this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2025
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Say it's 25C outside and 30C indoors. I want to bring the indoor temp down to 25C, but opening all the windows barely makes a dent. Does it make sense to have the AC turned on and set to 25C while I have the windows open? Or should I be closing them anyway?

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[โ€“] tal@olio.cafe 14 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

If it's cooler outside than in, then in general opening the windows and having the AC on will cool things off faster than just one or the other.

Caveats might include the AC output being near a window and it being cooler inside near the window, or humidity. But absent that, sure, both will cool it down faster.

Once the inside temperature drops below outside, though, probably want to close the windows or turn off the AC.

I'd also add that if your AC has a ventilation-only mode that can pull outside air in


a window unit or ducted unit probably does, split mini won't, portable may not


that'll help cool the inside and be more energy-efficient than running the compressor, if you don't care about getting inside colder than ambient temperatures. Might also consider putting a box fan in a window or two, which could also drastically increase air turnover rate.

I live in a pretty comfortable climate and normally always have an open window and a small fan near the ceiling blowing air out the window, to have more airflow than would normally be the case with purely-passive ventilation.

If you're in an environment that doesn't get much humidity


the Southwest in the US is a good example


you might also consider an evaporative cooler, which won't give you the potential very cold temperatures of an air conditioner (given enough power), but will cool things below ambient temperatures without needing much power.

On your point about drawing air in with the ac, most people without ac will try to use fans to achieve the same thing, often trying to run a fan from one open window aimed at another to pull air through the house. If you have multiple stories opening upper windows and blowing air out while pulling air in through lower windows is also effective. Adding a fan to blow air up the stairs can also help.

[โ€“] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You provided an image of a mini split. They are so efficient, if it is colder outside than in it is pretty negligible that it will be any less efficient. Unless the window is near the outside unit and the heat just comes back in. But you need to take into account the humidity, if it's much more humid outside you definitely should keep the windows shut.

[โ€“] cecilkorik@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Yeah, the humidity is a very important factor here.

Latent heat of vaporization causes some very non-intuitive temperature physics when you start condensing or vaporizing any fluids. Fun fact: A 300W(electrical) dehumidifier functions as a ~1500W(thermal) heater. And it doesn't necessarily feel like one, because our perception of heat is intrinsically linked to humidity. But that only happens if the air is very humid. It's the reverse of an evaporative/swamp cooler, which likewise only works effectively if the air is NOT humid.

[โ€“] TheMadCodger@piefed.social 1 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Wait, what? I want to know more. A dehumidifier acts as a 5x wattage heater, but we don't feel it?

[โ€“] cecilkorik@lemmy.ca 5 points 22 hours ago (1 children)
[โ€“] tal@olio.cafe 1 points 17 hours ago

I was familiar with the material he covered, but he also mentioned another video where he compared a "dessicant wheel" dehumidifer (common in the UK) with a vapor-condensation dehumidifier (common in the US), and that was really interesting, as I'd never heard of a dessicant wheel dehumidifer before. Thanks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzClLWL-Eys

[โ€“] Psythik@lemmy.world 3 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

Thanks for this question. As the weather cools, I've started considering the same thing. Leaving the windows open overnight never seems to cool the house down enough on its own. I've been considering using the A/C to help, that way I don't have to run it as much during the day. Glad I'm not the only one thinking this way.

I'm wondering if this will harm the operation of the air conditioner in any way, given that I have a whole-home HVAC system, and they're designed to work with the windows closed.

[โ€“] Lemvi@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 1 day ago

As long as having the windows open and the AC running has the same effect, it makes sense to do both. As soon as the AC has to work against the air coming in from outside, it probably makes sense to either close the windows or turn off the AC.

Even then it might make sense to keep doing both though. For example, if the AC only changes air temperature and moisture, but does not reduce volatile organic compounds, and it's hot and humid outside. You keep the window open to keep VOC low, while keeping the AC on to keep temperature and moisture pleasant.