Run Times for your HVAC Unit

Is it more energy efficient for the air conditioner to come on for a short bursts of cooling or to come on and stay on for long periods?
You got to think about it kind of like miles per gallon so think of your air conditioner as your car, is it more efficient when you drive and have to be in stop and go traffic or is it more efficient for you to be on the interstate and you’re going, which is better? The interstate right, if the system is sized properly and designed properly it will run for longer periods, and if it was too big of a unit it will turn off quickly. If it was a too small of a unit it will run all the time.
I had a customer come in here a couple of years ago and she said my A/C won’t stop running and it’s like 95 degrees outside I said well what your set point is inside? She said 75 I said I asked what the temperature is. She replied 75. I said well that’s good right? She goes no it won’t stop running. I said well it didn’t want to get behind on the temperature.
Let me explain: when you drove up here from your house how many times did you turn the air off in your car? She says “I didn’t” I said “why not” she said “because I would get hot” I said “exactly.” Same way in your home, so on one of those really hot days it’s going to run and run because it doesn’t want to get behind so if you have it set on 75 and its gets to 75.2 it’s going to turn on.
Now, they don’t show you the point between the numbers because that would freak you out if its at 75.6 you’d be looking all the time 75.6 “oh no, it’s getting hot” so they go with the rounded numbers 75, 76. The system should be sized properly and if it’s working properly it is going to run longer, you want longer run times because it would be more efficient to run longer and you will get better dehumidification.
Your friend in comfort and energy savings,
Derek Cole
Thanks for reading, if you enjoyed this please hit the HEART button. It would mean a lot to me and it helps other people see the article.
