Originally Posted by
BAVE
Hello. Throughout our build process this forum has been a great help. We are at the final stage of our construction in deep South Texas and I have a question regarding acceptable standards. We have a 5000 sq foot (living) single story home with very very high ceilings throughout. The construction is 2 inch concrete block covered by stucco and open cell foam spray throughout for insulation. Windows are relatively large though few and small only on the south facing side of the home. The home has three units consisting of a 5 ton and two 3 ton units.
What is the acceptable temperature low for a home in this environment (average 100 degree day)? In other words, should the home be able to cool to 72 degrees, 76 degrees, etc?
First thing is how many days has the air conditioning been running? Are you leaving the home closed up 24/7 and running the a/c? How long had the systems been running when you became concerned about the lowest temperatures you were seeing?
Main reason I'm asking is that your a/c systems will put a lot of their capacity into dehumidifying a structure (especially a brand new one) when first turned on. With the size of yours and depending on the moisture that could be contained within the home's structure and items in it, this moisture removal "time" could be potentially days. Not saying this is your issue, but if we assume that the systems have been installed and "adjusted" to peak operating efficiency and they were sized correctly this would be some of the first things I'd check.
A way to see if there is excessive moisture in the home is to turn all the a/c off for an hour and monitor how quickly the humidity level rises. Not a scientific way by any means, but it can give an idea.
The other thing you can do is check how much condensate/water is coming from the drains for each unit. Again not a measure of anything other than it gives an idea how much moisture the system(s) are working to remove.
Being a new home it comes down to asking questions of the contractor that put the systems in. They are the only ones that know what went in and how it's working..... or they should.
Use the biggest hammer you like, pounding a square peg into a round hole does not equal a proper fit.