Making AC Colder: Efficient Use of Your Air Conditioner
How Much Can Your Air Conditioner Cool?
The most efficient way to use air conditioning.
We tend to think that we can set our air conditioning thermostats to whatever temperature we desire and have the air conditioner do its job no matter what.
However, this is not the case. There is a limit to how much an air conditioner can realistically cool when comparing temperature differences between inside and outside air. Air Concept Solutions, LLC is an air conditioning company that understands the limits of various AC systems and can prevent you from needlessly running your air conditioner too much on the hottest days so you make the most efficient use of your air conditioning.
Temperature Differences between Inside and Outside Air
ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.) has designated realistic cooling parameters for air conditioner systems. Generally speaking an air conditioning system is designed to accommodate up to a 20 degree difference between the outside air and inside air while still keeping around a 55% humidity level which is comfortable. This means that if it is 80 outside your AC can easily reach 70 degrees, since that is only a 10 degree temperature difference.
So even if it is 90 degrees out your air conditioner should still easily reach the 70 degree mark. However, if it is 100 degrees outside, it will be nearly impossible to reach 70 degrees inside without the air conditioner working overtime and causing problems such as excess humidity.
Most air conditioning systems are not designed to keep your home as cool as 75 degrees on extreme heat days for a reason. In order to accomplish this on a regular basis your AC system would need to be much larger and you would be paying for much more AC system than you typically need which would significantly increase your energy bills. If you have your air conditioner set to a temperature that makes that differential more than twenty degrees you will likely run your AC all day long and still not quite reach those desired temperatures. For typical home users this becomes a waste of money on your end as you overuse a system that was not designed to accommodate a more extreme change in temperature cooling.
A good rule of thumb is during the hottest days when the dial reaches 100 degrees it is best to set your AC to somewhere between 75 and 80 degrees. You can also supplement that slight temperature difference with closed curtains on the sunny side of the building, running ceiling fans and portable fans in rooms where people are present, and keeping a tall glass of ice water on-hand.
Energy Efficient AC
So you can see that bigger is not always better and over sizing your HVAC systems can cause more issues within your home. We can help you with high humidity issues, sweating ductwork, cooling and heating issues for a complete whole house approach to resolving your temperature issues. Additionally, make certain that your AC is properly maintained in order to eliminate the possibility of lost cooling efficiency and money through items which could have been easily fixed like replacing dirty filters and cleaning coils. Fresh filters and cleaning coils improve air flow and cooling efficiency.
At Air Concept Solutions, LLC. are here to help you inspect, diagnose, service and repair your ac systems or problems properly.
Call Us Today: (843)376-7214
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