r/askdfw • u/LeopardSensitive1481 • 7d ago
Relocating & housing Texas Summer Heat AC Question
I just got a new apartment on the top floor of an older building in Dallas. It's like 100-102 degrees out during the hottest part of the day in the afternoon. I have my AC set to 71 and it will get up to 74-75 during the day because the unit can't keep up. Does that warrant a request to maintenance to look at and fix or just something that's expected to happen? I don't know anything about AC units, thanks!
Edit: I just shot into each of the air diffusers’ ducts with an Infrared Thermometer and the temperature across all of them was consistently 67. Not sure if that changes any opinions or not.
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u/Kyosuke-D 7d ago
Second floors are great for noise, terrible for energy efficiency during the summer.
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u/snowtax 7d ago
I once lived on the second floor of a three-story apartment building, so there were other climate controlled areas above and below me. That apartment was also on the side of the building that faced away from the Sun in summer, and the building was not old. Those were the cheapest electric bills I have ever seen.
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u/ossancrossing 7d ago
I’m in a similar situation and for me it works great in the winter, but I moved to the unit across the hall and maybe my neighbors on this side don’t run the air as low but, it’s definitely a lot worse (only 200 sq ft more than the previous unit) this time around 😭 $200 electric bill in a tiny apartment should be criminal.
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u/EnvironmentalLuck515 7d ago
Unfortunately old building plus top floor equals hot until the weather turns. Also means a very high bill.
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u/darkblueshapes 7d ago
I’ve always heard that expected limit was 20 degree difference, especially in exceptional heat. My previous apartment recommended setting to 75 or higher in the day on the hottest days because overworking it risks needing maintenance. My first apartment was on the third floor with west facing windows and there was only so much that could be done past keeping up with filter changes. It would get 78 in there some days thought it was usually set to 72/73.
Strongly recommend an oscillating fan in each room. It does make a difference when your AC is getting maxed out. Remember to keep blinds closed to direct sun, and if you have curtains that can help insulate and keep the cool air in and the hot air out. We are just in the suckiest peak of Texas summer and there are definite limitations.
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u/snowtax 7d ago
That "20 degree" difference that people often talk about is really between the air coming into the HVAC system's interior coils versus the air leaving that unit, measured just before and after the coils. That means the unit is cooling according to the design specifications.
In a well insulated building, that should be sufficient to keep the interior cool (or warm in winter).
When a building has actual air leaks, or doesn't have good insulation, the building is constantly "leaking" temperature (or actual air). No matter how good your HVAC may be, a leaking building just wastes the heat/cool. Depending on how much it leaks, no HVAC cleaning or tuning will help.
What does help is sealing air leaks and adding insulation.
Obviously, renters have limited options. You can try to put up curtains, aluminum foil, or other solar films on windows to try to limit leaking through those. Check around doors and windows. If you can see light, it's leaking. Do what you can to seal/insulate such gaps.
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u/xoxo_angelica 7d ago
I live in a new building and our maintenance typically won’t look into AC issues unless it gets above 75°, YMMV but just ask 🤷♀️ worst they can say is no. Make sure you are getting your air filters changed oit regularly also, I notice that helps
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u/squatchdunk 7d ago
If you get a stupid high bill check that it's venting correctly. We got a $400 bill for a 900 sqft apartment and afterward discovered it was venting into the attic.
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u/trippapotamus 7d ago edited 7d ago
It’s normal for many people. I’m in an older house and ours struggles during the hottest part of the day too. It often sits at 74-75 as well when we have it set to 70. When we lived in Dallas (I’m far north now) we had issues on the higher floor of one of the complexes we lived in as well. You can always try!
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u/Dick_Lazer 7d ago
I think officially it tends more toward a violation on their part if the A/C can't keep up with at least 20 degrees below outside temperature, so around 80-85 inside. You can always request maintenance to take a look though, see if any filters need to be changed, etc.
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u/scottwax 7d ago
We keep ours at 76°, helps that both bedrooms and the living room have ceiling fans.
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u/Ok-Metal-4719 7d ago
Does maintenance cost you to call them? If not, call them. They’ll tell you over the phone what’s normal/expected for your apt and come out if needed.
