Would you leave the air conditioner running?

Can't you just close the vents of the AC in those rooms?

This is definitely a heat tolerance issue v budget/expense. I agree that it can take an incredible amount of time to cool down a house. Also it is important if photographs are stored or displayed, have actual film, or paintings, or anything heat sensitive help manage the max temperature as needed. Do you have an attic fan? As long as that is set and is cycling, it does help. This is set at 83 for our house. Again, we do not have ceiling fans, only window AC units, so we turn everything on when we return home till we get it to reasonable.

marylago said:
It takes far too long to cool my house if I leave the air off on a hot day. Everything gets hot, me not the least of them. If my house is 78 after walking from the train, I am happy.
This does not address unicorn33's question, but the other comments left on this thread.

I think a reasonable compromise is to turn the a/c on before you arrive home. If possible, use a timed or internet-connected thermostat.

I don't have central air, but I'd love to...

you could put a window unit on a timer I think...i beleive some of the newer ones have a delayed start....but on the really hot days that still would not be good enough for me....it has to stay on all the time to get it into the low 80s

Yes, even my pretty old-school one has a timer. I set it for the number of hours ahead I want it to start, so for example this morning I left at 8 and set it for 4 hours, meaning it came on at noon.