we can expect the LL to fork out for a different system, though..

ceiling fans...ceiling fans...ceiling fans...swear by them!

The a/c's that do not automatically cut on/off can dry the air out and give you a hard time, getting up and down to turn the thing on and off, the fan blowing continuously is ghastly. Tell me about it. Although I just prod the OH to get up and down to turn it on and off - he's the one that wants it on anyway.

The a/c's that do not automatically cut on/off can dry the air out and give you a hard time, getting up and down to turn the thing on and off, the fan blowing continuously is ghastly.

I switch on for a quick cool down, then off again. I keep the ceiling fans going year 'round and around the clock - fantastic for keeping the air circulating, and even if doesn't actually lower the temp the circulating air makes the room feel cooler. Can't function without ceiling fans in this climate!

Aaahh this is an eternal argument in our house! DH likes the AC on every night, regardless of temp. I really, really don't like it and always wake up feeling like a wooden plank lol. Have taken to waking up in the wee hours and switching the blardy thing off. We have chilled water - it does seem to make the air much less dry than normal AC, but I find it impossible to control the temperature on it. Not sure if that's to do with it being chilled water, or just our unit thing.

Never touch mine, it is set to a temperature and just cuts in if it needs cooling and that is it, so basically on all year. For those using chilled water system it must be a pain having the fan blowing constantly. Is that what it is? I always wondered why it doesn't click on and off, it's soooo annoying!

Never touch mine, it is set to a temperature and just cuts in if it needs cooling and that is it, so basically on all year. For those using chilled water system it must be a pain having the fan blowing constantly.

Mine's on all year long.

On at night as it's muggy and warm. I hate our ac's though as they don't switch on and off with the temp, they're either on or off.

Mine is on in the bedroom at night (think on auto setting so only comes on after set temp reached) and is on in the living area as needed - try having the doors open for a while first so that there is fresh air circulating but usually give in and have the A/c on, last few days have felt very humid though. Has been on in LO's bedroom almost all year round as it does get hot in there and am bit worried about her overheating.

i meant to say mine is never off in the bedroom at night. off in day time as am at work all day. in 3 years of living in a one bed appt my dew bill has yet to be over 80 dh a month.

Finally switched on the air con today after 4 months! We'll switch if off later in the evening.... It'll be on 24 hours a day (except couple of hours early morning) in few days time (for the next 7.5 months)!

with mine on all the time my dewa is about 400 a month pretty much every month :)

On at night again! Summer has arrived :( I hope there will be a little colder weather coming so I can turn it off at night again and open the windows but it doesn't look like it. I am still resisting turning it on during the day, I just hate the dry AC air. Normally we have the AC on day and night from maybe mid May untill Mid October, give or take a week or so. And we have it completely off from around November through Marchl. The months in between the AC is only on at night. Although I might consider getting a fan for now to run at night, I can't sleep good with the AC running - gives me a headache. But from an energy saving point of view, a fan isn't too good either.

To the all year round ladies, are your Dewa bills not sky high? I am terrified of using it and then getting the summer month bills? Its our first summer so not sure what to expect! Interested in any answers to this...it will be my first summer here too and no clue what to expect bill-wise.

On all year round, not great for the environment! We are in a two bedroom flat, off in the spare room unless we have guests so DEWA pretty standard all year.

To the all year round ladies, are your Dewa bills not sky high? I am terrified of using it and then getting the summer month bills? Its our first summer so not sure what to expect! Landlord pays Airconditioning.