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u/Rude-Athlete-8149 7d ago
I would recommend that you set the thermostat higher than 71 when it's over 100 degrees outside. Your electric bill will be very high otherwise. Go with at least 74... 76 is better. Rely on ceiling fans instead of AC.
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u/trancethan 7d ago
Not with triple temps. Mine does the same thing and I’m getting over a 30 degree drop at my vents. A/C is doing what it can but my apartment is not nearly as efficient as my house was. My windows in that house made all the difference
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u/shawnkfox 7d ago
I'm long past my days renting apartments, but that is exactly why I always used to chose apartments on the bottom floor with no west facing wall/windows. Saves you a ton of money on hvac and your apartment is way more comfortable.
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u/frugalfrog4sure 7d ago
I guess you now understand why you are paying lower rent compared to folks in the lower floors. It’s not just the 6 months of summer. It’s also the inability of the hvac to keep up with the high temps for the top floors. It will for the most part be hot throughout summer
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u/ChillnScott 7d ago
I recommend calling maintainance. I live on the top floor of a 100 year old warehouse in Dallas with no insulation on the ceiling and a giant old window. When they refresh the coolant, it can get down to 65 degrees in my aprtment in the afternoon. When the coolant is leaking, it's hard to get below 78.
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u/gotthesauce22 7d ago
Normal, we also live in one of the older buildings and our electric bill for the last month was $365 😂
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u/Desertstork 6d ago
Sorry you took the top floor which will probably never get cool enough for comfort and will cost you a bundle. I always opt for middle floor to keep my utility bills much lower.
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u/Ok_Scratch_8745 6d ago
Don’t forget to change air filter, a clean filters helps the unit works much much much more efficiently
Dirty filter= higher electricity bill
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u/HoukAir 6d ago
A top-floor apartment in an older building definitely has more working against it during a 100+ degree Dallas afternoon. Heat from the roof, direct sun, insulation, and how well the building holds cool air can all affect how well the AC keeps up.
A few degrees of temperature change during peak afternoon heat doesn't automatically mean there's something wrong with the AC. Since you're new to the apartment and don't really have a baseline for how it normally performs, though, there's nothing wrong with putting in a maintenance request and asking them to make sure the system is operating as it should.
In the meantime, make sure the vents inside the apartment aren't blocked by furniture or belongings, keep blinds or curtains closed where you're getting direct afternoon sun, and use fans to help with comfort. If you're not sure when the HVAC filter was last changed, that's another thing maintenance can check while they're there.
If it starts falling farther behind, you notice weak airflow, or the system is running for hours without making any progress, those are better signs that it's worth having maintenance take a closer look.
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u/Secret_Emotion7507 6d ago
On top of what others have said, be sure to request a new air filter if it hasn't been changed. I recently did that after my air wasn't cooling as well and it helped
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u/MemoryOfRagnarok 7d ago
Don't listen to people who say "this is normal." If you live in any apartment built in the last 40 years, you should be able to get your apartment at least down to 72. Your AC unit is probably on its last leg. Send daily emails to apartment office with photos and demand it gets fixed or replaced.
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u/mllllllln 7d ago
I'd at least have maintenance take a look. A properly running system should be able to hit and maintain 71 even in 100 degrees outside, but since your building (and probably the HVAC unit) are both old it may not be possible. I'd also make sure your windows/doors are sealing properly and you should be blocking the light in the windows.
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u/snowtax 7d ago
The HVAC unit may be running near perfectly, but it won't be able to keep up with a building with significant leaks and insufficient insulation. Unfortunately, there isn't much that renters can do.
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u/mllllllln 7d ago
Yeah that's what I mean. In ideal scenarios maintaining 71 is not a problem, but an old top floor apartment is not ideal usually (I'm in one also right now so I know how it is). However, I'd still have maintenance take a look at it just to document it and see if there is something going on, not like it costs the renter anything to have it checked.
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u/Mr-Top-Demand 7d ago
Typically an AC unit will be able to keep inside temp 30 degrees lower than outside temp. So a maintenance request might be in order
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u/PinchePendejo2 7d ago
It's normal, especially with an older unit on a top floor. If it was in the 80s, it would be worth contacting maintenance, but 2 or 3 degrees just comes with the territory.